Griburius puncturatus, Sassi, 2023

Sassi, Davide, 2023, Five new species of the genus Griburius Haldeman from Central America (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae), Fragmenta entomologica (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) 55 (1), pp. 117-138 : 128-131

Griburius puncturatus sp. nov.

( Figs 4 , 8d )

Types. HOLOTYPE: m#, body, aedeagus and detached abdomen glued on the same card, // “ MEXICO, Nayarit San Blas July 5 1972 K. Stephan leg.” [white label, printed] // “ Griburius puncturatus sp. nov . HOLOTYPUS D. Sassi des.” [red label, printed] // ( FSCA) . PARATYPES (28 specimens): MEXICO, JALISCO: Chamela vic.UNAM 9-19.VII.1993 (1m#,1f#, TAMU) ; 6 km N Chamela 15-17.VII.2002 (1m#, BMNH) ; Puerto Vallarta airport 15.VII.1987 (1f#, FSCA) ; Vulcan Colima 1918 (1f#, ZSM) . NAYARIT: same data of the holotype (5m#4f#, FSCA, DSPC) ; San Blas (2f#, MNHUB, ZSM) ; Navarrete 28.VII.1953 D. Rockfeller Mexican Expedition 1953 (2f#, AMNH) ; El Cora Tepic (1m#3f#, MNHUB) ; Compostela 27.VI.1954 (2f#, AMNH) ; 15 mi SW Compostela 19.VII.1984 (1f#, FSCA) ; Mecatan NE of Santa Cruz 1.IX.1963 2000-2500ft (1f#, FSCA) ; Santiago de Ixcuintla (1f#, MNHUB) . OAXACA: 2 MI n Candelaria Loxicha 17.VI.1974 at light (1f#, TAMU) . All paratypes are labelled: // “ Griburius puncturatus sp. nov. PARATYPUS D. Sassi des.” [red label, printed] // .

Type locality. San Blas (Nayarit, Mexico) .

Etymology. Named after the black spotted dorsal yellow surface.

Additional material examined. JALISCO: Marina Vallarta Puerto Vallarta 26.vii.2021 (1, GBIF) . SINALOA: Mazatlán 26.VI.2015 & 27.VI.2016 & 23.VI-19. VII.2017 & 19.VI-18.VII.2018 & 26.VI-1.VII.2019 & 12.VI.2020 & 14.VI-13.VII.2021 (17, GBIF) ; Cerritos Mazatlán 8.VII.2022 (1, GBIF) .

Distribution. Mexico.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar in morphology to Griburius gamma . However, the M-shaped brown marking on pronotal disc is always clearly visible in G. gamma , whereas it is missing in the new species. The pronotal punctation is also different, being more closely spaced, more regularly distributed and finer in G. gamma . Again, the elytral dark pattern is usually more extended in G. gamma and the antennae slightly but perceptibly slenderer and lengthened. Additionally, the shape of the aedeagal median lobe is different, in particular on its apical end.

Description of male. Habitus in Fig. 4 a-c (HT). BL = 3.3–3.8 mm, BW = 2.0– 2.3 mm, PL = 1.3–1.5 mm, PW = 1.8–2.1 mm. Interocular distance = 0.0–2.6 % of BL.

Head totally yellow. Labrum yellow as well. Vertex very shallowly, minutely punctured. Head surface with sparse punctures and scattered, short setosity above all close to ocular lines and between antennal insertions. Mid-cranial suture shallow, but clearly detectable between upper lobes of eyes. Upper lobes of eyes close to each other along midline usually not really in contact. Ocular lines usually distinct above all along lower part of upper lobes, marked by row of fine but well-impressed punctures, strictly adhering to ocular rim. Ocular canthus large, angular. Antennae ( Fig. 4h ) with first 5 antennomeres yellow, 3-5 bright, subcylindrical; 6-11 darker, dull, more flattened and more diffusedly setose.

