Mannophorus virgulata ( Chemsak, 1987 ), 2024

Mannophorus virgulata ( Chemsak, 1987) , new combination

( Fig. 188–191 View Figures 188–201 )

Linsleyella virgulata Chemsak 1987: 145 View in CoL ; Chemsak et al. 1992: 83 (cat.); Monné 1994: 38 (cat.); Monné and Giesbert 1994: 146 (cat.); Noguera and Chemsak 1996: 402 (dist.)

Chemsakiella virgulata Monné 2006: 179 View in CoL (cat.); Monné and Hovore 2006: 139 (cat.); MacRae et al. 2012: 179 (host, biology); Zaragoza-Caballero and Pérez-Hernández 2017: 34 (paratype); Eya 2019: 5 (figures)

Materials examined. MEXICO: Puebla: 4 mi SW Morelos Cañada , 20 Sept. 1977, J. Chemsak, A. and M. Michelbacher (paratypes: 1 male, 1 female, BKEC) ; 8 km E Azumbilla , 22 Aug. 1987, J.T. Doyen (1 male, 1 female, BKEC) ; 1 km SW Acatepec , 14 Oct. 1978, E. Giesbert (6 males, 3 females, FSCA) ; 3 km N Chapulco , 20 July 1976, E. Giesbert (1 male, 1 female, FSCA), 1 Aug. 1976, E. Giesbert (2 males, 1 female, FSCA) ; 10 km NE Chapulco , 15 Oct. 1978, E. Giesbert (5 males, 2 females, FSCA) ; Santa Ana , 6 km N Tehuacán, 1830 m, 21/ 23 Oct. 2005, B. Smith (2 males, FWSC) ; 11 km N Tehuacán Hwy to Orizaba , 23 Oct. 2005, B. Smith (2 males, FWSC) .

Discussion. Mannophorus virgulata (Chemsak) new combination is small (8–12 mm) and slightly tapered posteriorly. The “integument is dark metallic blue green” with two longitudinal, narrow eburneous costae on each elytron ( Chemsak 1987: 145). The antennae are dark metallic blue with purplish cast. The pubescence on head, pronotum, sternum, elytra and femora are “pale, long, and erect.” The front is irregularly punctate with long, pale flying setae. The vertex is “coarsely, confluently punctate,” and clothed moderately densely with pale, long, flying setae. The genae are short and the base of mandibles is well separated from the anterior margins of lower eye lobes. The mandibles are arcuate from the base to apex. The antennal tubercles are divergent sloping down to mid-cranial sulcus, and apices rounded to obtusely angulate. The antennae extend about two antennomeres beyond elytra in males, and antennomeres I–VII are slender, cylindrical and VIII–XI vaguely flattened and explanate apically. The antennae of the female are “shorter than body,” reaching the base of abdominal sternite IV, and the antennomeres from VI enlarged. The pronotum is slightly “broader than long,” sides are broadly “subangulate behind middle” to rounded. The disc is convex and sides of the pronotum are narrowly constricted anteriorly, and the base is widely constricted. The punctures on pronotal disc are “moderately coarsely, subconfluently punctate, often with a longitudinal, median, glabrous callus.” The prosternum is transversely striate-punctate on apical half, and basal half coarsely punctate in the middle with transverse finely punctate area on each side above coxae. The pubescence on prosternum is moderately dense, long, pale, and erect. Metasternum is deeply discretely punctate and densely clothed with long, pale, depressed pubescence. The elytra are 2.6 “times as long as broad,” dark metallic blue with epipleural margins of basal half metallic greenish, and sides slightly tapered towards middle. The eburneous longitudinal costae on each elytron are narrow. The subsutural costa extends from basal margin almost to apex, and the submarginal one is shorter starting behind humeri and extends to the apical tenth of elytron. The punctures between elytral costae are coarse and subconfluent with “pubescence long and erect.” The elytral apices are rounded or obliquely sinuate truncate with sutural angle minutely dentate.

This species was originally described as Linsleyella Chemsak (renamed as Chemsakiella by Monné) due to the resemblance to Chemsakiella Monné in the overall form, metallic color, coarsely, densely punctate integument and pubescence that are moderately dense, long, and erect. Mannophorus virgulata females also have the distal antennomeres that are expanded, which is one of the distinctive characteristics of Chemsakiella . This species differs from the other three Chemsakiella species by having the apex of mandibles that are simple or narrowly emarginate ( Fig. 200 View Figures 188–201 ), front that is declivous along the mid-cranial sulcus, pronotal disc that is apically tapered and usually subangulate behind middle ( Fig. 205, 212 View Figures 202–217 ), and elytra that are longitudinally costate. Chemsakiella have apex of mandibles that are bifid or emarginate-truncate ( Fig. 201 View Figures 188–201 ), front that is very short and vertical, and pronotal disc that is rounded, flattened, and abruptly delimited at sides. Chemsakiella species are all very similar in the overall form and appearance and lacks the longitudinal eburneous costae.

This species is very closely allied to M. minor (Bates) new combination but can be differentiated from the later most notably by the long flying setae on the head, thorax, base of elytra, sternum, and inner surface of femora, and by the coarser punctures on the pronotal disc. Mannophorus minor (Bates) has pubescence on head and pronotum that are very short, disc of pronotum that is closely, confluently punctate, side of mandibles near base that are strongly angulated, and the dorsal half of genae that are very narrow with anterior margins of lower eyes almost contiguous with the base of mandibles. Mannophorus virgulata has side of mandibles that are arcuate, and the dorsal half of genae that are broader with anterior margin of lower eyes separated from the base of mandibles.

The etymology of the species name virgulata was not described in the original description of this species. The name is derived from the Latin word “ virgulatus ” (striped) or “ virgula ” (small rod) referring to the narrow ivory costae on the elytra. Mannophorus virgulata ( Chemsak, 1987) is found in the northeastern half of the state of Puebla, Mexico, from Acatepec eastward to Chapulco and Tehuacán based on the data provided in the original description and the materials examined.