Published October 27, 2021 | Version v1
Taxonomic treatment Open

Pachybrachis alticola Fall 1915

Authors/Creators

Description

3. PACHYBRACHIS AltIColA Fall, 1915

(Figs. 5, 6)

Pachybrachys alticola Fall 1915: 442. Pachybrachis alticola: Riley et al. 2003: 155 (catalog).

Type. Fall’s (1915) male type, hereby designated lectotype, labeled “ ♂ // Beulah / N. M. / 7/02 [hand-inked, white paper] // TYPE [printed] / alticola [hand-inked, white paper] // H.C. FALL / COLLECTION [printed, white paper] // M.C.Z. / Type [printed] / 24914 [hand-inked, red paper] // [circular blue disc signifying dissection by RJB] // LECTOTYPE / Pachybrachys / alticola Bowditch / R. J. Barney 2020 [printed, red paper]”, was examined, dissected, and photographed (Fig. 5).

Redescription. Male. Yellow, elytra with standard black maculation, black pronotal M (Fig. 5); L = 2.60–3.03 mm (mean = 2.80 mm, n = 3); W = 1.35– 1.56 mm (mean = 1.44 mm, n = 3); L/W = 2.48–2.55 (mean = 2.52, n = 3). Head: Slightly wider than thoracic apex, HW = 0.95–1.05 mm (mean = 1.00 mm, n = 3); IOD = 0.31–0.34 mm (mean = 0.33 mm, n = 3); IOD/HW = 0.40–0.43 (mean = 0.42, n = 3); face yellow with thin brown macula descending from vertex to between eyes; ocular lines near upper lobes of eyes; antenna not reaching elytral declivity. Pronotum: Yellow, black M-shaped macula well defined; incomplete punctation, side margins smooth; PL = 0.75–0.90 mm (mean = 0.81 mm, n = 3); PW = 1.14–1.27 mm (mean = 1.21 mm, n = 3); PL/PW = 0.83–0.92 (mean = 0.87, n = 3). Elytra: Yellow, baso-sutural punctures confused, striae mostly regular, standard maculae black. Pygidium: Yellow, with base, a median and two side spurs black. Venter: Black, upper sides of last ventrites yellow. Legs: Yellow, front claws not enlarged. Genitalia: Median lobe in en-face view parallel-sided, rounding at ALM to terminus. In lateral view, median lobe rather generic with short setae at ALA. Three males from two states were dissected.

Remarks. Fall (1915) listed P. alticola as possibly a darker form of P. laevis. However, examination of the median lobes allows quick separation of the species. The opportunity to examine a pair of specimens from Garland, Colorado listed in Fall (1915; see Distribution section) revealed them to have distinct ocular lines and a different median lobe; thus, they are not P. alticola.

Distribution. Riley et al. (2003) reported P. alticola from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Alberta, Canada (Fig. 6).

Biological Notes. Ward et al. (1977) reported P. alticola from mesquite (Prosopis) (Fabaceae).

Specimens Examined. Lectotype, paralectotype + 1 specimen. USA: COLORADO: El Paso Co., Colorado Springs, 6,000 to 7,000 ft., vi, Wickham Collection [1♂, PARATYPE, USNM]. NEW MEXICO: San Miguel Co., Beulah, 2.vii [1♂, LECTOTYPE, MCZ-FALL]; Socorro Co., viii.1894, Snow [1♂, HCF, SEMC].

Notes

Published as part of Barney, Robert J., 2021, Redescription of Five Species of Pachybrachis Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae) of the Western USA, Including New Synonymies, Records of Greatly Expanded Ranges into the Eastern USA, and New Plant Associations, pp. 485-496 in The Coleopterists Bulletin 75 (2) on pages 493-495, DOI: 10.1649/0010-065X-75.2.485, http://zenodo.org/record/13251644

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Linked records

Additional details

Biodiversity

Scientific name authorship
Fall
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Chrysomelidae
Genus
Pachybrachis
Species
alticola
Taxon rank
species
Taxonomic concept label
Pachybrachis alticola Fall, 1915 sec. Barney, 2021

References

  • Fall, H. C. 1915. A revision of the North American species of Pachybrachys. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 41: 291 - 486.
  • Riley, E. G., S. M. Clark, and T. N. Seeno. 2003. Catalog of the leaf beetles of America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Megalopodidae, Orsodacnidae and Chrysomelidae, excluding Bruchinae). Coleopterists Society Special Publication No. 1: 1 - 290.
  • Barney, R. J. 2020. Redescription of four predominately yellow, densely punctate species of Pachybrachis Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae) of the western USA, and description of a new species. The Coleopterists Bulletin 74 (4): 637 - 646.
  • Ward, C. R., C. W. O'Brien, L. B. O'Brien, D. E. Forster, and E. W. Huddleston. 1977. Annotated checklist of New World insects associated with Prosopis (mesquite). United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Technical Bulletin 1557: 1 - 115.