Pronotum totally yellow. Pronotal shape elliptical, scarcely transverse, regularly convex. Lateral margins narrow, basically not visible from above, regularly curved, with maximum width at about middle. Surface rather matt covered with strong punctuation mixed with much smaller punctures, irregularly distributed, being denser along sides and posterior margin, sparser at center of disc. More rarely pronotal punctures almost missing. Posterolateral impressions well impressed, narrow, obliquely arranged.

Scutellum yellow, triangular with apex truncated in straight line. Surface sparsely micropunctured.

Elytron yellow with two small, rounded black spots along basal margin, first one between first and second rows of punctures, second one on humeral callus. Further rounded black spot at center of disc, just behind midline. At first third of elytron some punctures larger and deeper, surrounding interstices slightly darkened and perceptibly impressed to give a hint of transverse brownish patch. Apical margin and suture narrowly darkened as well. Bottom of punctures brownish. Epipleuron yellow. Elytral outline with sides almost straight and slightly convergent posteriorly. Lateral margins narrow, simultaneously visible from above only along posterior half. Elytral surface moderately shiny with strong, well-impressed punctation distinct up to posterior clivus, arranged in almost regular rows. Intervals flat. Postscutellar area perceptibly raised. Humeral callus prominent, impunctate. Epipleuron, impunctate, slightly rugulose with slightly convex surface.

Pygidium totally yellow Surface bright, covered with shallow punctures and short, semi-erect pale setae.

Ventral parts of thorax and abdomen yellow; only metaepisterna partly brownish. Hypomera, mesoepimera and mesoepisterna shiny almost bare, covered with scattered, strong punctures. Remainder of ventral surface of thorax matt, covered with thick, short, regularly distributed setae and fine, shallow punctures. Prosternal process large, short, with sides almost straight between anterior coxae; surface almost flat and closely but shallowly punctured, covered with long, semi-erect setae. Legs totally yellow.

Median depression on fifth abdominal ventrite indistinct, hardly detectable. Ventrite posterior margin very shallowly notched. Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 4 m-o) dorsoventrally flattened, almost parallel-sided, terminated by small median denticle. Apex straight in lateral view. Ventral surface marked by low, barely distinguishable, longitudinal carina extended along apical half. Setose depressions very shallowly impressed, with few, minute punctures and arcuate setae.

Female. Habitus in Fig. 4 d-f (PT). BL = 4.4–5.2 mm, BW = 2.7–3.3 mm, PL = 1.6–2.0 mm, PW = 2.4–3.1 mm. Interocular distance = 9.1–9.6 % of BL.

In females the eyes are smaller and more separated along midline, and the head surface is evenly covered with strong punctation. Additionally, the dark pattern on the anterior third of elytron is often darker, being transformed into a transverse, additional black spot, extended between the first and the fifth rows of punctures, or even broken into two-three separate rounded spots. The suture and the lateral margin, and at times even part of epipleuron, are black as well.

The fifth abdominal ventrite in females has a quite large, rounded, and deep pit. The bottom of the pit is glabrous, matt, slightly darkened in respect to the surrounding surface, impunctate but covered by tiny wrinkles. The vasculum of the spermatheca ( Fig. 4i ) is weakly pigmented along the basal half of proximal lobe, which is fairly swollen at base. The distal lobe is long, slender, regularly curved and terminated with an acute apex. The ampulla is slightly pigmented, weakly curved. The duct and sperm gland insertions are short and straight. The duct is uniform in size, slender, quite rigid, devoid of coils and turns. The insertion on the bursa copulatrix is slightly swollen and mildly pigmented.

Figures

Fig. 4 – Griburius puncturatus sp. nov. a–b, habitus, dorsal and lateral view (HT, male); d, frontal view, male; d, frontal view, female; e–f, colour variation, female; m–o, median lobe of aedeagus in ventral (m), dorsal (n) and lateral (o) view [0.5 mm]; h, antenna [1.6 mm]; i, spermatheca [0.3 mm]. Square brackets: length of scale segment.

Fig. 8 – Distribution maps. a, Griburius febriculosus; b, G. gracilis; c, G. mokaya; d, G. puncturatus; e, G. textus.