Beltia osa Flowers, 2018

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 : 17-18

Beltia osa Flowers , new species

Figures 31 , 51 , 67 , 80

Description of male holotype. Body ovate; length 5.9 mm (range 5.9–6.4 mm). Head, pronotum, underside, and elytra shining dark blue; antennomeres 1–8 reddish brown, 9–11 piceous. Femora orangish brown, tibiae and tarsi dark reddish brown ( Fig. 31 ).

Head. Apex of clypeus densely punctate, distance between punctures subequal to their diameters, junction of clypeus and frons weakly depressed between antennal calli. Frons strongly punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters; surface between punctures wrinkled, vertex with a distinct median impressed line, finely punctate. Antennal calli flat and wrinkled, not strongly contrast- ing with frons.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, L/W = 0.56; pronotum widest at middle; disc densely punctate, punctures separated by distance slightly less to slightly greater than their diameters; punctulae relatively coarse. Prosternum finely punctate, with short whitish setae; posterior margin of intercoxal process concave, width of process 1.12× diameter of procoxa. Proepimeron weakly concave, sparsely punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than puncture diameter, surface wrinkled. Mesosternum subequal in width to prosternum, convex on anterior slope, surface punctate, with sparse setae. Metasternum smooth; metepisternum broad, gradually narrowed posteriorly, finely alutaceous. Elytra. Evenly punctate, punctures separated by distance subequal to their diameters; surface between punctures smooth, with small punctulae; width across humeri 1.2× width across pronotum; basal calli and postbasal depression obsolete.

Abdomen. Sterna with numerous short setae, sterna III–VI with a transverse band of long erect setae, interrupted in midline of sterna III–IV, surface of segments smooth. Sternum VII with lateral margins smooth, a weak depression in center, long setae along posterior margin. Terga with basal spicules on segments II and II, and laterally on IV; surface shagreened on segments V and VI and in apical third of segment IV.

Genitalia. Median lobe with strongly notched lateral margins ( Fig. 51a ) that are convergent to apex, giving it an “arrowhead” shape in en-face view ( Fig. 51c ). Apical margin of median lobe with a small, slightly asymmetric point. Apex of endophallus with a small sclerite and a field of fine spicules with a number of larger spicules in several aligned rows ( Fig. 51b ).

Female allotype. Body oval; length 6.7 mm (range 6.3–7.2 mm); head, body, and elytra dark bronze; leg color as in male.

Head. Labrum, frons, clypeus, eyes, and antennae similar to male except frontoclypeal suture not depressed, antennal calli more swollen and contrasting with frons.

Thorax. Prothorax as in male; shape and punctation of pronotum as in male; prosternum similar to male, but with width of intercoxal process 1.03× diameter of procoxa. Mesosternum, metasternum, and metepisternum as in male.

Elytra. Similar to male but with a shallow posthumeral depression.

Abdomen. Sterna with short pale setae and 1–2 erect submedian setae on sterna III–VI, sternum VII with lateral margins crenulate, apical margin with a small emarginate ridge.

Genitalia. Segments VIII–XI forming elongate ovipositor (L/W = 6.33; Fig. 67a ). Sternum VIII with long, strap-like basal apodeme, widened apically; only several setae remain of apicolateral arms; dorsum of segment VIII weakly sclerotized laterally. Segment IX covered with minute setae in apical half; baculum subequal to gonocoxae. Spermatheca as in Fig. 67b .

Specimens examined. COSTA RICA: Puntarenas Prov. (4♂, 4♀) Male holotype labeled: Rancho Quemado , Pen. de Osa , Punta , COSTA RICA, 200m. 7–27 Ene 1992, A. Gutierrez, L S 292500511000 #1813//INBIOCRI001676555 ; Female allotype labeled: COSTA RICA: Puntarenas, R. F. Golfo Dulce. 24 Km W. Piedras Blancas. 200m. ene 1993, P. Hanson //INB0003705477 ; PARATYPES: (1♂) same locality and collector as allotype, dec. 1992 // INB0003705478 ; (1♂, 2♀, MZUCR) same locality and collector, I. 1992; (1♂, MNCR-A) same data as holotype //INBIOCRI001676556; PANAMA: Chiriquí Prov. (1♀, FSCA) Panama , Chiriqui, Fortuna (82°15′W, 8°44′N) May 19, 1978, O’Briens & Marshall. Holotype and allotype deposited in MNCR-A, paratypes in MNCR-A, MZUCR, and FSCA.

Etymology. Osa, Spanish. Named for the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica.

Diagnosis. This species is similar in appearance to some B. chiriquensis but can be distinguished by a more densely punctate pronotum and by tibiae and tarsi, which can be brown or metallic; the combination of light brown tarsi and metallic tibiae is not found in B. osa .

Remarks. This species is also quite variable in body color. Males in the paratype series vary from bronze to dark blue; females are bronze to coppery red. This species appears to be restricted to areas along the Costa Rica–Panama border ( Fig. 80 ).

Figures

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 50–56. Beltia, male genitalia: a) lateral view of median lobe; b) endophallic apical sclerites; c) en-face view of median lobe; d) en-face view of endophallic lateral digits. 50) Beltia napoensis, with endophallus partly everted: c) specimen from Peru; e) specimen from Ecuador. 51) Beltia osa. 52) Beltia placidula. 53) Beltia rugosa. 54) Beltia sanchezae. 55) Beltia talaga. 56) Beltia tilarana, with endophallus partly everted.

Figures 67–74. Beltia, female genitalia: a) ovipositor, ventral view; b) spermatheca. 67) Beltia osa. 68) Beltia placidula. 69) Beltia sanchezae. 70) Beltia tilarana. 71) Beltia tisingalita. 72) Beltia tsachila. 73) Beltia vacilona. 74) Beltia weyrauchi.

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).