Pachybrachis analis J. L. LeConte, 1861

Barney, Robert J., 2019, Definition and Revision of the Pubescens Species-Group of North American Pachybrachis Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae), Including Descriptions of Three New Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 73 (4), pp. 1017-1048 : 1029-1031

7. Pachybrachis analis J. L. LeConte, 1861 ( Figs. 7 , 13E, F, G ; Map 2A)

Pachybrachys analis J. L. LeConte 1861: 357 . LeConte 1880: 205 (taxonomy); Fall

1915: 331 (taxonomy); Riley et al. 2003: 155 (catalogue).

Pachybrachys marmoratus Jacoby, 1889: 148 . New synonymy.

Fall 1915: 333 (taxonomy); Riley et al. 2003: 159 (catalogue).

Pachybrachys desertus Fall, 1915: 332 . New synonymy.

Riley et al. 2003: 157 (catalogue).

Types. A female in LeConte’ s Collection, hereby designated lectotype to stabilize the epithet and labeled “Calif. [hand-inked, green paper] // P. analis / Lec. [hand-inked, white paper] // TYPE [printed] 4289 [hand-inked, red paper] // MCZ-ENT 00004289 barcode // LECTOTYPE / Pachybrachys / analis LeConte 1861 / design. R. J. Barney 2019 [printed, red paper]”, was examined and photographed ( Fig. 13E ). An additional two males and two females are labeled “Cal.// PARAL- ECTOTYPE / Pachybrachys / analis LeConte 1861 / design. R. J. Barney 2019 [printed, yellow paper]”.

Jacoby’ s female P. marmoratus , hereby designated lectotype to stabilize the epithet and labeled “1 st Jacoby / Coll. // Pinos Altos, / Chihuahua, / Mexico. / Buchan-Hepburn [printed, white paper] // P. marmoratus / Jac. [hand-inked, blue paper] // Type [printed] / 8653 [hand-inked, red paper] // MCZ-ENT 00008653 barcode // LECTOTYPE / Pachybrachys / marmoratus Jacoby 1889 / design. R. J. Barney 2019 [printed, red paper]”, was examined and photographed ( Fig. 13F ) .

Fall’ s male P. desertus , labeled “ ♂ // Mojave / CAL. / VI – 1 – 05 [hand-written, white paper] // M.C.Z. / Type [printed] / 24930 [hand-inked, red paper] // TYPE [printed] / desertus [hand-inked, white paper] // H. C. FALL / COLLECTION // [circular blue disc signifying dissection by RJB] // LECTOTYPE / Pachybrachys / desertus Fall 1915 / design. R. J. Barney 2019 [printed, red paper]”, was examined, dissected, and photographed and is hereby designated lectotype to stabilize the epithet ( Fig. 13G ) .

Redescription. Male. Moderately robust, from almost all black with lateral margins yellow to primarily yellow with black markings on pronotum and elytra, sparsely covered in white pubescence; prothorax with narrow, entire or subentire, smooth median line; L = 2.37–2.71 mm (mean = 2.56 mm, n = 11); W = 1.29–1.55 mm (mean = 1.43 mm, n = 11); L/W = 1.69–1.86 (mean = 1.78, n = 11). Head: Not distinctly wider than thoracic apex, HW = 0.87–1.03 mm (mean = 0.95 mm, n = 11); eyes widely separated, IOD = 0.24–0.52 mm (mean = 0.37 mm, n = 11); IOD/HW = 0.28–0.50 (mean = 0.39, n = 11); face variable from primarily black to yellow with median black area between eyes, sparsely covered in white pubescence; antennae black/brown with varying amounts of yellow, not reaching elytral declivity. Pronotum: From almost black with lateral margins yellow to primarily yellow with complete or partial, brown to black, Mshaped markings, narrow partial or entire smooth median line, sparsely covered with white pubescence; PL = 0.85–1.01 mm (mean = 0.93 mm, n = 11); PW = 1.15–1.41 mm (mean = 1.29 mm, n = 11); PL/PW = 0.65–0.77 (mean = 0.72, n = 11). Elytra: Black with lateral margins yellow to primarily yellow with black markings, sparsely covered with white pubescence. Pygidium: Black to primarily yellow, with white pubescence. Venter: Black/ brown with white pubescence. Legs: Black/ brown to primarily yellow with white pubescence; front claws not enlarged. Genitalia. Median lobe in en-face view with large, oval OS, gently rounding sides to an extended, prominent nodule with visible setae on each side. Base to nodule straight in lateral view. Fifty males from five USA states and four Mexican states were dissected.

Female. As in male, except L = 2.79–3.59 mm (mean = 3.10 mm, n = 11); W = 1.46–2.03 mm (mean = 1.74 mm, n = 11); L/W = 1.71–1.85 (mean = 1.78, n = 11); HW = 0.94–1.33 mm (mean = 1.10 mm, n = 11); IOD = 0.42–0.68 mm (mean = 0.53 mm, n = 11); IOD/HW = 0.43–0.53 (mean = 0.47, n = 11).

Remarks. LeConte (1861) made no mention of the number of specimens or their sex in his description of P. analis , only that the specimen(s) were from California via Mr. A. Murray. Fall (1915) described P. analis as widely dispersed in the southwestern USA, showing a good deal of variability, and bearing “a strong resemblance to marmoratus ”. Concerning P. marmoratus, Jacoby (1889) speculated “It is possible that this insect is closely allied to or even identical with P. analis, Lec. ” Fall (1915) made no mention of seeing a type of P. marmoratus . Fall (1915) noted in his discussion of P. desertus the similarity in “size, form, sculpture and pubescence to analis ”. While the coloration of these beetles is highly variable, a comparison of aedeagal median lobes leads me to conclude that they are all the same, highly variable species.

Another potential confounding issue is P. xanti . In Fall’ s (1915) key for pubescent species, he grouped P. analis , P. desertus , P. marmoratus , and P. xanti in couplet 3 with a defining character of “Prothorax with narrow entire or subentire smooth median line”. Pachybrachis xanti and P. marmoratus were separated from P. analis and P. desertus by their “prothorax being conical, widest at base, sides less rounded”. Unfortunately, one can find gradations between the extremes of “parallel-sided, black” P. analis and the “conical, widest at base, rufo-testaceous” P. xanti . While future work may prove P. xanti another synonym of P. analis , I am leaving it a separate species for now.

Distribution. Pachybrachis analis is found from California to Utah, Arizona, and Texas and south into Baja California Sur (Map 2B). Texas is a new state record.

Biological Notes. Labels on specimens examined reported the following possible plant associations: G. hirsutula , L. divaricata , A. fasciculatum , and C. scoparius in California; A. salsola and E. nauseosa in Arizona and California. Clark et al. (2004) reported P. analis in association with Artemisia , E. nauseosa , and A. fasciculatum in California; P. marmoratus in association with E. nauseosa in Arizona and A. monogyra in Baja California; P. desertus in association with A. salsola in California and Encelia sp. (Asteraceae) and L. tridentata in Baja California. Some beetles were caught by blacklight in Arizona, California, and Nevada.

Specimens Examined. See Appendix 7.

Figures

Fig. 7. Pachybrachis analis, Pima Co., Arizona. A–B) Dorsal and lateral habitus, respectively, C) Face, D) Pygidium, E–F) Median lobe of aedeagus, lateral and en-face views, respectively.

Fig. 13. Pachybrachis species, type specimens. A) P. connexus (female), B) P. integratus (female), C) P. morosus (female), D) P. haematodes (male), E) P. analis (female), F) P. marmoratus (female), G) P. desertus (male), H) P. brunneus (male), I) P. uteanus (male).