Xenispa atra ( Pic, 1926a )

Sekerka, Lukáš, 2017, Taxonomic changes within Imatidiini and Hybosispini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 57 (2), pp. 351-380 : 369-370

Xenispa atra ( Pic, 1926a)

( Fig. 15 )

Demothispa atra Pic, 1926a: 13 (original description). Cephaloleia cyanea Staines, 1996: 25 (original description), syn. nov. Cephaloleia coroicoana (misidentification): STAINES & GARCÍA- ROBLEDO (2014): 117 (partim, faunistics).

Type localities. Demothispa atra : ‘Vénézuelaʼ. Cephaloleia cyanea : Venezuela, Aragua State, Rancho Grande, 1100 m.

Type material examined. Demothispa atra : HOLOTYPE: glued, ‘ Venézuela [w, hw by Pic, s] || 9 [w, hw, s] || Gestro vidit [w, hw by Pic, s] || coll Pic [w, hw by Pic, s] || voi | aeneipennis | Baly [w, hw by Pic, s] || type [y, hw by Pic, s] || TYPE [r, p, cb] || Museum Paris | Coll. M. Pic [b, p, cb] || C. atra | n sp [w, hw by Pic, s]’ ( MNHN).

Cephaloleia cyanea : HOLOTYPE: glued,‘VENEZUELA:Aragua | Rancho Grande | 8 [hw] May 1973 1100 m.| Ginter Ekis [w, p, cb] || Type Number | 105427 [hw] | U.S.N.M. [r, p, cb] || HOLOTYPE | Cephaloleia [hw] | cyanea Staines [hw] | Des. C. L. Staines [hw] | 1994 [hw] [r, p, cb] || USNM ENT | [data matrix code] | 00871337 [w, p, cb]’ ( USNM). Additional material examined. BRAZIL: ‘Brasiliaʼ without further data, 1 spec. ( BMNH, ex coll. A. Fry, register no. 43830). VENEZUELA: ARAGUA: Rancho Grande Biological Station, 10°21′N, 67°41′W, 1300 m, 12.–14.v.1998, 1 spec. (Malaise trap), J. Ashe, R. Brooks & R. Hanley lgt. ( SEMC).

Remarks. PIC (1926a) described D. atra presumably based on a single specimen as the description is written in singular and only a single length measurement was mentioned, and compared it to D. jataiensis . I moved D. atra tentatively to Xenispa based on the primary description ( SEKERKA 2014) as the holotype was on loan. In November 2016 I had opportunity to study the holotype and those observations indicate the species clearly belongs to Xenispa as it possesses all principal characters of that genus, e.g. long antennae, serrate apical margin of elytra, smooth and convex frons and vertex.

STAINES (1996) described Cephaloleia cyanea based on series of eleven specimens: holotype was collected in Rancho Grande in Venezuela, three paratypes in Caracas (USNM), one paratype near Arcabuco in Bocaya Department of Colombia (USNM), and remaining six paratypes in Monte Verde in Costa Rica (CMNC and collection of Henry Hespenheide, USA). I had opportunity to study most of the type series and found none of the paratypes is conspecific with the holotype and each belongs to one of three different species. The original description is a mixture of characters of all four taxa but seems to be mostly based on specimens from Caracas. One of them was also figured in the original description ( STAINES 1996). I have compared the holotype of C. cyanea with that of D. atra and found that they are conspecific and thus I synonymize C. cyanea with the latter species.

STAINES & GARCÍA- ROBLEDO (2014) published a redescription of C. cyanea but it was mostly based on the Colombian specimen, which they also figured. The material listed in ‘Specimens examined’ consists of actual paratypes designated in 1996. STAINES & GARCÍA- ROBLEDO (2014: 117) also recorded Cephaloleia coroicoana Uhmann, 1930 from Venezuela based on a single specimen. However, the specimen was misidentified and belongs to X. atra and is given here in additional material examined. Therefore, Venezuela must be removed from the range of C. coroicoana . Xenispa atra is known to me based on four specimens only, the two types and two additional specimens listed here.The BMNH specimen has vague locality data ‘Brasilia’ and came from the collection of W. W. Saunders. I think it was quite likely mislabelled and the species does not occur in Brazil as the specimen is morphologically identical to the remaining specimens not displaying any morphological variability.According to the properly labelled specimens the species occurs in the central part of Cordillera de la Costa in Venezuela, which has a quite unique flora and fauna with high local endemism. Therefore I do not include Brazil in the species distribution.

Xenispa atra is a very characteristic species as it has narrow lateral margins of pronotum while most Xenispa species have wide lateral margins. This species can be easily separated from other Venezuelan species of Xenispa using the key on page 374.

Distribution. Venezuela: Aragua ( STAINES 1996).

Figures

Figs 15–22. 15 – Cephaloleia cyanea Staines, 1996 (holotype, 4.0 mm); 16 – Xenispa gilvipes (Uhmann, 1930) (holotype, 4.4 mm); 17 – Xenispa pulchella Baly, 1859 (holotype, 7.7 mm); 18 – Xenispa fouquei sp. nov. (♂ paratype from the type locality, 6.9 mm); 19 – Xenispa argentina (Monrós & Viana, 1947) (holotype, 5.1 mm); 20 – Hybosispa delectabilis (Staines, 1996) (holotype, 3.9 mm); 21 – Hybosispa sulciceps (Baly, 1885) (syntype, BMNH, 3.1 mm); 22 – Hybosispa truncatipennis (Baly, 1869) (holotype, 6.75 mm).