Triarius melanolomatus ( Blake, 1942 )

Clark, Shawn M. & Anderson, E. Russell, 2019, A Review of Triarius Jacoby, 1887 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Luperini), with Descriptions of a New Genus and Four New Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 73 (2), pp. 343-357 : 352

Triarius melanolomatus ( Blake, 1942) Figs. 2f , 3c

Luperodes melanolomatus Blake 1942: 63 Triarius santarosarum Wilcox 1953: 51 [synon-

ymized with L. melanolomatus by Wilcox

1965: 166] Triarius melanolomatus Wilcox 1965: 166

Diagnosis. The tarsal claws of this species are bifid. Also, each elytron is yellow, with a posthumeral dark stripe and a sutural dark stripe; no short median stripe is present ( Fig. 2f ). This species is very similar to females of T. nigroflavus , but the distal half of the hind femur is mostly pale, and the terminal abdominal sternite is entirely pale in most specimens examined, although nearly entirely dark in a few. We have not seen any specimens with the terminal sternite mostly pale but narrowly dark along the apical margin, as is the case in all females of T. nigroflavus we have seen. Specimens of T. melanolomatus measure 3.9–7.4 mm in length.

Type Material Examined. We studied the male holotype and one paratype of L. melanolomatus (CASC) . Additionally, we examined nine specimens

( BYU) that were determined as L. melanolomatus by

Doris Blake and that have label data matching (or nearly matching) those cited with the original description of this species. Although not labeled as such, these are likely also paratypes. We also studied the male holotype ( OSUC) and 40 paratypes ( CASC, OSUC) of T. santarosarum .

Type Localities. Luperodes melanolomatus : “Pi~ non Flat, San Jacinto Mountains, Calif.” Triarius santarosarum : “Santa Rosa Mts., California.”

Geographic Distribution. We examined specimens from Coconino, Gila, Mohave, and Pinal Counties in Arizona, and from Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties in California. Beyond this, Andrews and Gilbert (2005) reported this species from the Mexican state of Baja California.

Temporal Distribution. We examined adults collected from April to July, as well as in October.

Plant Associations. This species is reported from Nolina , Erigeron L. ( Asteraceae ), flowers of a yellow composite ( Asteraceae ), cactus ( Cactaceae ), Acacia , Sphaeralcea A. St. -Hil. ( Malvaceae ), and Adenostoma fasciculatum Hook. & Arn. (Rosaceae) ( Bibby 1961; Wilcox 1965; Clark et al. 2004). Included in the material we examined, specimens are labeled from Nolina and Yucca L. ( Asparagaceae ), Encelia Adans. and Erigeron (Asteraceae) , cactus ( Cactaceae ), white-flowered mimosoid shrub ( Fabaceae ), Salvia apiana Jepson (Lamiaceae) , and blossoms of Sphaeralcea ambigua A. Gray.

Comments. The width of the elytral stripe varies. Future study may prove that multiple true species are involved. Beyond the type material mentioned above, we also examined 151 other specimens.

Figures

Fig. 2. Triarius species, dorsal habitus. A) T. pini, male, B) T. pini, female, C) T. trivittatus, D) T. nigroflavus, male, E) T. nigroflavus, female, F) T. melanolomatus, G) T. lividus, H) T. texanus, I) T. novoleonis.

Fig. 3. Triarius species, aedeagi, dorsal and lateral views. A) T. pini, B) T. nigroflavus, C) T. melanolomatus, D) T. lividus, E) T. trivittatus, F) T. texanus, G) T. novoleonis.