Alasia alpina Furth and Zhaurova 2010, new species
Creators: name: Furth, David G.
name: Zhaurova, Kira M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Alasia
Alasia alpina

description: Alasia alpina Furth and Zhaurova, new species
Figures: 1a–c; 2a–c; 3a–c; 4a–d; 5a–d; 6a–c.
Description. Body surface shiny, dark-brown to almost black, elongate, slender. Color of frons, antennal calli, antennal segments 1–3, most of legs lighter - yellow to light brown; extreme apex of elytra often lighter; apical 30–50% of femora and all of tarsi evidently darkened (Figs. 1 a–b).
Male (x7): Body Length (Lb): Range: 2.85–3.45 [average = 3.17] mm. Elytral Length (Le): 1.98 – 2.45 [2.33] mm. Female (x7): Lb: 3.5 – 4.0 [3.88] mm. Le: 2.90–2.97 [2.94] mm.
Head: (Figs. 1 a–c, 4a–b): Antennal calli sub-triangular, smooth, dorsally-oriented, as long as wide, small area immediately above/posterior to calli smooth; frons broad, subtriangular in frontal view, in lateral view slanted downwards sharply, sub-concave; anterofrontal and frontal ridges (sensu Konstantinov 1998) not apparent; surface of frons distinctly shagreened; genae in lateral view very broad, significantly broader than eye width in same view, genae in frontal view broad, almost as broad as head width, including eyes, in same view, widening towards mouth, in lateral view ca. one half eye width; lower edge of frons with 4 fine (two sub-lateral pair), setiferous punctures; frons dorsally prominent and protruding between antennal sockets; vertex with rather sparse, medium-sized punctation dorsally; supra-antennal sulcus well developed; several fine setiferous punctures along dorsal eye margin. Inter-ocular distance about 1.2 times the length of first antennal segment; inter-antennal distance approximately equal to distance between eye and antennal socket; eyes bulging, round; IOD (male) = 0.35–0.38mm [0.368mm], IOD (female) = 0.45–0.47mm [0.46mm]; penultimate segment of maxillary palpi swollen, sub-globose, last segment bearing a patch of five ingrown sensillae. Antennae long, filiform, usually equal to length of body; first segment swollen, 2.3 times longer than second; segment 2 shortest, swollen; 3–6 longest, narrow; segment length measurements (average): male: 30-13-35-42-39-34-33-26-25-22-27, female: 34-14-34-46-40-36-34-27-27-24-28.
Pronotum: (Figs. 1 a, 4c): Appearing basally (posteriorly) constricted, basal margin more or less straight, laterally rounded and thinly margined. Wp (male maximum/middle width) = 0.7–0.8mm [0.764mm – average]; Wp (female maximum/middle width) = 0.85–0.95mm [0.904mm]; Wpb (male basal width) = 0.6– 0.7mm [0.669mm]; Wpb (female basal width) = 0.8–0.85mm [0.813mm]; Wpa (male anterior width) = 0.65– 0.78mm [0.726mm]; Wpa (female anterior width) = 0.82–0.90mm [0.87mm]; Lp (male) = 0.45–0.55mm [0.505mm]; Lp (female) = 0.55–0.60mm [0.576mm]; antero-laterally somewhat thickened and more or less rounded, but not beveled (sensu Scherer 1962, 1983) or acutely angled; punctation coarse, dense, unevenly distributed, midline of basal half without punctures. sub-basal transverse impression evident, but weak, depressed especially in middle, ending sublaterally; postero-lateral longitudinal impressions not evident.
Elytra: (Figs. 1 a–b, 4c–d): Le (male) = 1.98–2.45mm [2.33mm]; Le (female): 2.90–2.97mm [2.936mm]. We (male) = 1.22–1.36mm [1.293mm]; We (female): 155– 1.65mm [1.61mm]. Elytra glabrous; base of elytra 1.6–1.7 times broader than base of pronotum, extreme apex lighter brown, with punctures appearing less evident; dorsal punctures medium-dense, coarse, striate, but more confused medially near suture, more evident laterally; humeral calli strong, impunctate; basal bossae (calli) evident just postero-medial to humeri; epipleura long, originating at humeri, extending as parallel-sided, equal width, tapering just before apex; 8–10 setiferous punctures near apex. Ventral surface of elytra with two patches of sensillae near baso-lateral margin, the anterior patch larger and oval, posterior patch smaller and narrow-elongate.
