Beltia nicaraguensis Jacoby, 1881

Flowers, R. Wills, 2018, A review of the genus Beltia Jacoby (Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumolpini), with descriptions of fourteen new species from Costa Rica, Panama, and northwestern South America, Insecta Mundi 672, pp. 1-43 : 16-17

Beltia nicaraguensis Jacoby

Figures 9 , 30 , 49 , 66 , 81

Beltia nicaraguensis Jacoby 1881: 128 , by original description; Bechynĕ 1953: 192; Flowers 1996: 24. Holotype male at MCZ, seen, labeled: Chontales, Nicaragua. Janson//1st Jacoby Coll.//Type 9484.

Redescription. Male. Body ovate, length 5.7–7.3 mm. Head, pronotum, underside, and elytra metallic bright or olive green, often with a reddish purple reflexion; antennomeres 1–9 reddish brown, 10–11 often darker. Legs reddish brown ( Fig. 30 ).

Head. Clypeus coarsely punctate, punctures separated by distance less than their diameters. Frons with punctures separated by distance less than their diameters, surface between punctures smooth; vertex coarsely punctate, surface between punctures smooth.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, L/W = 0.69; pronotum widest behind middle; disc regularly, densely punctate, punctures separated by distance equal to or less than their diameters; surface between punctures shining. Front angles acute, directed anteriorly and down, not prominent. Prosternum with long setae, coarsely and rugosely punctate, expanded laterally behind coxae; posterior margin of intercoxal process weakly concave, width of intercoxal process 1.12× diameter of procoxa. Proepimeron coarsely and rugosely punctate. Mesosternum flat between coxae, surface punctate, with sparse setae. Metasternum with aciculate punctures forming a coarse reticulate pattern, with numerous short yellow setae; metepisternum with surface punctate. Profemur armed below with quadrate denticle in apical fourth ( Fig. 9 ).

Elytra. Coarsely punctate, punctures separated by distance subequal to their diameters, forming diagonal rugosities laterally; width across humeri 1.2× width across pronotum.

Abdomen. Sterna with scattered white setae longer in two submedian rows on sterna III–VI; sternum VII with a pair of weak depressions in center. Terga sclerotized, with row of fine spicules along base of terga II and III, and laterally on IV; terga V and VI with surface shagreened.

Genitalia. Median lobe ( Fig. 49a ) with apex bearing an asymmetrical tubercle ( Fig. 49c ); apical sclerite ( Fig. 49b ) short, heavily sclerotized, with central groove.

Female. Body oval; length 7–8.1 mm; body and leg color as in male.

Head. Labrum, frons, clypeus, and eyes similar to male; antennae with apical segments shorter and more cylindrical than in male.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, L/W = 0.70; shape of pronotum as in male; prosternum similar to male, but width of intercoxal process 1.03× diameter of procoxa. Mesosternum, metasternum, and metepisternum as in male.

Elytra and scutellum as in male.

Abdomen with short setae, sternum VII with lateral margins smooth, apical margin with a small median tubercle and a pair of larger submedian tubercles; pygidium as in male.

Genitalia. Segments VIII–XI forming a moderately elongate (L/W = 4.0) ovipositor ( Fig. 66a ). Sternum VIII with long, strap-like basal apodeme with apical end widened, a small membranous area in the center. Segment IX covered with minute setae; hemisternites with long basal rods, well sclerotized apically; baculum distinct, apical, shorter than gonocoxae; gonocoxae longer than broad. Spermatheca ( Fig. 66b ) with receptacle short, cone-shaped, slightly narrower at base than pump.

