Fidia delilahae Strother 2008, New Species
Creators: name: Strother, M. S.
name: Staines, C. L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Fidia
Fidia delilahae

description: Fidia delilahae Strother, New Species   
(Figs. 9, 63, 71, 95; Map 4)  
 Fidia longipes: Balsbaugh & Hayes 1972: 73–74 (faunal study), ex parte.   
 Holotype (♂, MCZC): "AL: Fayette Co.; 2.7 mi. w of hwy 107 on hwy 18; 23-v-1992 coll. by M.S.Strother / collected on Parthenocissus quinquefolia & Vitis aestivalis / HOLOTYPE Fidia delilahae M.S.Strother 1993 [red]". The specimen is glued on a point and is in excellent condition with all appendages intact. Paratypes: Seventy-four specimens bearing the same data labels as holotype. Each bears the label, " PARATYPE Fidia delilahae M.S.Strother 1993 [yellow]". The deposition of the paratypes is as follows: AMNH:10; AUEM:10; EGRC:10; LSUC:10; MCZC:10; MSS:4; MUIC:10; USNM:10.   
 Description. Males: TL = 3.92–4.92 mm, HW = 1.80–2.32 mm. Females: TL = 4.28–5.40 mm, HW = 2.08–2.60 mm. Color: Entirely very dark red-brown to black, darker specimens occasionally with very faint metallic blue tint on dorsum; legs often slightly lighter than dorsum; pubescence usually golden, but white in some specimens. Pronotum: Length subequal to width, widest at or immediately posteriad middle, sides feebly to distinctly arcuate in dorsal view, dorsum gently convex in lateral view; densely, coarsely punctate-reticulate; pubescence fine, recumbent, not obscuring surface sculpture. Mesepisternum: Densely pubescent. Elytra: Intrahumeral callus obsolete; asetose punctate-striae distinct, interstices flat to feebly convex, moderately densely to densely rugulose-punctulate, moderately densely pubescent with setae appearing uniformly distributed, not forming distinct rows between striae. Abdomen: Males with medial area of first three sterna flat to feebly impressed; first sternum with impunctate, glabrous area; second and third sterna often bearing similar area; last two sterna gently convex medially, uniformly punctate-pubescent; pygidium dorsally convex in apical ½ with apex subacutely rounded. Females with medial area of all sterna gently convex, uniformly punctate-pubescent; apical margin of last sternum with well-developed, jagged-tipped to subtruncate, medial process; pygidium with apical ½ shallowly impressed dorsally, apex more acutely rounded than in males, lateral margin with small, preapical protuberance. Legs: Both sexes with femora gradually tapered towards base. Males with preapical ventral surface of protibia shallowly excavated; pro- and metatibiae distally feebly to slightly curved ventrally; pro- and mesotibial spurs stout, minutely rugulose, protibial spurs separated by approximately the width of one spur, mesotibial spurs contiguous; disco-setae present on pro- and mesobasitarsi only. Penis: In posterior view, sides subparallel, widest at bases of apical lobes; apical emargination broad, deep with small rounded medial tooth; apical lobes feebly curved mesally, distinctly tapered towards narrow, acutely rounded apex. In lateral view, eudorsal surface of declivitous part continuously convex; euventral surface moderately concave, distally tapered to feebly euventrally curved apex. Sperm guide composed of lower sclerite only. Spermatheca: Basal arm type.   
 Etymology. Named for my wife, Delilah Warrick, for her indispensable assistance, patience, and understanding throughout the course of this study.   
 Diagnosis. Small to medium-sized (3.92–5.40 mm.); entirely black to dark red-brown; femora entirely dark, not conspicuously lighter basally; pronotal punctation coarse. Males with apical emargination of penis wide, deep, with small, distinct medial tooth (Fig. 95); apical lobes long, tapered toward apex. Females with apical margin of last abdominal sternum bearing well-developed, jagged-tipped medial process (Fig. 63).   
 Specimens of F. delilahae are most likely to be confused with F. longipes and F. rileyorum, but the entirely dark femora distinguish them from the latter two species. Both F. longipes and F. rileyorum have at least one pair of femora either conspicuously lighter (flavous to testaceous) basally or have the femora entirely light (flavous to testaceous).   
 Distribution (Map 4). Fidia delilahae is known only from northwestern Alabama and extreme northeastern Mississippi, but may also occur in extreme south-central Tennessee.   
 Specimens Examined (111).   
 UNITED STATES. ALABAMA: Fayette Co., 10 mi. N. of Fayette on Hwy 43, v:23:1992 (MSS:1); Marion Co., 2.1 mi. N. of Hwy 43 on Hwy 187, vi:1:1992 (MSS:13); Tuscaloosa Co., 2.3 mi. N. of Hwy 82 on Hwy 69, vi:1:1992 (MSS:4), 13.3 mi. N. of Hwy 82 on Hwy 69, vi:1:1992 (MSS:13); Winston Co., Natural Bridge Rec. Area, Ala. 33, 1 mi. N. U.S. 278, vi:26–27:1963 (AUEM:1), W.B. Bankhead Nat'l. For. 2.5 mi. N. of U.S. 278vi:3:1964 (AUEM:1). MISSISSIPPI: Lowndes Co., 0.7 mi W of AL on Hwy 12, v:23:1992 (MSS:3).   
 Temporal Data. Collecting dates ranged from 23 May to 27 June.   
 Natural History. The type series was collected predominantly on Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) growing on sandy soil along a roadside ditch, with a few specimens also on Vitis aestivalis Michx. var. aestivalis (identified by M.O. Moore, University of Georgia). Additional specimens were taken by Strother on Ampelopsis arborea (L.) and Vitis spp.
description: Published as part of Strother, M. S. & Staines, C. L., 2008, A revision of the New World genus Fidia Baly 1863 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Adoxini), pp. 1-100 in Zootaxa 1798 (1) on pages 37-38, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1798.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5124622