Phaeoxantha (Phaeoxantha) cruciata cruciata ( Brullé, 1837 )

Moravec, Jiří & Dheurle, Charles, 2023, Taxonomic and nomenclatorial revision of the Neotropical genus Phaeoxantha Chaudoir (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Zootaxa 5386 (1), pp. 1-83 : 38

Phaeoxantha (Phaeoxantha) cruciata cruciata ( Brullé, 1837)

( Figs 142–157 )

Megacephala cruciata Brullé, 1837: 2 .

Megacephala (Phaeoxantha) cruciata cruciata : Horn 1910: 137

Phaeoxantha cruciata : Horn 1923: 211.

Megacephala (Phaeoxantha) cruciata cruciata : Wiesner 1992: 45.

Phaeoxantha cruciata : Cassola & Pearson 2001: 11.

Phaeoxantha cruciata cruciata : Erwin & Pearson: 2008: 55.

Phaeoxantha cruciata cruciata : Wiesner 2020: 30.

Type locality. Argentina: Province of Corientes .

Type material. Lectotype (designated here) ♂ in MNHN, labelled: “Muséum Paris / Province de / Corientes / d’ Orbigny 1834” [ochre-tarnished, printed] // “illegible number and “34” [circular, handwritten, partly illegible] // “cruciata ” [green, handwritten] // “ Type ” [red, printed].

Other material examined. 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀ in CDCL: “ Paraguay / Dpto Concepcion, Cororo / 20-XI-98” . 1 ♂, 1 ♀ in CDCL: “ Entre Rios, 3-94 / Argentine, Pena Leg / Dheurle coll” . 1 ♂ in CDCL: “ Paraguay, 17-02-92/ Dpto San Pedro, Nueva / Germania Paso Carmona / Dheurle coll” . 1 ♂ in CCJM: “ Entre Rios / Colon , XII.1981 ” . 1 ♂ in MHCP , 1 ♀ in CCJM: “ Argentina / Colon , “ Entre Rios / 24.II.1976 ” . 1 ♀ in CCJM: “ Argentina / Entre Rios ” . 1 ♀ in CCJM: “ Argentinien / Entre Rios, Colon / X.1976, Kirschenhofer ” . 1 ♂ in MKPC: “ Paraguay, dept. Concepcion / Estancia Estrella / S22°06´, W 57°43´/ 27.-28.II.2014 ”, U. Drechsel ”. 1 ♀ in MKPC: Paraguay depto San Pedro / Laguna Blanca / S23° 50´, W56°20´, 15.-17.II.2014, U. Drechsel ” .

Differential diagnosis. Phaeoxantha (P.) c. cruciata markedly resembles P. (P.) bifasciata (= P. aequinoctialis sensu auctorum), being often confused with it both in collections and literature. Nevertheless, it may be distinguished by its wider, notably shorter and stouter-side elytra; in addition, the posteromedian black area is almost consistently of a mutually “chiropteran-like” shape with narrow “wings” ( Figs 142 , 148, 150 , 155 ). Therefore, also females of P. (P.) bifasciata , particularly those whose elytra are less attenuated posteriad and sometimes possess a similar yet wider black pattern ( Figs 194–195 ), may be distinguished (apart from other characters).

Examined adults of P. (P.) c. cruciata are 15.50–17.7 (LT 17.5) mm long, 6.70–7.30 (LT 7.30) mm wide.

Distribution. The nominotypical subspecies of Phaeoxantha (P.) cruciata is known from the large area of the Rio de la Plata Basin. Apart from the Argentinean province Corientes (type locality), the other examined specimens come from the Argentinean province of Entre Rios. Wiesner (2000) listed it also from Paraguay (provinces of Concepción, Itapúa and San Pedro). The illustrated male specimen from Conception ( Wiesner 2000, fig. 4) is in accordance with the examined and above-listed specimens from Concepcion. On the other hand, the photograph of a male presented by Wiesner & Bandinelli (2014: 4) as “ P. cruciata cruciata ” shows in fact a male of P. (P.) bifasciata . The authors were probably influenced by the records of P. (P.) cruciata from Bolivian localities in the departments of Chuquisaca and Santa Cruz including Rio Seco by Person et al. (1999a), which were evidently based on misidentified specimens. Examined specimens (COSJ) from some of the localities from Machareti near Villamontes in the Bolivian department of Chuquisaca ( Figs 214, 219 ), as well as those from Rio Seco near Cabezas in the Bolivian department of Santa Cruz ( Figs 202–213, 220 , proved to be in fact P. (P.) bifasciata ( Brullé, 1837) ( = aequinoctialis sensu Fleutiaux (1894) and sensu auctorum – partim) – see under the taxon below.

Figures

FIGURES 142–147. Phaeoxantha (P.) cruciata cruciata (Brullé), from Argentina,; 142—habitus, ♂; 17,5 mm, Corrientes, LT (MNHN); 143—labels of the LT; 144–145—mandibles: 144—♂, Entre Rios (CCJM); 145—♀, Buenos Aires (CCJM); 146–147—labrum: 146—♂, Entre Rios (CCJM); 147—♀, Buenos Aires (CCJM). Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 148–150. Phaeoxantha (P.) c. cruciata (Brullé), from Argentina (CCJM). 148—habitus, ♂, 16 mm, Entre Rios; 149—ditto, aedeagus; 150—habitus, ♀, 16 mm, Buenos Aires. Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 151–157. Phaeoxantha (P.) c. cruciata (Brullé), from Argentina (CCJM). 151–152—pronotum: 151—♀, Buenos Aires; 152—♂, Entre Rios; 153–157—elytra: 153—♂, Entre Rios; 154—ditto, detail of surface; 155—mutual aspect, ♀, Bue- nos Aires; 156—left elytron, ♀, ibid.; 157—ditto, detail of surface. Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 190–201. Phaeoxantha (P.) bifasciata (Brullé).190–196, 198–201—elytra: 190—♀, Brazil, Teffe (CCJM); 191– 192—ditto, details of surface; 193—♀, Brazil, Rio Solimoes (JWCW); 194–196—Bolivia, Rio Cesarsama (JWCW): 194—♀; 195—♂; 196—ditto, surface detail; 197—♂, aedeagus; 198–201—historical specimens ex Chaudoir (MNHN): 198—♀, as P. bifasciata; 199—ditto, surface detail; 200—♀, as “P. aequinoctialis”; 201—ditto, surface detail. Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 212–220. Phaeoxantha (P.) bifasciata (Brullé), Bolivia. 212—pronotum, ♂, Cabezas (COSJ); 213—ditto, surface detail; 214–218—elytra: 214—♂, Mchareti (COSJ); 215—ditto, surface detail; 216—♀, Buena Vista (JWCW); 217–218—dit- to, surface detail. 219–220—male aedeagus: 219—Mchareti (COSJ); 220—Cabezaz (COSJ); Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 202–211. Phaeoxantha (P.) bifasciata (Brullé), from Cabezas, Bolivia (COSJ). 202—habitus, ♂, 15.3 mm; 203— mandibles, ♂; 204–205—labrum: 204—♂; 205—♀; 206—maxillae, ♂; 207–211—elytra: 207–208—♂♂; 209—♀; 210 ♂; 211—ditto, surface detail. Bars = 1 mm.