Lophalia quadrivittata ( Bates, 1892 )

Lophalia quadrivittata ( Bates, 1892) View in CoL

( Fig. 89–98 View Figures 89–98 )

Lophalia quadrivittata Casey 1912: 335 View in CoL ; Chemsak and Noguera 1993: 63 (dist.); Monné and Giesbert 1994: 146 (cat.); Monné 1994: 34 (cat.)

Lophalia quadrivittatus Blackwelder 1946: 590 View in CoL (cat.); Chemsak et al. 1992: 84 (cat.); Noguera and Chemsak 1996: 402 (dist.)

Sphenothecus quadrivittatus Bates 1892: 179 View in CoL ; Chemsak 1967: 80 (lect.)

Sphaenothecus quadrivittatus Aurivillius 1912: 472 View in CoL (cat.)

Redescription. Male: Length 14–17 mm. Form small to moderate sized, stout; integument polished, head and pronotum metallic dark bluish black to aenescent black, antennae, legs and underneath black; each elytron with two glabrous, slightly elevated, longitudinal, yellowish vittae. Head small; vertex shallowly convex, contiguously punctate with median glabrous area between eyes; front, contiguously punctate, mid-cranial sulcus narrow extending from postclypeus over to posterior margin of antennal tubercles, each sides below antennal insertion with a deep, obliquely transverse pit, integument above pits shallowly impressed; postclypeus finely, densely punctate with a median, sparsely punctate area on upper half; genae short, nitid; pubescence opaque, short and erect, vertex with few longer, erect setae; mandibles with outer edges impressed, striate-punctate, sparsely clothed with depressed pubescence; antennae slender, exceeding elytral apices by two antennomeres; scape conical, densely, contiguously punctate with short suberect setae above and longer depressed setae underneath; antennomeres II–VI minutely, densely punctate, densely clothed with dark, depressed setae, remaining antennomeres finely, densely punctate, densely covered with short, appressed pubescence with a few depressed setae at apices; antennomeres from V carinate on outside and inner surface; antennomere III longer than I; IV subequal to I; V longer than IV, shorter than III; VI slightly longer than V; VII, VIII and IX subequal to VI; X shorter than IX, subequal to V; XI longest, apical third vaguely appendiculate. Pronotum wider than long (L/W: 0.87 ×), sides broadly, shallowly rounded from base to apex; disc convex, basal two-third slightly flattened in middle, finely, discretely punctate, sides more contiguously punctate, each punctures with short, golden, erect setae; apical margin vaguely collared, very narrowly impressed behind; base vaguely impressed at sides, margin slightly lobed at middle; proepisternal area sparsely, discretely punctate; prosternum not impressed, transversely striate-punctate on apical half, basal half on each side above coxae with vaguely impressed, coarsely punctate, transverse subrectangular area, integument densely clothed with erect golden setae; mesosternum impressed in middle, minutely, densely punctate, densely pubescent with fine depressed setae; metasternum nitid, punctures coarse, shallow and sparse, pubescence suberect and golden, area adjacent to mesocoxae with fine punctures densely interspersed with coarser ones, pubescence dense, golden; metepisterna densely pubescent with golden, appressed setae. Scutellum black, glabrous, triangular, longer than wide. Elytra 2.6 times as long as broad; each elytron with a broad glabrous, subsutural, longitudinal, yellowish vitta narrowing apically not attaining apex, and a narrower submarginal one beginning at base of elytron below humerus narrowing and reaching apical fourth; basal punctures on sutural intervals coarse, shallow, discrete, becoming finer apically, each punctures giving rise to a short, suberect dark setae; apices obliquely bi-emarginate with sutural and outer angle strongly dentate. Legs slender; femora slightly clavate, coarsely, densely punctate, dorsum sparsely clothed with short, depressed setae, inner surface sparsely clothed with suberect golden setae; metafemora arcuate near base, falling far short of elytral apices; tibiae coarsely, contiguously punctate clothed with short, depressed setae; protibiae with inner surface densely clothed with short, depressed, golden pubescence. Abdomen nitid with broad median area finely, sparsely punctate and clothed with suberect golden setae, sides very finely, densely punctate and clothed with appressed golden pubescence; last sternite with apex truncate to vaguely emarginate at middle.

Female: Length 14–17 mm. Form more robust than male. Prosternum transversely, striate-punctate throughout, lacking coarsely punctate area before coxae. Antennae attaining or exceeding elytral apices by an antennomere. Abdomen with apex of last sternite broadly truncate.

Materials examined. MEXICO: Guerrero: 5 km W. Ocotito, 14 Oct. F.T. Hovore (9 males, 1 female, CASC, CASC) ; 6 km W. Veintidós , 21 Oct. 1984, F. Hovore (2 males, 1 female, CASC) ; Acahuizotla, camino Acahual , 18 Oct. 1989, L. Delgado, J. Blackaller (3 males, 2 females, EMEC) ; Acapulco , 150 m, 19 Oct. 1989, R.L. Westcott (2 males, EMEC) ; 20 km S Petaquillas , 29 Sept. 1994, J.A. Chemsak (2 females, EMEC) ; 22.4 km S Petaquillas, oakpine woodland, 1000 m, 18 Oct. 1989, R.L. Westcott (2 females, EMEC) ; Palo Blanco , 17 Oct. 1989, Alt 1100, L. Delgado, J. Blackaller (1 female, EMEC) ; 11.4 km S. Palo Blanco, 17°19′,99°29′, 915 m, 10 Oct. 1989, R.L. Westcott (2 males, EMEC). Jalisco: Estación de Biología Chamela , 6 Dec. 1988, J.D. Mc Carty (1 female, EMEC) .

Discussion. According to Bates (1892: 179), Lophalia quadrivittata is similar in facies to L. cyanicollis (Dupont) but differs by having two yellow costiform vittae on each elytron. Integument is dark bluish black and polished, and the antennae, legs, and sternum black. On both sides of elytra are two convex vittae - one near the suture that is slightly dilated near base and not reaching the apices, and second submarginal vittae that are narrowed posteriorly and abbreviated. Thorax is like that of L. cyanicollis with middle slightly rotundate, slightly narrowed to apex, and disc sub-sparsely punctate. The interspace of smooth costae on elytra are punctures bearing setae, and apices of elytra are very flexuous-truncate with external angles acute and sutural angles with short spine. Original habitat as reported by Bates is Mexico, Dos Arroyos, R. Papagaio (1200 ft.), Venta de Pelegrino, Rincon (2800 ft.). Acaguizotla (3500 ft.), Hacienda de la Imagen (4000 ft.), and Acapulco, all in Guerrero.

The double vittae on each elytron will separate this species from L. cyanicollis and L. prolata . This species is differentiated from L. nigricollis Eya new species by the smaller overall size, metallic bluish black to greenish black head and pronotum, apices of elytra that are bi-emarginated truncate with prominent spine on the exterior angle, and frontoclypeal sulcus that is frequently deeply, transversely excavated. Lophalia nigricollis is larger in overall size, head and pronotum are black and the apices of elytra are serrate to sinuate truncate with short spine on the exterior angles.