Fidia xanthonioides Strother & Staines 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 xanthonioides

description: Fidia xanthonioides Strother, New Species   
(Figs. 24, 40, 70, 74, 87, 105–106; Map 7)  
 Holotype ♂ (EGRC deposited in MCZC): " MEX: Mich., 4 mi. W. Patzcuaro, 7400' VIII-14-82: C.W. & L. O'Brien & G. Wibmer / Not in MCZC [handwritten] MCZC-B, E.G. Riley, '87 / HOLOTYPE Fidia xanthonioides M.S.Strother 1993 [red]". The specimen is missing the entire abdomen but is otherwise in excellent condition. It is glued on a point with the penis and associated sclerites preserved in glycerin in a microvial pinned beneath the specimen. Paratypes (2♀♀, TAMU): " MEX: Jal. 24.8km. S.W. Ciudad Guzman, 2286m 2.viii.88, R.S. Anderson pine-oak for. 88–21 / PARATYPE Fidia xanthonioides M.S.Strother 1993 [yellow]" and " MEXICO: Oaxaca 2 miles north San Jose Pacifico July 20, 1974 Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner / PARATYPE Fidia xanthonioides M.S.Strother 1993 [yellow]". Both are in excellent condition with the dissected abdomens and genitalia preserved in glycerin in microvials pinned beneath each specimen, respectively.   
 Description. Holotype (♂): TL = 3.56 mm, HW = 1.74 mm. Paratypes (♀♀): TL = 4.04–4.12 mm, HW = 2.00– 2.06 mm. Color: Dorsum of male entirely orange-brown, head and pronotum darker than elytra in females; antennae golden-brown to red-brown with apical two or three antennomeres darker brown; lateral aspect of pronotum red-brown in male, red-brown blending to black above procoxae in females; thoracic sterna of both sexes predominantly black with orange-brown to red-brown margins; male abdomen missing; females with first three abdominal sterna almost entirely blackish except for narrow orange-brown posterior margins, dark areas slightly to distinctly reduced on last two sterna, pygidium orange-brown apically, darker basally; femora of males fulvous at base gradually blending to red-brown on anterior surface, slightly darker on posterior surface, femora of females fulvous to red-brown at base abruptly becoming red-brown to dark red-brown on anterior surface, posterior surface polished very dark red-brown to blackish; tibiae and tarsi of both sexes uniformly pale to dark orange-brown; pubescence predominantly whitish to straw-yellow, except for roughly M-shaped area of brownish-black setae on apical 1/3 of elytra and several scattered black setae near intrahumeral calli of female from Jalisco. Pronotum: Length subequal to width, sides moderately arcuate in dorsal view, dorsum feebly convex in lateral view; densely, coarsely punctate; pubescence moderately dense, not obscuring surface sculpture. Mesepisternum: Entirely glabrous. Elytra: Intrahumeral callus moderately to well-developed; sutural area between calli not impressed; disc with shallow but distinct, subcircular postcallosal impression; with poorly defined impression posterolaterad of postcallosal impression, not bordered mesally by low, rounded, oblong carina; apical 1/3 of disc evenly convex dorsally; surface of disc densely punctulate-rugulose to punctulate-reticulate; asetose punctate-striae obsolete on disc, more evident on lateral aspect. Abdomen: Male abdomen missing. Female with ventral surface of all sterna evenly convex, uniformly punctate-pubescent; apical margin of last sternum feebly bisinuate, lacking other structural modifications; pygidium dorsally flattened in apical ½ with sides tapering to subacutely rounded apex, lacking posterolateral angles. Legs: Both sexes with all femora robust, distinctly tapering towards base, widest at middle; metafemur basally distinctly narrowed for less than ½ length. Male with all tibial spurs small, lacking visible surface sculpture; disco-setae on all basitarsi. Penis: In posterior view, sides evenly tapered, more acutely so posteriad ostium, to acutely rounded apex. In lateral view, eudorsal surface of declivitous part distinctly convex; euventral surface concave; distal ½ of declivitous part euventrally feebly bent, distinctly tapered to acute point. Sperm guide composed of upper and lower sclerites; both slender, distinctly Y-shaped. Spermatheca: Female from Jalisco with basal arm type (Fig. 105); similar but distinctly C-shaped in female from Oaxaca, with ventral surface of proximal part strongly protuberant; basal arm not bent at middle (Fig. 85).   
 Etymology. From Xanthonia, a relatively closely related eumolpine genus, and the suffix -oides, meaning like or having the form of; denoting the superficial resemblance of this species to species of the genus Xanthonia.   
 Diagnosis. Small (3.56–4.12 mm); pale orange-brown to red-brown with pubescence predominantly whitish, but with an M-shaped transverse band of brownish-black setae at the apical 1/3 of the elytra (Fig. 24); elytra with two shallow impression posteriad of intrahumeral callus (Fig. 24); metafemur basally distinctly narrowed for less than ½ length (Fig. 40). Male with sides of penis tapered, more acutely so distad of ostium, to acutely rounded apex (Fig. 87). Female with apical margin of last abdominal sternum lacking two rigid papillae (Fig. 70); apical margin of pygidium subacutely rounded without posterolateral angles developed (Fig. 74).   
 Fidia xanthonioides is quite distinctive and not likely to be confused with any other species.   
 Distribution (Map 7). Fidia xanthonioides is known only from the Sierra Madre del Sur in central southern Mexico. Collecting elevations were 2256 m and 2286 m.   
 Temporal Data. Collecting dates ranged from 20 July to 14 August.   
 Natural History. The only habitat data given were "pine-oak for.".
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 94-95, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1798.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5124622