Venter: Prosternal process very narrow, short (Fig. 1 d); mesosternal process tapered, apically truncate but wider than prosternal process; metasternum somewhat inflated, with sparse longer pubescence except along median; abdominal sternites/ventrites with moderately dense pubescence; first abdominal sternite with broadly pointed process projecting anteriorly between the transverse metacoxae; ultimate abdominal sternite of male with black median line and with medial lobe.
Legs: (Figs. 1 a–b): Femora long, slender, proximal portion light-brown to yellow, apically darkened; tibiae light-brown to yellow; tarsi evidently darkened.
Genitalia: (Figs. 2 a–c, 3a–b): Aedeagus with apex evenly rounded apically, four sclerotized groups of spines visible in internal sac; spermathecal ductus with apparent single coil; receptacle sub-parallel-sided with lateral margins slightly invaginated sub-basally giving appearance of base slightly enlarged, pump distinctly and sharply narrower; vaginal palpi distinctly bifurcate apically, darkened in apical one third, except lighter in extreme apex, with 3–4 apical and subapical setae on each side; tignum very slender, apically narrowed.
Host plants. (Figs. 5 a–d, 6a–c): Monochaetum spp., Miconia tonduzii Cogn. and Miconia sp. (Melastomataceae); Gunnera insignis (Oerst.) A. DC. (Gunneraceae) [identified by Jorge Gomez-Laurito, Escuela de Biologia, University of Costa Rica], and Macrocarpaea sp. (Gentianaceae) (K. Nishida, in litteris). All photos by K. Nishida, taken at the ALAS Project Vara Blanca site (ca. 2000m), from 9–12 April 2002.
Type locality. Refugio Vara Blanca in Braulio Carrillo National Park: COSTA RICA: Prov. Heredia: 6km ENE Vara Blanca, 1950–2050m, 10°11'N 84°07'W; INBio-OET-ALAS transect.
Material examined. HOLOTYPE: Male – INBio barcode number INB0003234047. COSTA RICA: Heredia∶ 6 km • ENE Vara Blancaʼ 2OOOmʼ ₁Oο₁₁ʼNʼ 84οO7ʼWʼ 22 Μarch 2OO2ʼ leg• D• G• Γurthʼ sweep netʼ swept from Melastomataceae – deposited at INBio.
PARATYPES {} = repository: COSTA RICA ∶ Heredia∶ 6 km • ENE Vara Blancaʼ 2OOOmʼ ₁Oο₁₁ʼNʼ 84οO7ʼWʼ leg• D• G• Γurthʼ sweep net∶ 16 March 2002 [Males: INB0003233640 {USNM}; +3642-50{+3642- 46 USNM}, +3647-50 INBio}; +3652-61 {+3652-56 USNM, +3657-61 INBio}; +3664-77 {+3664-70 USNM, +3671-77 INBio}; +3682(measured) {USNM}. Females: +3644 {USNM}]; 18 March 2002 [Male: +3684 (measured) {USNM}]; 19 March 2002, all sweep net except as noted [Male: +3692 (measured), MV lite {USNM}; +3693 (measured), MV lite {USNM}; +3695 (measured), MV lite {USNM}; +3725 (measured) {USNM}; +3773 (measured) {USNM}; +3718 {INBio}; +3726 {INBio}; +3729-31 {+3729 USNM, +3730-31 INBio}; +3735 {INBio}; +3739-40 {+3739 USNM, +3740 INBio}; +3745 {USNM}; +3747 {USNM}; +3758-59 {+3758 USNM, +3759 INBio}; +3766 {INBio}; +3772 {INBio}; +3774 {INBio}; +3776 {INBio}; +3778 {INBio}; +3791-92 {USNM}; + Female: +3737 {USNM}; +3741 {INBio}]; 20 March 2002 [Male: +3905-06 {+3905 USNM, +0906 INBio}; +3910 {USNM}; +3871 {USNM}; +3896 {INBio}]; 21 March 2002 [Males: +3971 {USNM}; +4006 {USNM}], [Males: +4016-20, leg. K. Nishida, tested negative on Gunnera {+4016-18 USNM, +4019-20 INBio}]; 22 March 2002, swept from Melastomataceae [Males: +4042-43 {USNM}; +4044-46 {USNM}; +4048-50 {USNM}; +4052-78 {+4052-61 USNM, +4062-78 INBio}. Females: +4098 {USNM}]. There are 344 males and 24 females from 22 March 2002, in ethanol and, therefore, have not yet been individually assigned ALAS Project/ INBio barcode labels; of these 172 males and 12 females will be deposited at INBio and 170 males and 10 females at USNM. A male and female each will be deposited at MIZA and NHM. 6km ENE Vara