Nyctiplanctus bifasciatus, Clark & Lillrose & Belo Neto, 2013

Clark, Shawn M., Lillrose, Tiffany & Belo Neto, Luiz A., 2013, Leaf Beetles of the Cayman Islands (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Insecta Mundi 2013 (279), pp. 1-41 : 16-17

Nyctiplanctus bifasciatus , new species

( Figures 8, 33, 42)

Diagnosis. The color alone is sufficient to distinguish this species from all other chrysomelids known to occur in the Cayman Islands, the head and prothorax being orange-brown, and the elytra being black with the apex and a broad transverse band near the middle orange-brown ( Fig. 8). Beyond the Cayman Islands, this species is most similar to Nyctiplanctus jamaicensis Blake and Nyctiplanctus farri Blake , both from Jamaica. Adults of N. bifasciatus are larger than those of N. jamaicensis (6.8-7.0 mm, compared to 4.0- 5.3 mm). They are similar in size to those of N. farri , but the elytral humeri are black rather than pale. The pale elytral band of N. bifasciatus is wider than that of either of the Jamaican species.

Description of male. Form elongate oval. Head, pronotum, scutellum, and venter orange-brown; elytra black with broad, transverse, orange-brown fascia near mid-length, with apex also orange-brown; femora orange-brown with black apex; tibiae and tarsi black. Body 6.8 mm long, 3.0 mm wide.

Head entirely orange-brown; interocular space about half width of head measured across eyes; occiput and vertex smooth, shining, nearly impunctate, with an impressed median line above well-defined frontal tubercles; frontal carina short, broad, rather flat between antennae; transverse frontal carina broad, well elevated. Eyes narrowly separated from antennal fossae and from base of mandible. Antennae dark piceous, with distal antennomere very slightly paler; basal antennomere longest, about twice as long as second; antennomere 2 shortest; antennomere 4 slightly longer than 3 and than 5; antennomeres 3 and 5-11 subequal in length; antennomeres 1 and 2 sparsely setose; antennomeres 3-11 densely pubescent. Clypeal area, labrum, and palpi yellowish brown, paler than frons and vertex; mandibles pale brown with apex piceous; labrum with six setae arranged in transverse row; distal maxillary palpomere conical.

Pronotum twice as broad as long, 1.2 times as wide as head, widest anteriorly, with setose tubercle at each anterolateral angle and posterolateral angle; color orange-brown; surface without well-developed depressions or callosities; punctation rather dense, fine but distinct; interpunctural areas shining. Scutellum orange-brown, equilaterally triangular, alutaceous.

Elytra together about twice as wide as head, 1.7 times as wide as pronotum, 4.3 times as long as pronotum, 0.7 times as long as entire body. Discal and sublateral costae absent. Color black with broad orange-brown transverse fascia at mid-length, this broadly attaining both sutural and epipleural margins, shortly extending both anteriorly and posteriorly along suture, also extending very narrowly posteriorly along lateral margin, leaving adjacent epipleuron pale; anterior and posterior edges of fascia irregular in shape; apical area of elytron also broadly orange-brown. Punctation minute, noticeable only upon close examination; interpunctural areas shining.

Body beneath entirely orange-brown. Ventral areas of prothorax shining, glabrous; prosternum anterior to coxae narrow, slightly longer than width of basal antennomere; posterior prosternal process very narrowly separating nearly contiguous coxae; procoxal cavities broadly open behind. Mesothorax shining, nearly glabrous. Metepimeron and metepisternum nearly glabrous; metasternum shining, sparsely, distinctly pubescent. Abdomen shining, distinctly, sparsely pubescent; terminal abdominal ventrite mesally truncate at apex. Coxae and trochanters pale orange-brown, sparsely setose; femora sparsely setose, orange-brown with apex black; tibiae and tarsi densely setose, black; basal tarsomere of each leg about as long as more distal tarsomeres combined, not conspicuously widened; tarsal claws appendiculate. Aedeagus as in Figure 33.

Description of female. Form and color similar to male, but with terminal abdominal ventrite evenly rounded. Length 7.0 mm. Spermatheca as in Figure 42.

Material examined. Holotype: “ CAYMAN ISLANDS: Cayman Brac , Bight Rd., Brac Parrot Pres. 24- V-2009, Thomas, Turnbow & Ball, blacklight trap ” (male, FSCA) . Paratype: Cayman Islands, Cayman Brac, Brac Paradise Subdivision, 22-V-2009, Thomas, Turnbow & Ball, bl trap (1 female, BYUC).

Plant associations. Unknown. Similar species in the genus have been associated with Cordia ( Blake 1963) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Latin and refers to the elytral color pattern, which can be described as pale with two broad, dark bands.

Comments. This genus is endemic to the West Indies. All previously described species are from Cuba, Hispaniola, or Jamaica.