Calleida gracilis Gemminger and de Harold, 1868

Liebherr, James K., Casale, Achille, Erwin, Terry L. & Ball, George E., 2010, On the Provenance of Boheman's “ Eugenies Resa ” Carabidae (Coleoptera) Allegedly Described from Hawaii, The Coleopterists Bulletin 64 (3), pp. 221-229 : 222-226

Calleida gracilis Gemminger and de Harold, 1868

Calleida amoenula Boheman, 1858 ; janthina speciesgroup near C. tibialis Brullé

Type Information. Lectotype male hereby designated, labeled: Hono- / lulu. // Kinb. // Type. //

7833 E91 + (blue label) // Lectotype / Calleida / amoenula / Boheman / J.K. Liebherr 2010 (red label) // Calleida / gracilis / Gemminger & / Harold / det. Liebherr & Casale 2010.

Diagnosis. Based on Chaudoir (1872), the male type specimen ( Fig. 1 ) can be diagnosed by: 1) apical margin of apical visible ventrite with two setae on each side; 2) mesotarsomere 1 ventrally setose, mesotarsomeres 2 and 3 with two ventro-longitudinal series of lamellate setae; 3) abdomen dark, head, pronotum, and elytra concolorous; 4) fourth tarsomere lobate, lateral lobes ovate apically, squamose setae present ventrally; 5) body length 7.0 mm; 6) pronotal hind angles rounded, not projected; 7) elytral striae fine, little impressed, the intervals flat with shagreened microsculpture giving the surface a silky appearance. This diagnostic combination definitively places this taxon within the janthina species-group of Chaudoir (1872), which also includes Calleida thalassina Dejean , Calleida festinans Dejean , Calleida convexicollis Chaudoir , Calleida properans Chaudoir , and C. tibialis . The combination of larger body size and pronotal configuration is shared with C. tibialis .

Taxonomic Decision. Based on compared descriptions, Chaudoir (1872) first noted how well Boheman’ s (1858) description of C. amoenula fit specimens of C. tibialis , but he was put off from providing a formal synonymy by the alleged Hawaiian type locality of the Boheman species. He went on to state that there was possibly an error regarding the distribution of Boheman’ s species, and that Boheman’ s specimens might have been derived from the Eugenie’ s calling at Callao, Peru ( Chaudoir 1872: 444).

Any taxonomic decision on the status of C. gracilis must account for the presently known diversity within the janthina species-group. Among the species in this group, C. gracilis , C. tibialis , and an undescribed species from the Pacific coast of Ecuador all exhibit tibiae that are dark metallic basally and apically, with the medial region of each tibia contrastingly paler, rufous to flavous. The single known type of C. gracilis exhibits metallic elytra with a violet-blue reflection, differing from the metallic green elytra exhibited by the Chilean type of C. tibialis (Casale unpubl. data). Furthermore, the elytra of the C. gracilis type are more elongate and more slender than those of the C. tibialis type. Because a robust decision on the status of C. gracilis requires an assessment of infraspecific variation among both of the described species and the putatively undescribed species from Ecuador, we formally recognize C. gracilis as a member of the janthina species-group, close to C. tibialis , but do not make any further formal decision regarding specieslevel synonymy.

Type Locality. Among the two species most similar to C. gracilis , C. tibialis is distributed in South America from Colombia to Chile and the undescribed species is known from the Pacific coast of Ecuador. This range encompasses the Eugenie’ s ports of call of Valparaiso, Chile, Callao, and Guayaquil, Ecuador (Persson 1971). Rather than guess a most likely port from which Boheman’ s material emanated, we correct the type locality of C. gracilis to South America along the Pacific coast between Valparaiso and Guayaquil.

Calleida insularis Boheman, 1858 = Calleida sanguinicollis Dejean, 1831 ( Britton 1938)

Type Information. Lectotype male hereby designated, labeled: Taiti. // Kinb. // Callida / sanguinicollis / Dej. / E.B. Britton. / det. 12.viii 1937 // insularis Boh. // 7853 / E91 + (blue label) // Lectotype / Calleida / insularis / Boheman / det. Liebherr 2010 // Calleida sanguinicollis / Dejean / det. Liebherr & Casale 2010. Three paralectotypes labeled “Taiti // Kinb.” and one paralectotype labeled “Hono- / lulu. // Kinb.” complete the known type series, with paralectotype labels as per Lectotype.

Diagnosis. Following Chaudoir (1872): 1) male with two setae each side along apical margin of apical visible abdominal ventrite; 2) male mesotarsomere 1 densely setose ventrally, mesotarsomeres 2 and 3 with two ventro-longitudinal series of lamellate setae; 3) pronotum rufous, paler than head and elytra ( Fig. 2 ); 4) pronotum with broadly explanate lateral marginal depression that is raised at the margin; 5) tarsomere coloration a mixture of testaceous and piceous; 6) body venter testaceous; 7) elytra with metallic green reflection on disc, margins testaceous; 8) body length 7.5 mm.

Taxonomic Decision. As Britton (1938) proposed this synonymy and Perrault (1977) concurred, we do not document any further rationale for the decision. Britton’ s action follows Chaudoir’ s (1872: 151) perspicacious observation that C. insularis was extremely similar to C. sanguinicollis . Not unlike Chaudoir’ s grave doubts regarding C. gracilis above, the separation of the dual type localities of Hawaii and Tahiti by 40° of latitude raised doubts in his mind regarding the true provenance of this species.

