Colaspis skelleyi Riley 2020, new species
Creators: name: Riley, Edward G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Colaspis
Colaspis skelleyi

description: Colaspis skelleyi Riley, new species   
(Fig. 7–8, 12, 20, 23, 26, 29, 35–36, 45, 52, Map 3)  
 Holotype (Fig. 7, 20). Male, labeled “ FLORIDA: Polk Co. | Tiger Creek Preserve | 2.5mi. SE. Babson Park | 18–19- V-2006, P. Skelley | ex. Quercus chapmani || [red label] HOLOTYPE | Colaspis | skelleyi | Riley”. The holotype is not dissected and is in good condition, except terminal antennomere of left antenna missing. Deposited in FSCA.   
 Paratypes (40 total). FLORIDA: Marion Co. ca. 3 mi. E County Road 314 on Hopkins Prairie Road /FR 86, Ocala Nat’l. Forest, V-1-2012, K. E. Schnepp, at light [1 ♀, KESC]; vicinity Hopkins Prairie, Ocala Nat’l. Forest, V-6–11- 1979, G. B. Fairchild, insect flight trap [1 ♀, FSCA]; Hopkins Prairie, Ocala Nat’l. Forest, IV- 29-1988, E. Riley & F. Whitford [2 ♂♂, EGRC]. Polk Co. 580 & Lake Marion Creek Road, V-7-2012, K. E. Schnepp, on grass at dusk [1 ♀, KESC]; 2.5 mi. SE Babson Park, Tiger Creek Preserve, V-18-19-2006, P. Skelley, ex. Quercus chapmani [4 ♂♂, FSCA, TAMU]; Lake Hamilton (east of), 7.5 mi. E Route 17 on Route 542, then 2.5 mi. N [= locality known as Lake Marion Estates], IV- 28-1998, R. E. Woodruff & P. Skelley [1 ♂, 1 ♀, FSCA]; same locality, IV- 28-1998, P. Skelley [2 ♀♀, FSCA]; same data, except V-7-1998 [2 ♀♀, FSCA]; V-15-1998 [1 ♀, FSCA]; same locality, V-24-1998, P. E. Skelley, eating gopher apple at night [13 ♂♂, 2 ♀, FSCA, TAMU]; Lake Marion Creek Estates, IV- 22-23-1998, R. Morris, sweeping Licania michauxii [3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, EGRC]; same locality, V-1-1998, R. Morris [1 ♀, EGRC]; V-2-1998, R. Morris [1 ♀, EGRC]; Lake Marion Estates, V-7-1998, M. C. Thomas [1 ♀, FSCA]; same data, except, V-1-1999 [1 ♂, FSCA]; same data, except R. Turnbow [1 ♂ RHTC]. Non-paratype: Florida: Lake Co. E. Clermont, 2.2 mi. E jct. US-27 on Rt. 50, VI-8-1998, P. Skelley [1 sex not determined, all appendages and abdomen missing, FSCA].   
 Description. General: Body oblong, subparallel-sided, evenly convex dorsally (Fig. 7–8), integument of head, dorsum and venter dark metallic green; each elytron dark metallic green to brownish green with two (rarely three) pale costae. Dimensions (in mm): Length, male 3.67–4.23 (ave. = 3.85, n = 10), female 4.14–4.94 (ave. = 4.45, n = 9). Width across humeri, male 1.83–2.17 (ave. = 1.97, n = 10), female 2.12–2.58 (ave. = 2.3, n = 8). Color: Head metallic dark green; clypeus, antennal calli and gena dark reddish; pronotum dark metallic green; elytron with ground color ranging from dark metallic green to dark brownish-green with strong aeneous reflections; costae on intervals II and VIII broad, pale yellow brown throughout, rarely (two specimens) costa on interval IV also broad and pale; costae of intervals IV (most specimens) and VI, if evident, narrowly yellow brown. Antenna with scape, pedicle and flagellar segments II–III, and sometimes IV, partially or completely pale brownish, remaining flagellar segments darker to completely blackish; coloration of antennomere VII not contrasting with that of antennomeres VI and VIII. Labrum reddish, palpi pale brown. Most of venter, including prothoracic pleuron, dark metallic green; portions of thoracic and abdominal ventrites dark reddish brown usually with strong aeneous reflection; edges of abdominal ventrite V and pygidium brownish. Legs, including entire femora, yellow brown, except coxae similar in color to venter. Form. Head: Frons and vertex punctate, largest punctures separated on average by distance slightly greater or approximately equal to diameter of a puncture, often finer and more widely spaced medially on frons and vertex; punctures on clypeus located basally at center, subequal in size and spacing to those on adjacent frons; distal portion of clypeus impunctate; surface between punctures smooth and shining; short longitudinal impression evident on median of frons and vertex; vestiture inconspicuous, some punctures of frons and vertex bearing simple short seta; antennal calli weakly raised, smooth, wedge-shaped and directed inward; apical margin of clypeus with shallow, even emargination; antenna weakly sexually dimorphic, slightly shorter in female, in male extending beyond mid-length of elytron. Male head width/inter-ocular distance = 1.66–1.84 (ave. = 1.74, n = 10); female head width/inter-ocular distance = 1.64–1.74 (ave. = 1.69, n = 4). Pronotum: (Fig. 12). Wider than long, length approximately 0.6–0.7 times as wide, widest at basal third; most specimens with margin weakly angled at basal third, or with one or two undulations at and before basal third, a few specimens with margin evenly rounded; disc moderately convex, slightly flattened anteromedially, flat to weakly