Colaspis ansa Riley, 2020

Riley, Edward G., 2020, A review of the Colaspis suilla species group, with description of three new species from Florida (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae), Insecta Mundi 2020 (830), pp. 1-21 : 9-11

Colaspis ansa Riley , new species

( Fig. 5–6 , 11 , 19 , 22, 25, 28, 33–34, 44, 50–51, Map 3)

Holotype ( Fig. 5 , 19 ). Male , labeled “ USA. Fla. Gulf Co. | 2 mi. s Port St. | Joe. on Quercus | 16. IV.80 GB Marshall || [red label] HOLOTYPE | Colaspis | ansa | Riley”. The holotype is in excellent condition, not dissected, with all appendages intact. Deposited in FSCA.

Paratypes (20 total). FLORIDA: Franklin Co. 3 mi. N Alligator Point , IV- 17-1976, J. Schuh [1 ♂, EGRC] ; Eastpoint , IV- 6-1972, N. M. Downie [1 ♀, EGRC] ; same data, except IV- 15-1977 [2 ♀♀, EGRC] ; IV- 16-1977 [2 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, EGRC, FSCA, TAMU] ; IV- 18-1978 [1 ♀, EGRC] ; IV- 16-1979 [1 ♀, EGRC] ; Ochlockonee River St. Pk., IV- 23-1981, R. M. Brattain [1 ♀, EGRC]. Gulf Co. 2 mi. S Port St. Joe, IV- 16-1980, G. B. Marshall, on Quercus sp. [1 ♂, FSCA] ; same locality, IV- 16-1980, C. W. O’Brien [2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, EGRC]. Liberty Co. Torreya State Park , IV- 19-1978, N. M. Downie [1 ♀, EGRC] .

Description. General: Body oblong, subparallel-sided, evenly convex in profile; integument of head, dorsum and venter dark metallic blackish-green ( Fig. 5–6 ). Dimensions (in mm): Length, male 3.68–4.31 (ave. = 3.94, n = 6), female 3.79–4.99 (ave. = 4.38, n = 7). Width across humeri, male 1.78–2.05 (ave. = 1.92, n = 7), female 1.96– 2.36 (ave. = 2.21, n = 9). Color: Dorsum unicolorous; head, pronotum, and elytra dark metallic blackish-green, humeral umbo sometimes reddish, and elytra at apex and posterior-most portion of costa VIII where the color is graded to dark reddish posteriorly. Antenna with scape, pedicle and most of flagellar segments orange-yellow, terminal three or four antennomeres mostly dark or partially infuscate; coloration of antennomere VII usually not strongly contrasting with that of VI and VIII, in some specimens apically infuscate contrasting with entirely pale VIII. Labrum and palpi orange-yellow; Venter and thoracic pleura dark metallic as dorsum, abdominal ventrites dark; edges of ventrite V and pygidium reddish brown. Legs, including entire femora, orange-yellow, except coxae dark with metallic reflection as on venter. Form. Head: Frons and vertex punctate, largest punctures separated on average by distance slightly greater than diameter of puncture; punctures on clypeus on average finer than those on frons and vertex, those on vertex smaller and more sparsely placed; surface between punctures smooth and shining; vertex and frons of most specimens with short longitudinal impression evident; antennal calli flat, smooth, impunctate; apical margin of clypeus with shallow, even emargination; antenna weakly sexually dimorphic, slightly shorter in female, extending to beyond middle of elytron in male. Male head width/inter-ocular distance = 1.87–1.99 (ave. = 1.92, n = 7); female head width/inter-ocular distance = 1.63–1.82 (ave. =1.73, n = 9). Pronotum: Wider than long, length approximately 0.6–0.7 times as long as wide, widest at basal third. Disc moderately convex, flattened anteromedially; marginal flange of uniform width, weakly undulated at basal third with two vague angles to nearly evenly rounded. Punctation of disc fairly uniform in coverage and spacing, slightly denser on lateral portion of disc; punctures round to weakly elliptic; interspaces smooth and shining. Elytra: Length approximately 1.4–1.6 times width across humeri, approximately 2.6–3.0 times as long as pronotum; sides subparallel, evenly and broadly rounded apically, evenly convex in profile. Each elytron with sutural costa and primary costae weakly raised throughout, smooth and shining, much narrower than strial intervals; costate equally developed, first primary costa not wider than others. Secondary costae not or only vaguely evident. Strial intervals punctate, punctures forming irregular or staggered rows, not or only partially geminate at places, more or less equal in size to those on sides of pronotum; puncture rows of strial intervals I and III narrowed to single rows near mid-length and beyond; interspaces between punctures smooth and shining. Thoracic venter: Prothoracic hypomeron punctate, size and spacing similar to that of pronotal disc; prosternum, procoxae and mesosternum bearing numerous setae; remaining venter with sparse setae. Metasternum medially smooth and shining, with sparse fine setae, laterally smooth to finely wrinkled. Abdomen: Surface of ventrites with sparse, fine punctation. Lateral margin of ventrites IV–V with edge entire in males and females; outer posterior angle of female ventrite IV simple, not produced. Surface of male ventrite V flat and smooth. Female with hind margin of ventrite V deeply emarginate, with minute median tooth present within emargination. Male genitalia: ( Fig. 33–34 ). Median lobe (n = 5) with shaft slightly shorter than basal hood ( Fig. 34 ); broader in en-face view than in lateral view for most of length, flattened apically with margins gently curved in en-face view, of one even curve in lateral view. Apex broadly rounded in en-face view, with short, pointed, median nodule; post-orifical length short ( Fig. 33 ). Endophallus not studied in everted condition, appearing complex in retracted condition, extended basally to near apex of basal hood; apical sclerite complex ( Fig. 34 ). Female genitalia: Ovipositor (n = 4) as described for the C. suilla group (Fig. 44). Spermatheca (n = 4) u- or slightly j-shaped, narrow and uniformly cylindrical with basal portion before gland connection point also subcylindrical, duct connection abrupt (Fig. 50–51).