Type Locality. Calleida sanguinicollis is known from Colombia ( Chaudoir 1872) and is also recorded from Panama, Suriname, Amazonas ( Csiki 1932b), the Lesser Antilles, Trinidad (Erwin and Sims 1984; Casale, 1998), Costa Rica, Venezuela, French Guyana, Brazil (Santarem), and Peru (Puerto Maldonado) (A. Casale, unpublished data). Along the Pacific coast the species is also recorded from Ecuador ( Casale 2008). The Eugenie called no farther north than Rio de Janeiro along the Atlantic coast of America, though her Pacific ports of call at Guayaquil, Ecuador and Isla San José Perlas and Panama City, Panama (Persson 1971) are geographically coordinate with the recorded distribution of C. gracilis in Ecuador and Colombia. Boheman (1859) described Diabrotica amoenula Boheman ( Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae ) from specimens labeled “Puna”, “California”, and “Taiti”. Puna was the labeled locality associated with the Guayaquil port-of-call. Smith and Lawrence (1967) interpreted the type locality of D. amoenula to be Ecuador, stating that “Puna and Paiti are Ecuadorian localities (p. 34)”. Whereas Puna may represent either Puna Island or Puna, a populated place on Puna Island near Guayaquil, Paiti is not recorded as a locality in Ecuador ( United States Board on Geographic Names 1987). The Ecuadorian locality closest in spelling to “Taiti” is Paila, a populated place near Guayaquil ( United States Board on Geographic Names 1987). We suggest that Paila may be the type locality of Boheman’ s C. insularis , but prefer to correct the type locality more broadly to northern South America.

Lebia insularis Boheman, 1858

= Lebia analis Dejean, 1825 (new synonymy)

Type Information. Lectotype male hereby designated, labeled: Hono- / lulu. // Kinb. // Type. // 6923 / E91 + (blue label) // insularis / Boh. // Lectotype / Lebia / insularis / Boheman / J.K. Liebherr 2009 (red label) // Lebia / analis / Dejean / det. Liebherr, Erwin & Ball 2009. Paralectotype female labeled: Taiti. // Kinb. // 6947 / E91 + (blue label) // Central American / sp? / E.B.Britton / det. 12.viii. 1937 // Paralectotype (labels follow as per Lectotype). The paralectotype is damaged, with the abdomen and left foreleg broken off of the specimen. These parts have been glued to the same mounting board as the thorax and head.

Diagnosis. Among North American Lebia Latreille species , L. analis is diagnosed ( Madge 1967) by the striate pronotal disc, frons, and vertex ( Fig. 3). The species is geographically variable, with more northerly populations in the eastern United States having more extensive darker elytral markings, and flatter elytral intervals. Specimens in Mexico, Central America, and northern South America exhibit progressively more convex elytral intervals approaching the southern end of the range.

Taxonomic Decision. The new synonymy is made to connect L. insularis to the senior name L. analis , while recognizing that the southern forms attributable to L. analis based on the striate pronotum and head may comprise a complex of species, some described and some undescribed. The male lectotype was not dissected, leaving this duty to the first reviser of the group.

Type Locality. The Eugenie called on the ports of Callao, Guayaquil, and Isla San José Perlas and Panama City, Panama before sailing to the Galapagos Islands, and then to Honolulu (Persson 1971). As for C. sanguinicollis , the Ecuadorian locality Paila might be the basis for Boheman’ s misbegotten type locality “Taiti”, but we correct the type locality more broadly to northern South America pending full revision of the species complex including L. analis .

Selenophorus insularis Boheman, 1858

= Selenophorus chalcosomus Reiche, 1843 (new synonymy)

Type Information. Lectotype male hereby designated, labeled: Hono- / lulu. // Kinb. // Type. // 5108 / E91 + (blue label) // insularis / Boh. // Lectotype / Selenophorus / insularis /Boheman / J.K. Liebherr 2009 (red label) // Selenophorus / chalcosomus / Reiche / det. G.E. Ball 2009. The lectotype specimen consists of a pterothorax plus abdomen, with the head and prothorax broken off, disassociated, and lost from the labeled type specimen.

Diagnosis. Selenophorus chalcosomus can be diagnosed by the bronzed elytra bearing foveate punctures in elytral stria 5 and several irregular depressions depressing elytral intervals 4 and 5 ( Fig. 4).

Taxonomic Decision. Just as the foveate fifth elytral striae and bronzed cuticle support the synonymy of S. insularis with S. chalcosomus , specimens associated with both names are of identical body length; 5.0 mm (Reiche 1843: 142; Boheman 1858: 10). Reiche also mentions the distinct elytral subapical sinuation, the large punctures in the second stria, and the smaller punctures in the seventh stria. The aedeagal median lobe of S. insularis includes an aedeagal internal sac with an elongate series of tooth-like macrospicules ( Fig. 5). These include (in the uneverted configuration) six macrospicules near the saccal apex, two macrospicules near the midlength of the sac, and a smaller spicule near the base of the sac (just inside the ostium of the median lobe).

Type Locality. Reiche (1843) described S. chalcosomus from Caracas, Venezuela, and Blackwelder (1944) also lists the species from Colombia and Brazil. The Eugenie’ s port-of-call closest to these localities would be Panama City, Panama (Persson 1971), which we consider the corrected type locality .

Figures

Figs. 1–2. Boheman type specimens described as Polynesian taxa (scale bars = 1.0 mm). 1) Calleida amoenula male lectotype, dorsal view; 2) Calleida insularis male lectotype, dorsal view.