Callichroma holochlorum holochlorum Bates, 1872

Santos-Silva, Antonio & Schmid, Herbert, 2021, Revalidation, synonymies, and notes in American Callichromatini (Coleoptera Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae), Zootaxa 5071 (4), pp. 579-586 : 580

Callichroma holochlorum holochlorum Bates, 1872

Callichroma holochlorum Bates, 1872: 185 .

Callichroma opiparum Bates, 1874: 222 .

Callichroma chiriquina Bates, 1879: 402 .

Callichroma compressipes Casey, 1912: 314 .

Callichroma regalis Casey, 1912: 314 .

Bates (1872) described Callichroma holochlorum from Nicaragua as follows (translated): “Size similar to that of C. plicatum [currently Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum (LeConte, 1853) ]; very robust, green-bronze, elytra distinctly greenish, sericeous, legs black, pro- and mesofemora (except apex), and basal half of metafemora reddish; metatibiae slightly sinuous, gradually and very wide-compressed; antennal tubercles obtuse; antennae black, in male more than twice body length; thorax subshining, disc indistinctly transversely rugose; ventral surface of the body barely pubescent.” Later, Bates (1874) described C. opiparum ( Fig. 12 ) from Nicaragua; Bates (1879) described C. chiriquina ( Fig. 11 ) from Panama; and Casey (1912) described C. compressipes from Guatemala and C. regalis from Mexico (Guerrero).

Schmidt (1924) erected the genus Schwarzerion , synonymized with Callichroma Latreille, 1817 by Napp & Martins (2009), type species Callichroma holochlorum , and considered C. chiriquina , C. opiparum , C. compressipes , and C. regalis as subspecies of S. holochlorum . Podaný (1965) followed Schmidt (1924), but considered the subspecies as “morph.” According to Villiers (1972), the holotype of C. opiparum is a male and not a female as indicated in the original description. As it is possible to see, C. chiriquina , C. opiparum , C. compressipes , and C. regalis were never formally synonymized. Even so, they appear as synonymy from Demets (1976), who formally synonymized Callichroma euthalia Bates, 1879 and Callichroma carinatum Schmidt, 1924 with Callichroma holochlorum holochlorum , by then allocated in Schwarzerion (translated): “The latter [S. h. holochlorum ], extremely variable, includes two subspecies: h. holochlorum ( Bates, 1872) and holochlorum melancholicum ( Bates, 1872) . The S. euthalia ( Bates, 1879) and S. carinatum Schmidt, 1924 , are considered as synonyms of S. h. holochlorum . The study of a great number of specimens of holochlorum , of euthalia , and of carinatum led me to conclude that there is only one subspecies and to consider the elytral sutural band of some specimens as an inconstant feature, varying in size and in sharpness.” Giesbert (1998) revalidated S. euthalia : “ Demets (1976) placed S. euthalia as a junior synonym of S. holochlorum holochlorum (Bates) . Examination of a large number of specimens from Panama shows a consistently distinguishing character between these two sympatric species: S. euthalia may be easily separated from S. holochlorum by the presence of a narrow metallic vita on the suture from scutellum to apex.” Napp & Martins (2009) agreed with Giesbert’s opinion (translated): “ Callichroma h. holochlorum differs from the other species by the elytra without metallic longitudinal bands or, at most, with the suture metallic …” Examination of a photograph of the lectotype of C. holochlorum and of the lectotype of C. euthalia (see Bezark 2021a) suggests that Giesbert (1998) was right when considered them as different species, as also reported by Napp & Martins (2009). Notwithstanding, the metallic sutural band on the elytra of C. carinatum (see photograph of a syntype on Bezark 2021a) is still more distinct than in the lectotype of C. euthalia , making incomprehensive to kept it in the synonym of C. h. holochlorum . This is because if C. euthalia differs from C. h. holochlorum by the presence of a distinct metallic sutural band, then C. carinatum also differs by the same feature. However, Schwarzerion carinatum was kept in the synonymy of S. h. holochlorum by Napp & Martins (2009).

Currently, the status of C. chiriquina , C. opiparum , C. compressipes , C. regalis , and C. carinatum remains unchanged (in the synonym of C. h. holochlorum ) in catalogs (e.g. Monné 2021; Tavakilian & Chevillotte 2021) and checklists (e.g. Bezark 2021b). Examination of photographs of the holotype of C. compressipes and of a lectotype of C. regalis really indicates that they are true synonyms of C. h. holochlorum . In our opinion, the synonym between these true names needs to be attributed to Demets (1976), who first listed C. compressipes and C. regalis in the synonym of C. h. holochlorum . However, without examining the type material of C. opiparum and of C. chiriquina , it is not possible to know whether they are distinct species or even synonyms with C. h. holochlorum or another species. See notes on C. carinatum below.

Figures

FIGURES 7–12. 7–10) Callichroma sp., male identified by Schmidt as C. carinatum (ZMHB): 7) Dorsal habitus, including entire antennae; 8) Dorsal habitus; 9) Head and pronotum; 10) Labels. 11) Callichroma chiriquina, lectotype male, dorsal habitus (By Jesus Santiago Moure). 12) Callichroma opiparum, holotype male, dorsal habitus (By Jesus Santiago Moure).