Nodocolaspis femoralis ( Lefèvre, 1878 )

Gómez-Zurita, Jesús & Maes, Jean-Michel, 2022, New Genera and Species Records of Nicaraguan Eumolpinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Including a New Species in a New Generic Record for Central America, Neotropical Entomology 51 (5), pp. 705-721 : 715

Nodocolaspis femoralis ( Lefèvre, 1878)

( Figs. 3i , 4b , 5f )

New species record: JGZC: (1) male ( JGZC-2640 ), León, La Paz Centro, rd to Geotérmica , between road and swamp, lagood after Loma de Chistata , 12.43437 -86.59300, 66 m, 1 February 2012, A. Cardoso, G. De la Cadena, J.-M. Maes & A. Papadopoulou leg., Colaspis balyi Jac. J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2022; (2) male ( JGZC-1954 ), Managua, Montelimar, Reserva Natura , 26 February 2011, on Cissus verticillata, J.-M. Maes leg., Colaspis balyi Jac. J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2022; (3) female ( JGZC-2592 ), Managua, Montelimar, Reserva Natura , 11.87659 -86.50341, 125 m, 22 January 2012, J. Gómez-Zurita, A. Cardoso, G. De la Cadena & A. Papadopoulou leg., Colaspis balyi Jac. J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2022. MEL: (1) 1 ex., #277 , Región Autónoma de la Costa Caribe Norte, 8 km E Bonanza, Centro de Información y Comunicación Regional para el Trópico Húmedo (CICABO) , 14.013335 -84.525334, 100 m, 17–20 November 2000, J.-M. Maes & B. Hernández leg., Nodocolaspis femoralis M. Geiser det. 2020; (2) 1 ex., #278 , Región Autónoma de la Costa Caribe Norte, Wani, 13.697231 -84.850277, 100 m, November 1995, J.-M. Maes & J. Hernández leg., Nodocolaspis femoralis M. Geiser det. 2020; (3) 1 ex., #214 , Río San Juan, Los Guatuzos, Río Papaturro , 11.032255 -85.053492, 40 m, 17–24 March 2000, J. Sunyer & B. Hernández leg., Nodocolaspis femoralis M. Geiser det. 2020.

This species was originally described in the genus Colaspis and it is reminiscent of the informal group of C. melancholica , as defined by Blake (1976b), characterized by species of nearly black dorsum with traces of metallic shine and strong, dense dorsal punctation. However, it was transferred to the genus Nodocolaspis Bechyné, 1949 by Bechyné (1953), who recognized the synonymy with Colaspis rufofemorata Lefèvre, 1884 and the proximity of the species to N. tarsata ( Lefèvre, 1882) , the latter clearly in the genus Nodocolapis according to this author, based on the shape of prosternum, antennae and male protarsi. Subsequent authors, such as Flowers (1996), disregarded this taxonomic decision although expressed doubts about the correct placement of Colaspis femoralis . We agree with the interpretation by Bechyné (1953) and retain his classification to emphasize the position of this species outside of the genus Colaspis . The species is known from Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and the State of Amazonas in Brasil ( Lefèvre 1878, 1884; Jacoby 1890; Bechyné 1955, 1958), and it shows some variability in the coloration of legs ( Bechyné 1953), including red femora and tibiae, red femora and black tibiae, or red femora with black apex and black tibiae, the latter corresponding to the type of C. rufofemorata , the variant we found in Nicaragua ( Fig. 4b ) and also reported by Jacoby (1890) from Panama. If the conspecificity of specimens from the Amazonas to Nicaragua were confirmed, this would be one of the species of American Eumolpinae with a larger range across the Isthmus of Panama. We illustrate the penis ( Fig. 3i ) and spermatheca ( Fig. 5f ) of this species for the first time.

Figures

Fig. 3 Lateral and dorsal apical views of the penis of Colaspis jalapae (Bechyné) (a), Chrysodinopsis cupriceps (Lefèvre) (b), Antitypona submetallica (Jacoby) (c), Rhabdopterus uncotibialis (Blake) (d), Spintherophyta minuta (Jacoby) (e), Talurus tortonesei Bechyné (f), Typophorus subbrunneus Jacoby (g), Allocolaspis grandicollis (Blake) (h), Nodocolaspis femoralis (Lefèvre) (i), Brachypnoea modesta animatoria (Bechyné) (j), and Caryonoda funebris n. sp. (k). Scale bar=0.2 mm

Fig. 4 Dorsal views of some of the new records of Nicara- guan Eumolpinae in the tribes Eumolpini and Megascelini, including Allocolaspis gran- dicollis (Blake) (a), Nodoco- laspis femoralis (Lefèvre) (b), Colaspis jalapae (Bechyné) (c), Rhabdopterus uncotibialis (Blake) (d), Talurus tortonesei Bechyné (e), and Megascelis spinipes Jacoby (f). Scale bar=1.0 mm

Fig. 5 Spermathecae of Brachypnoea modesta anima- toria (Bechyné) (a), Chrysodi- nopsis cupriceps (Lefèvre) (b), Colaspis jalapae (Bechyné) (c), Megascelis spinipes Jacoby (d), Metachroma panamense Blake (e), Nodocolaspis femoralis (Lefèvre) (f), Paria nigritar- sis Jacoby (g), Rhabdopterus uncotibialis (Blake) (h), Spintherophyta ignita (Lefèvre) (i), S. minuta (Jacoby) (j), Talurus tortonesei Bechyné (k), Typophorus apicicornis Jacoby (l), T. cyanipennis Lefèvre (m), and T. subbrunneus Jacoby (n). Scale bar=0.2 mm