impressed on lateral areas; punctation of disc fairly uniform in coverage and spacing, slightly denser on lateral portion of disc; punctures round to weakly elliptic; interspaces smooth and shining. Elytra: Length approximately 1.3–1.5 times width across humeri; approximately 2.3–2.9 times as long as pronotum. Sides subparallel, evenly and broadly rounded apically, evenly convex in profile. Each elytron with primary costae variably developed: broad and distinctly raised on interval II and VIII; usually absent or very narrow and poorly developed on primary intervals IV and VI, rarely (two specimens) interval VI broad and similar to interval VIII for middle portion of its length. Secondary costate not evident. Strial intervals punctate, punctures forming irregular or staggered rows on most of disc, not or only partially geminate at places, more or less equal in size to those on sides of pronotum; punctures of strial intervals I and III narrowed to single uniform row towards elytral apex; costae and interspaces between punctures smooth and shining. Thoracic venter: Prothoracic hypomeron punctate, size and spacing of punctures similar to that of pronotal disc; prosternum, procoxae and mesosternum bearing numerous setae; metasternum medially smooth and shining with fine, sparse setae. Abdomen: Surface of ventrites with fine punctation and fine, sparse setae; lateral marginal bead of ventrites IV–V entire in male and female; outer posterior angle of female ventrite IV simple, not produced; surface of male ventrite V flat and smooth. Female with hind margin of ventrite V with deep, broad emargination, with minute median tooth within emargination. Male genitalia: Median lobe (n = 9) with shaft short, slightly shorter than basal hood (Fig. 36); shaft broader in en-face view than width in lateral view for most of length, flattened apically, not angled in lateral view; apex broadly rounded in en-face view, with short pointed median nodule; post-orifical length short (Fig. 35). Endophallus appearing complex in retracted condition (not studied in everted condition), extended basally to near apex of basal hood. Female genitalia: Ovipositor (n = 3) as described for the C. suilla group (Fig. 45). Spermatheca (n = 4) narrow, uniformly cylindric, j-shaped, bent slightly near gland attachment, with basal portion before gland connection also subcylindrical; duct connection abrupt (Fig. 52).   
 Etymology. Named to honor Paul Skelley (FSCA) in recognition of his tireless dedication to Coleopterology. He also collected many of the known specimens and was the first to bring this uniquely-patterned Floridian Colaspis to my attention.   
 Remarks. This dark-colored, modest-sized Colaspis is at once recognized by its unique bivittate appearance in dorsal view (Fig. 7–8). Actually, the elytra of all specimens are quadrivittate, having at least the costae on intervals II and VIII of each elytron, raised, and yellow-brown in color, contrasting markedly against dark greenish background. In a few specimens, the costa on interval VI is also relatively well-developed and pale for most of its length, and there are traces of a costa on interval IV on some specimens. The costa on interval II is always strongly developed and more prominent than the other costate. This species could possibly be confused with C. costipennis, but those beetles are more elongate in the male, and all four primary costae are strongly, uniformly raised, and broad. The new species has the median lobe of the male genitalia broadly-rounded and with a short post-orifical length, whereas as in C. costipennis, the apex has a longer post orifical length (contrast Fig. 35 with Fig. 40).   
 Range. Map 3. This species appears to be a central Florida endemic, known from localities in Lake, Marion and Polk counties. Most specimens are from a small, unnamed sand ridge just east of Lake Marion (Polk County), a locality that is now mostly occupied by housing developments. The localities cited on specimen labels as “Lake Marion Estates” and “east of Lake Hamilton, …” refer to this locality (Paul Skelley and Roy Morris, personal communications).   
 Biological notes. A series of 15 specimens is labeled as “eating gopher apple at night.” Gopher apple is a vernacular for Licania michauxii Prance (Chrysobalanaceae). Another series of four specimens is labeled has having been swept from this plant. The series that includes the holotype is labeled as having been collected on Quercus chapmanii Sarg.   
 Specimens examined. 42 total, see type data above.
description: Published as part of Riley, Edward G., 2020, A review of the Colaspis suilla species group, with description of three new species from Florida (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae), pp. 1-21 in Insecta Mundi 2020 (830) on pages 11-14, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5353844