Specimens examined. ( 9♂, 7♀) NICARAGUA: Holotype male ( MCZ) labeled: Chontales, Nicaragua. Janson //1st Jacoby Coll.// Type 9484. COSTA RICA: Alajuela Prov. (1♀) Est. San Ramon Oeste , 620m. 3–19 Abr 1994, F. Quesada, L-N-318100381900 # 2817//INBIOCRI001778135; (1♂) Sect. San Ramon de Dos Rios , 1.5 Km NO. Hda. Nueva Zelandia. 620m. 13–30 AGO 1996. F. A. Quesada. LN318100381900 #44743//INBIOCRI002483510; Guanacaste Prov. (1♂) Est. Pitilla , 700m, 9 km S Sta. Cecilia, P. N. Guanacaste, P. Rios, Jun 1991, L-N 330200380200//INBIOCRI000309808; (1♂, 1♀) same locality, C. Moraga & P. Rios, Mar 1991 //INBIOCRI000342002, INBIOCRI000351317; (1♂) same locality, C. Moraga, 2–9 mar 1992 //INBIOCRI000424635; (1♀) same locality, 19 May–3 Jun 1993, C. Moraga // INBIOCRI001315321; (1♀) same locality, Tp Malaise 1991//INBIOCRI000853077; (1♂) Est. Las Pailas , 800 m, P. N. Rincon de la Vieja, 15 jul a 14 sept 1992, J. Sihezar, G. Rodriguez, L-N 306300388600// INBIOCRI000826238; (1♂) Estac. Maritza, 600m, W. side Volcán Orosí , Malaise Tp. 1988 GNP Biod. Sur. , 326900, 37300//INBIOCRI0000036879; Heredia Prov. (1♂) Send. Terciopelo , Est. Magsasay, P.N. Braulio Carrillo , 220 m. m. 1991, Malaise, L S 264700531000//INBIOCRI001194156; (1♂) Est. Biol. La Selva 50-, 150m. 10°26′N 84°01′W, Jul 1993 INBio-OET//5 de Julio 1993, Virola koschnyi FVK/09/07// INBIOCR1002256795; (1♀) same locality, Jul 1993 INBio-OET// 3 Julio 1993, FOT/07/33, Goethalsia meiantha //INBIOCR1002256715; (1♀, FSCA) Estación El Ceibo, 10km, SE La Virgen, 10°20′N, 84°05′W, elev. 450–550m, 11-IV-2003, S.M. Clark; Limón Prov. (1♂) Sector Cerro Cocori, Fca. de E. Rojas, 150m, May 1993, E. Rojas, L-N 286000567500 #2101//INBIOCRI001350265; (1♀) same locality, F. A. Quesada, 26 mar a 24 abr 1992 //INBIOCRI000771179. All specimens from MNCR-A unless otherwise noted.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from all other Beltia (and most other Neotropical Eumolpinae ) by the quadrate apical teeth on the profemora ( Fig. 9 ). It can be further distinguished from the other two Beltia species with toothed profemora ( B. tisingalita and B. weyrauchi , see below) by the more coarsely punctate pronotum.

Remarks. The female specimen from La Selva has the characteristic quadrate tooth on the left profemur only. This species is limited to an area including southern Nicaragua (the type locality) and across northern Costa Rica ( Fig. 81 ). The two specimens from La Selva were collected by canopy fogging.

Figures

Figures 9–17. Structures of Beltia. 9) Profemur, B. nicaraguensis. 10) Profemur, B. tisingalita. 11) Pronotum, B. angustomarginata. 12) Pronotum, B. ledesmae. 13) En-face view of median lobe, B. angustomarginata. 14) Apex of abdomen, B. placidula. 15) Concave prosternum (arrow), B. ledesmae. 16) Head and pronotum, B. napoensis. 17) Male abdomen with seta patches (arrow), B. herreri.

Figures 27–35. Beltia, dorsal habitus. 27) Beltia napoensis, male. 28) Beltia napoensis, female. 29) Same female as (28) photographed with diffuser. 30) Beltia nicaraguensis, female. 31) Beltia osa, male. 32) Beltia placidula, female. 33) Beltia rugosa, male. 34) Beltia sanchezae, female. 35) Beltia talaga, male.

Figures 42–49. Beltia, male genitalia: a) lateral view of median lobe; b) endophallic apical sclerites; c) en-face view of median lobe. 42) Beltia angustomarginata. 43) Beltia awapita. 44) Beltia chiriquensis. 45) Beltia confusa. 46) Beltia gorgona. 47) Beltia herreri. 48) Beltia ledesmae. 49) Beltia nicaraguensis.

Figures 60–66. Beltia, female genitalia: a) ovipositor, ventral view; b) spermatheca. 60) Beltia angustomarginata. 61) Beltia chiriquensis. 62) Beltia gorgona. 63) Beltia herreri. 64) Beltia ledesmae. 65) Beltia napoensis. 66) Beltia nicaraguensis.

Figures 80–82. Distribution maps for Beltia spp.: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. 80) Beltia angustomarginata (squares), B. osa (triangles), B. vacilona (circles). 81) Beltia chiriquensis (circles), B. herreri (stars), B. nicaraguensis (hexagons). 82) Beltia sanchezae (square), B. tilarana (inverted triangles), B. tisingalita (stars).