Epicauta monachica ( Berg, 1883 )

Campos-Soldini, María Paula & Roig-Juñent, Sergio Alberto, 2011, Redefinition of the vittata species group of Epicauta Dejean (1834) (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and taxonomic revision of the species from southern South America, Zootaxa 2824, pp. 21-43 : 39-40

Epicauta monachica ( Berg, 1883)

Lytta monachica Berg, 1883: 68 .

Epicauta monachica Blanchard, 1891: 495 ; Bruch, 1914: 404 (cat.); Borchmann, 1917: 78 (cat.); Denier, 1935: 157 (cat.); Bosq, 1934: 327 (cat.); 1942: 11 (cat.); Hayward, 1942: 23 (cat.); Blackwelder, 1945: 483 (cat.); Viana and Williner, 1973: 87 (dist.); Martínez, 1992: 7 (dist.); Di Iorio, 2004: 170 (cat.).

Type material examined. Syntype, sex not determined: [Typus] [Men-/doza] [Foto Bruch] [ Lytta / monachica / Berg] [ MLP 576/ 1]. Lectotype, sex not determined [Typus] [Mend-/doza] [ MLP 576/ 2].

Type material remarks. In the original publication there is no indication of the type status of the specimens examined by the author, for this reason we consider them as syntypes.

Diagnosis. Cuticle of elytra pale, contrasting with that of head and pronotum which are brown, with three dark vittae on disk. Pubescence pale; pronotum with two short and dark longitudinal vittae. Antennae and legs pale.

Comparative remarks. Epicauta monachica is similar to E. leopardina in the cuticle color of head and pronotum, and color pattern of elytra, but differs in the form of the elytral vittae. Epicauta monachica and E. leopardina have light elytra and dark vittae, but E. monachica shows longitudinal vittae and E. leopardina has vitta-like irregular blotches (see diagnosis).

Redescription. Body length: 10–20 mm.

Cuticle and pubescence. Cuticle of head and pronotum brown, head with light patch on front and two light supra-ocular patches ( Fig. 16 ); maxillary palpi, labrum and antennal segments light. Pronotum with two pale patches on disk in the apical third. Elytra pale with three dark vittae on disk extended from base to near apex (Fig. 24); legs pale. Pubescence of head sparse (13–19 setae by lineal mm); pronotum and elytra dense (28–34 setae by lineal mm); head pubescence pale with two dark-brown patches of different sizes on vertex; pronotum pale with two short and dark longitudinal vittae; elytra with pubescence coincident with cuticle color.

Habitus. Head 0.78 times as long as wide (L/A: 25–32); mandible strongly curved at apex ( Fig. 10 ). Pronotum square; impressed at apical third in lateral view. Elytron wider from apical third to apex. Legs with tarsal segments with two longitudinal rows of adhesive setae. Claws with dorsal blade curved from base to the apex, ventral blade slightly curved, wider than dorsal blade near apical third.

Male genitalia. Falobase with superior border with a deep emargination. Spiculum gastrale with two marginal and robust acuminate prominences directed inwards, inner area with deep emargination; lateral face with small acuminate prominences (Fig. 35). Median lobe large and thin, dorsal-hook; uncus slender and curved at apex ( Fig. 43 ).

Intra-specific variation. Variation occurs in body length with some specimens double the size of the others.

Distribution. Map ( Fig. 48 ). Known in Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. In Argentina is recorded from: Catamarca; Chaco; Córdoba; Formosa; Jujuy; La Rioja; Mendoza; Misiones; Salta; Santiago del Estero; San Juan; San Luis; Tucumán.

Host plants. Host plant associations for this species are ( Di Iorio, 2004): Amaranthus sp.; Brassica oleracea ( Adams and Selander, 1979) ; Brassica oleracea var. acephala ( Hayward, 1942) ; Cichorium endivia ( Hayward, 1942; 1960); Gossypium hirsutum ( Denier, 1935; Bosq, 1942; Hayward, 1942; 1960); Gossypium ( Adams and Selander, 1979) ; Helianthus sp. ( Martínez, 1992); Lycopersicum esculentum ( Adams and Selander, 1979) Medicago sativa ( Bosq, 1942; Hayward, 1942; 1960; Adams and Selander, 1979); Nicotina sp. ( Adams and Selander, 1979); Nicotina tabacum ( Bosq, 1942; Hayward, 1942; 1960; Martínez, 1960); Portulaca sp. ( Adams and Selander, 1979); Solanacea ( Bosq, 1934); Solanum dulcamara , S. eleagnifolium ( Adams and Selander, 1979) ; Solanum tuberosum ( Hayward, 1942; 1960).

Material examined. Sixty-five specimens from Argentina belong to the following collections MACN, MLP, MCNFA, IMLA. Catamarca. Córdoba: Marull (30º 59’ 23’’ S, 62º 49’ 10’’ W). Chaco: Villa Ángela (27º 34’ 16’’ S, 60º 42’ 28’’ W). La Rioja: Patquia (30º 02’ 52’’ S, 66º 52’ 73’’ W). Salta. Santiago del Estero: Río Salado (27º 50’ 59’’ S, 63º 28’ 06’’ W), San Ignacio (25º 41’ 07’’S, 62º 56’ 74’’ W). San Juan.

Figures

FIGURE 48. Distribution map of Epicauta monachica and Epicauta rutilifrons.

FIGURES 12 – 17. Head cuticle color: 12. E. excavate; 13. E. semivittata, E. missionum; 14. E. clericalis, E. luteolineata; 15. E. bosqi; 16. E. leopardina, E. monachica, E. rutilifrons; 17. E. grammica.

FIGURES 6 – 11. Epicauta lopardina, 6. Labial palpi with segment III strongly expanded from the basal third to the apex; 7. Maxillary palpi large (three times width) compressed dorso-ventrally, tapering to the base and expanding to apex. E. leopardina: 8. Prementum with central area having ample concavity; E. clericalis: 9. Prementum straight. Mandible dorsal views: E. leopardina: 10 (b, see arrow); E. clericalis 11 (b, see arrow).

FIGURES 37 – 44. Aedeagus, lateral view: 37. E. bosqi: (a) aedeagus, (dt) dorsal tooth, (h) hook; 38. Epicauta clericalis; 39. E. excavata; 40. E. grammica 41. E. leopardina; 42. E. luteolineata; 43. E. monachica; 44. E. semivittata.