Blanca, 1950-2050m, 10°11'N 84°07'W, INBio-OET-ALAS transect - 10 Marzo 2002 [Males: IB0003221255 {INBio}; + 1301-04 {+1301 USNM, +1302-4 INBio}]; 14 Marzo 2002 [Males: +5254 {INBio}; +5482 {INBio}]; 16 Marzo [Males: +4115 {INBio}]; 22 Marzo 2002 [Males: +1418 {USNM}; +1463 {INBio}; + 1468-70 {+1468 USNM, + 1469-70 INBio}; +1493 {INBio}; +1519 {INBio}; +3438 {INBio}; +3815 {USNM}. Female: +1419 {INBio}]; 9 Abril 2002 [Males: +0579 (mating pair) {INBio}; +0826 {USNM}; +0898 {USNM}; +0907 {INBio}; +0966 {INBio}; +1045 (mating pair) {USNM}; +1046 {INBio}; + 1565-66 {INBio}; + 1627- 29 {INBio}; +1706 {INBio}; +1710 {INBio}; + 1781-82 {INBio}; +1826 {USNM}. Females: +0578 (measured) {USNM}; +0823 {USNM}; +0888 (measured) USNM}; +0823 {USNM}; +0906 {INBio}; +0976 {INBio}; +1047 (measured) (USNM}; +1567 {INBio}; +1626 {INBio}; +1703 {INBio}; +1705 {INBio}; + 1707-09 {+1707 USNM, + 1708-09 INBio}; +1711 {USNM}; +1827 {USNM}]; 13 Abril 2002 [Female: +5278 {INBio}]; 16 Abril [Males: +5295 {INBio}]; 21 Abril 2002 [Males: +0663 {INBio}; +0679 (mating pair) {USNM}; +0702 {USNM}; +1839 (mating pair) {INBio}; +1844 {INBio}; +1953 {INBio}; +2002 {USNM}; +3129 {INBio}; +3181 {USNM}; +3248-49 {INBio}; +3541 {INBio}; +3543 {INBio}; +3547 {USNM}; +3613 {INBio}; +3621 {INBio}; +3659 {INBio}; +3661 {USNM}. Females: +0635 {INBio}; +1876 (measured) {USNM}; +1952 {INBio}; + 1973-74 {INBio}; +2001 {INBio}; +2080 (measured) {USNM}; +3184(measured) {USNM}; +3185(measured) {USNM}; +3542 {INBio}; +3544-45 {INBio}; +3730 {INBio}; +3866 {USNM}].
Distribution. Costa Rica
Remarks. Pseudostenophyma modesta differs from Alasia alpina by the following characters: Color yellow to light-brown (Figs. 7 a–c). Area posterior to antennal calli punctate (Figs. 7 a, 11a), with no median margin. Punctures on vertex more numerous and coarse (Figs. 7 a, 11a). Frons narrower, subparallel-sided, not as broadly triangular; surface smooth (Fig. 7 c). Eyes larger; IOD distance smaller, 0.8 times the length of 1st antennal segment (Figs. 7 a–c, 11a). Base of pronotum wider, almost as wide as the base of elytra (Figs. 7 a, 11b); surface slightly rugose; punctures more dense, coarse; anterolateral callosities distinctly angled (Figs. 7 a, 11b). Elytral punctures coarser; distinctly striate, including near suture. Basal bossae (calli) more apparently convex; humeral calli slightly weaker. (Figs. 7 a–b, 11b). Aedeagus shape different, narrowing basally in lateral view; apex of median lobe bifid in dorsal view; no spines visible on internal sac (Figs. 9 a–c). Spermathecal duct with 2 full coils (Fig. 10 a). Vaginal palpi wider posteriorly; pubescence very sparse or absent at apex (Fig. 10 b).
Currently no other species are known from this new genus. Other similar genera are discussed above. A search of the USNM collections yielded two specimens from Monte Verde, Costa Rica that differ from Vara Blanca specimens only by elytral coloration. Indications from other museum specimens are that there may be additional new species from Ecuador and Colombia. Further study is required for positive identification.
Etymology. The specific name “alpina ” refers to the fact that all known specimens of this new species are found at rather high elevation and, therefore, are considered as alpine.
description: Published as part of Furth, David G. & Zhaurova, Kira M., 2010, Two new flea beetle genera: Alasia alpina gen. et sp. nov. from a Costa Rican cloud forest and Pseudostenophyma gen. nov. from Brazil (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), pp. 32-50 in Zootaxa 2679 on pages 35-40, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.199276