Bohumiljania caledonica ( Jolivet 1957 )

Reid, C. A. M. & Beatson, M., 2011, Revision of the New Caledonian endemic genus Bohumiljania Monrós (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Spilopyrinae), Zootaxa 3000, pp. 1-43 : 8-10

Bohumiljania caledonica ( Jolivet 1957)

( Figs 1–4)

Stenomela caledonica Jolivet 1957: 59

Bohumiljania antiqua Monrós 1958: 150

Bohumiljania caledonica: Jolivet, Verma & Mille 2003: 4 (synonymy)

Description

There are no extant specimens of B. caledonica , except possibly a wing (not seen). The species was independently described twice, therefore we provide translations of the two descriptions.

Translation of description of Stenomela caledonica Jolivet, 1957 (page 59) [see Figure 4].

“We must note here that a curious undescribed genus of Chrysomeloidea has been discovered by us in the Fauvel collection (material from New Caledonia). This insect was labelled, in the handwriting of the French author, “ Stenomela caledonica ” MS name. Certainly it has much external similarity with the neotropical genus Stenomela and it will be described in a study of the New Caledonian fauna. We give below the description of the wing of “ Stenomela ” caledonica , not without analogy to the preceding ( Fig 11B) [refers to description of wing of Stenomela pallida Erichson on pp. 58–9]

Wing large (15x 5mm), more chitinous than the preceeding. Costal, radial, rt identical. M1a identical but more chitinous with rm apparent [rm described as invisible in S. pallida ]. Distal and median [veins] identical but more chitinous. Cubito-anal system almost identical, of purely eumolpine form, well chitinised. [cell] an1 lenticular, sinuous, elongated; an2 subquadrangular; 3A clear, sinuous, elongated.

It is equally noted that this aberrant eumolpine, like the preceding genus [ Stenomela ], does not have the mediocubital fleck [tache]. In its place is only a fleck [tache, same word as preceeding!] more chitinous, diffuse, rather large, reaching the posterior border of the wing, of a totally different structure from the medio-cubital fleck of eumolpines. It is simply a coloured zone of the wing without special structure.”

Translation of the description of Bohumiljania antiqua Monrós, 1958 (pages 149–150) [see Figures 1–3].

“Length 14mm. Humeral width 5mm. Body elongate-oval, moderately convex in transverse section and a little convex in longitudinal section. Colouration chestnut-brown, unicolourous. Antennae, mandibles and distal half of femora, tibiae and tarsi black [whether the distal half of all these is black, or just the femora, is not clear in the original Spanish].

Head with fine and dense punctures between the eyes, sparser on the clypeus. Face dorsally glabrous. Venter of face with decumbent fine and slightly dense setae, absent from medial area. Head with slight longitudinal depression between eyes. Antennal tubercles almost absent. Internal edge of eyes feebly sinuate. Six basal antennomeres shining and glabrous; antennomeres decreasing in length from 3–6 and increasing in length from 6–8 (from 8 the antenna is broken). Apex of right mandible trifid, with median tooth longest.

Pronotum slightly transverse, anterior edge subtruncate and posterior edge with moderately developed scutellar lobe. Sides with short expansion in the middle of the anterior. Pronotum with larger punctures than head, but sparser, punctures completely absent from posterior region of disc. Anterior discal region with a small oval depression (an accident to the specimen?). Pronotal base, on both sides of median lobe, with an elongated depression, short but deep. Prosternal intercoxal process as wide as length of first trochanter, with sides parallel and continuing in line with side of bilobed apex. Elytra impunctate, glabrous, smooth and shining. Mesosternum protruding slightly between mid coxae. Metasternal intercoxal lobe with short and broad tip. Tibiae with stronger and denser setae [than face]. Venter of tarsi densely and compactly setose.”

Additional descriptive information from illustrations provided by Monrós, 1958.

In his taxonomic work, Monrós provided drawings, slightly stylised but generally accurate, showing surface sculpture as well as shape.

The illustrations accompanying the description of Bohumiljania antiqua ( Monrós 1958: figs 2, 3, 6; reproduced here as Figures 1–3) provide the following additional information: postantennal tubercles impunctate; genal lobe short, about equal to minimum length of gena; gula defined by anterior transverse groove; 9 antennomeres present (! – perhaps the drawing antedated the description), 2 shortest, 6 slightly longer than 2 and clearly shorter than all others, 7 longest, 7–9 each longer than each of 1–6; last maxillary palpomere fusiform; pronotum elevated towards apex in lateral view; pronotal sides entirely margined, sinuate in lateral view; anterior angles laterally projecting; posterior angles not projecting, approximately 90°; pronotal anterior not margined except near angles, base without margination at middle; large circular area of pronotal disc impunctate, about half pronotal width and 2/3 length; hypomeron setose; sides of prosternal anterior densely punctured and setose; prosternal process impunctate and glabrous, without median groove, almost parallel-sided, angle at apex U-shaped, c. 45°; elytral epipleuron thin throughout, not elevated at humerus; mesoventrite lobe abruptly raised; sides of mesoventrite and mesanepisternum and mesepimeron densely punctured; middle of metaventrite impunctate and glabrous with almost complete discrimen, sides sparsely punctured, with short setae; anterior intercoxal lobe slightly elevated in lateral view; tarsomeres not greatly elongated (but drawn in oblique view, so difficult to assess); tarsal claws simple; ventrites glabrous and impunctate at middle, moderately closely setose at sides; first ventrite with possible femoral plica (indicated in ventral view but not in lateral); last ventrite almost semi-circular, longer than pre-apical.

Notes

The description given by Monrós should be sufficient to distinguish this species, especially the combination of pronotal grooves and lateral swellings, lack of punctures on basal half of pronotal disc, small oval depression rather than elevation on anterior of disc, reddish-brown colour, glabrous impunctate elytra and glabrous impunctate prosternal process. The apex of the abdomen illustrated by Monrós (1958) is rounded, suggesting a female; if so, the male is likely to be significantly shorter, as in other species of the genus, perhaps 12mm or less. However, Monrós’ illustrations may not be totally reliable as they show the epipleuron narrow at the humerus and a possible femoral plica, neither of which occur in any other species of the genus.

Jolivet’s wing description includes presence of a coloured medial fleck, but the colour is not indicated. However, the illustrated wing has only slight indication of this fleck ( Figure 4), therefore it seems reasonable to assume it is not dark and distinct. We have examined wings of the eight Bohumiljania species available to us and they differ slightly in degree of darkening of the radial veins and the membrane surface including the medial fleck. In species with pale wings the variation may be intraspecific. The fleck is uncoloured in B. lafoa ( Fig. 73), B. mandjelia , B. tango and B. xanthogramma , slightly yellowish in B. humboldti , B. mandjelia and B. xaracuu and brown in B. aoupinie and B. yuaga ( Fig. 74). Jolivet’s description does not provide colour, therefore it is undiagnostic.

In a recent paper, Jolivet et al. (2003) describe the holotype as black, which conflicts with Monros’ original description.

Bohumiljania caledonica was described from a specimen labelled ‘Nouvelle Caledonie’. The claim that this species was rediscovered in 2002 ( Jolivet et al. 2003) was based on the assumption that only one species of Bohumiljania existed on the 300km long main island of New Caledonia. As noted above, the authors also ignored numerous gross differences between the original description and their material, such as colour, sculpture and shape. We have therefore described Jolivet et al. ’s species as new (see under B. lafoa ).

Bohumiljania caledonia remains undiscovered since its collection in about 1900.