Orexita speculata ( Boheman, 1862 )

Sekerka, Lukáš, 2016, Taxonomic and nomenclatural changes in Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (1), pp. 275-344 : 314-315

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5305725
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E24F1028-C6AC-4323-9ED5-C9B7FF3434ACD
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6450030
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/677FCF20-FFFD-FFD9-FE69-FB84FE62FDE3
treatment provided by	Marcus
scientific name	Orexita speculata ( Boheman, 1862 )
status

Treatment

Orexita speculata ( Boheman, 1862) View in CoL

Coptocycla speculata Boheman, 1862: 390 (original description).

Orexita plagipennis Spaeth, 1911: 257 View in CoL (original description), syn. nov.

Type localities. Coptocycla speculata : ‘ Ega ad fluvium Amazonum’ [= Brazil, Amazonas, Tefé]; Orexita plagipennis : ‘Columbia’.

Type material examined. Coptocycla speculata : HOLOTYPE: pinned (teneral specimen), ‘Type [w, p, s, c, rf] || Ega. [hw] | Bates [hw] | Baly Coll. | 1905—54. [w, p, cb] || Coptocycla | speculata | Boh | Ega, Upper Amazons [w, hw by Baly, cb] || Named by | Boheman | Type | Coll Bates | 97 [hw by Baly on underside of preceding label]’ ( BMNH).

Orexita plagipennis : SYNTYPE ( MMUE). [Examined but label data not recorded].

Remarks. SPAETH (1911) transferred C. speculata to Orexita but noted that it was unknown to him. Orexita speculata was so far known only from a single and partially scletotized specimen. It is characterised by coarse and sparse punctation of elytra extending on explanate margin and colouration very similar to O. tripartita ( Champion, 1894) . However, it has a stouter body like O. plagipennis and in my opinion it is conspecific with the latter as both differ only in colouration.

SPAETH (1911) stated that O. plagipennis is closest to O. wagneri but differs in 1) colouration as it is mostly black with yellow anterior margin of pronotum and red oval spot situated around midlength of explanate margin of each elytron; 2) significantly larger size; 3) less rounded anterior margin of the pronotum; 4) smaller and not fully rectangular basal corners of the pronotum; and 5) broader, in proportion to its width shorter pronotum. All these characters, except of the colouration, are identical to O. speculata and hence I synonymize it with the latter species. On the other hand the differences between O. plagipennis and O. wagneri are rather minor and might easily be subject to intraspecific variability. However, I retain O. speciosa (= O. plagipennis ) as a valid taxon until I obtain more material for comparative purposes. See additional comments under O. wagneri .

Distribution. Brazil: Amazonas ( BOHEMAN 1862), Colombia ( SPAETH 1911), and Peru: Loreto ( BOROWIEC & TAKIZAWA 2011).