Etymology. The name is a Latin noun meaning ‘handle’ and is a reference to the occurrence of this species in the Florida panhandle.

Remarks. The shape of the median lobe and uniformly dark metallic blackish-green body-color, set this species apart from other costate Colaspis species occurring in the southeastern USA. Some exceptionally dark specimens of C. suilla may be confused with C. ansa new species, but these may be distinguished with certainty by the male genitalia and female spermatheca. The outer-most costa and those at the elytral apices are tinged with dark reddish brown in some specimens, otherwise the costae are dark in color, matching the color of the punctate intervals. Two males and two females appear to be teneral and have the body dark reddish brown in color. The shape of median lobe is similar to that of the other two new species described here, all of which differ from those of C. suilla and C. costipennis in being more broadly rounded with a relatively short post-orificial length.

Range. Known from a small area of the Florida Panhandle (Map. 3).

Biological notes. The label data of the holotype and one paratype indicated they were associated with Quercus ; nothing further is known about biology and methods of collection for this species.

Specimens examined. 21 total, see type data above.

Figures

Figures 5–10. Habitus of Colaspis species, dorsal and lateral. 5) Male holotype C. ansa n. sp. 6) Female C. ansa n. sp. (Eastpoint, FL). 7) Male holotype C. skelleyi n. sp. 8) Female C. skelleyi n. sp. (Lake Marion Estates, FL). 9) Male holotype C. thomasi n. sp. 10) Female C. thomasi n. sp. (Archbold Biol. Sta., FL). All figures to scale.

Figures 11–18. Forebodies of Colaspis suilla species group, anterodorsal and dorsolateral views. 11) Male C. ansa n. sp. (Port St. Joe, FL). 12) Male C. skelleyi n. sp. (Lake Marion Estates, FL). 13) Male C. thomasi n. sp. (Archbold Biol. Sta., FL). 14) Male C. suilla F. (Kisatchie Nat’l. Forest, LA). 15) Female C. suilla F. (Torreya St. Pk., FL). 16) Male C. suilla F. (Merritt Reservoir, NE). 17) Male C. costipennis Crotch (Gainesville, FL). 18) Male C. costipennis Crotch (Pensacola, FL). All figures to scale.

Figures 19–21. Head, frontal view. 19) C. ansa n. sp., holotype. 20) C. skelleyi n. sp., holotype. 21) C. thomasi n. sp., holotype. Figures 22–24. Elytral declivity, postero-oblique view. 22) C. ansa n. sp. (Port St. Joe, FL). 23) C. skelleyi n. sp. (Tiger Creek Preserve, FL). 24) C. thomasi n. sp. (Archbold Biol. Sta., FL). Figures 25–27. Hind tibia (outer surface). 25) C. ansa n. sp. a. male (Port St. Joe, FL); b. male (Eastpoint, FL); c. female (Eastpoint, FL). 26) C. skelleyi n. sp. a. male (Tiger Creek Preserve, FL); b. male (Lake Marion Estates, FL); c. female, (Lake Marion Estates, FL). 27) C. thomasi n. sp. a. male (Archbold Biol. Sta., FL); b. male (Lake Jackson, FL); c. female (Archbold Biol. Sta., FL). Figures 28–30. Male protarsus. 28) C. ansa n. sp. (Eastpoint, FL). 29) C. skelleyi (Tiger Creek Preserve, FL). 30) C. thomasi (Archbold Biol. Sta., FL). Figures 31–32. Apex male median lobe, en-face view, diagrammatic: POL = post orifical length. 31) POL short. 32) POL long. Figures to appropriate scale.

Figures 33–40. Colaspis suilla species group, male median lobe en-face view and male genitalia lateral view. 33) C. ansa n. sp., a. Port St. Joe, FL; b. Eastpoint, FL; c. Port St. Joe, FL. 34) C. ansa n. sp. (Eastpoint, FL). 35) C. skelleyi n. sp., a. Tiger Creek Preserve, FL; b. Lake Marion Estates, FL; c. Hopkins Prairie, FL. 36) C. skelleyi n. sp. (Lake Marion Estates, FL). 37) C. thomasi n. sp., a. Archbold Biol. Sta., FL; b. Lake Jackson, FL. 38) C. thomasi n. sp. (Archbold Biol. Sta., FL). 39) C. suilla F. a. Kirby St. Forest, TX; b Merritt Reservoir, NE; c. Hope Mills, NC; d. Schenectady, NY. 40) C. costipennis Crotch, a. Sand Hill St. Forest, SC; b. Gainesville (airport), FL; c. Gadsden County, FL; d. Gainesville, FL. En-face views (dry preparations) to scale, lateral views (wet preparations) to scale. AS = apical sclerite.