Antoinettia audbala (Skelley), new combination

Figures 1, 12–16.

Ischyrus audbalus Skelley 1998: 15.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species in the genus by its color pattern with a striped pronotum and elytra with a humeral spot and virga of male flagellum with a weak medial thickening. Known from Mexico.

Description. Length: 5.8–6.4 mm; width: 2.8–3.9 mm. Body elongate, widest at basal third of elytra; microreticulate, feebly glossy; yellow with black pattern (Fig. 12, 14).

Head yellow. Pronotum with central stripe, widest basally (Fig. 15); stripe can have a longitudinal elongate yellow spot. Scutellar shield black. Each elytron with yellow epipleural fold; humeral spot connected to base; sutural edge black; anteriorly placed free central and apical spots; lateral spot appearing as a marginal swelling; lateral margin edged in black from lateral spot to apex. Prosternum yellow except for black sternal plate (Fig. 13). Meso- and metathorax black except for yellow mid-lateral area on metaventrite. Abdomen yellow except for black medial spots on the posterior edge of ventrites II–IV. See Skelley (1998) for the full description and illustration of male genitalia (Fig. 16).

Variation. The two specimens studied differ in the central pronotal stripe. The female, from Oaxaca, Mexico, has a solid stripe. The male, from Campeche, Mexico, has the stripe medially divided by an elongate yellow spot (Skelley 1998). This difference could be geographical, normal variation within the species, or represent different species. More specimens are needed to resolve this question. The holo- and allotypes are considered the same species until more can be studied.

Material examined. The male holotype of Ischyrus audbalus label data (Skelley 1998): “ MEXICO: Campeche / Chicana Ruins, 6mi. E. / Xpujil, 13–14.VII.83 / 700 ′, R. Anderson / W. Maddison / Trop. seas. for.” // “[red paper handwritten] HOLOTYPE / Ischyrus audbalus / P. E. Skelley” (FSCA). The female allotype label data: “ MEX. Oax[aca]. / Temascal / VI-29-[19]64” // “at light” // “A. G. Raske / collector” // “[blue paper hand written] ALLOTYPE / Ischyrus audbalus / P. E. Skelley” (CNCI).

Etymology. aud-bal: an intentional phonetic misspelling of “odd-ball,” a slang expression meaning strange, unusual, out of the ordinary. The name was chosen for the many unusual characters of this species.

Remarks. This species is only known from the holotype and allotype specimens.