Doris H. Blake.
Some New West Indian Eumolpid Beetles.
Psyche 65(4):91-98, 1958.

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PSYCHE
V,ol. 65 December, 1958 No. 4
SOME NEW WEST INDIAN EUMOLPTD BEETLES
By DORIS H. BLAKE
This paper is made up of the descriptions of six new species of Metachroma and a new species of Chalcosicya. Four of the seven new species were collected by Fernando de Zayas, who has been actively collecting insects in Cuba over many years. One of the other species was taken by Dr. J. F. G. Clarke on the Breden Smithsonian expedition in 1956 and the two others are from miscellaneous material in the National Museum collection.
Chalcosicya alayoi new species
Figure 1
About 4 mm. in length, broadly oblong oval, shining, densely and coarsely punctate and with white pubescence not obscuring surface, black, except the brownish mouth- parts, tibiae and tarsi.
Head with wide flat interocular space having a slight depression on vertex, densely and coarsely punctate and with long, closely appressed, white pubescence not conceal- ing the shiny black surface below; mouthparts brownish. Antennae slender, not reaching the middle of the elytra, reddish brown. Prothorax convex, well rounded over head, sides arcuate, projecting in a sharp tooth beside eye, sur- face shiny, densely and coarsely punctate, and with long white pubescence. Scutellum rounded, shiny. Elytra broad, convex, a little prolonged at apex but not so conspicuously so as in many species of Chalcosicyu, as C. crotonis Fabr. and C. muestrensis Blake; humeri well marked, a short depression within and another below basal callosity, sur- face very shiny and with coarse punctures, denser in basal depression, and rather sparse semi-erect white pubescence interspersed with finer pale brown erectish hairs. Body beneath shiny black, coarsely punctate, and with white Pu&e (>S:91-98 ( 1958). hup ttpsychu einclub org/65/65-@Il.htiiil



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92 Psyche [December
pubescence. Anterior femora t,oothed. Length 4.3 mm. ; width 2.6 mm.
Type, male, U.S.N.M. Type N,o. 64531, from Ciudamar, Oriente Province, Cuba, collected in July 1953 by Fernando de Zayas and Pastor Alayo. One other specimen, a female, fr,om Daiquiri, Oriente Province, collected in March 1955 by Zayas.
Remarks. - There are several species of CMcosicya in Cub;;, but this differs from C. maestrensis, rotunda, and nana by having the anterior femora toothed, from C. parsoni in being black, not green, from ditrichota in its more rounded form and differently shaped aedeagus. The second specimen from Daiquiri, in Zayas' collect,ion, is a female, but I believe the same species.
Metachroma zayasi new species
Figure 2
About 4.5 mm. in length, broadly oblong oval, lustrous black with the antennae, tarsi and body beneath deep brown; the elytra with the striate punctation most devel- oped in area about basal callosity and becoming faint at base and after the middle of the elytra. Head with interocular space about one-third width of head, occiput finely punctate, a short median line down vertex and the usual groove about inner margin of eyes, lower front more densely and coarsely punctate; head shining above and becoming alutaceous in lower front, the mouthparts deep brown. Antennae not extending to the mid- dle of the elytra, the outer joints slightly wider than the basal, deep brown. Prothorax nearly twice as wide as long at its widest with arcuate sides, convex, lustrous, finely punctate. Scutellum deep brown. Elytra lustrous black, the striate punctation not very distinct over basal callosity but becoming large in depression below and in intrahumeral bulcus, then becoming indistinct after the mid'dl'e of the elytra. Body beneath shining deep brown or piceous with the tarsal joints paler brown. Length 4.5 mm; width 2.5 mm. Type, male, U.S.N.M. No. 64536, from Sierra del Cristal, Oriente Province, Cuba, collected in May 1955 by Fernando de Zayas.




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IS531 Blake - Eumolpid Beetles 93
Remarks. - This differs from Metachroma schwarzi Blake in being less coarsely punctate. In all the catalogues Metachroma is treated as a feminine noun and the specific names have the feminine ending, but in both Latin and Greek the word is neuter and the specific endings should be neuter.
Metachroma cornutum new species
Figure 3
About 3.5 mm. in length, broadly oblong oval, shining, the elytra with a few short rows of striate punctures in basal half, reddish brown, the seven distal joints of antennae dark, lower front of head with a conspicuous outgrowth on each side forming two horns.
Head reddish brown, the interocular space about half its width ; smooth over occiput and down front, with the usual groove about inner margin of eyes; at base of lower front above labrum on each side a small knfob that projects outward when looked upon from above; jaws large and brown tipped. Antennae not reaching the middle of elytra, with the three basal joints pale yellowish brown, the rest gradually deepening in color. Prothorax about one-third wider than long with rounded sides and a small tooth at apical and basal angles; fairly convex, mirror smooth, en- tirely reddish brown. Scutellum reddish brown. Elytra short, broad and moderately convex with a distinct intra- humeral sulcus marked by a row of striate punctures van- ishing before the middle, below the basal callosity four other short rows of punctures, a subsutural depressed line with punctures about the scutellum. Body beneath shining redsdish brown with abdomen and legs a little paler. Middle and posterior tibiae emarginatle near apex, claws long. Length 3.5 mm. ; width 1.8 mm.
Type, male, U.S.N.M. Type N,o. 64532, collected by E. A. Schwarz October 5, at Cayamas, Cuba.
Remarks. - The very unusual development of the lower front of face with two hlornlike excrescences mark's this species. Unfortunately only one specimen is known.



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[December
Metachroma bredeni new species
^ '
&- Figure 4
About 4 mm. in length, broadly oblong oval, shining, en- tirely yellowish brown, the prothorax alutaceous, the elytra distinctly striate punctate tlo below the middle. Head with interocular space a little less than half width of head, occiput rounded, smoothly alutaceous with faint fine punctures, frontal tubercles outlined by a short median line down vertex, and a transverse line between eyes, the usual deep groove about inner margin of eyes; lower front alutaceous, not at all shiny, head entirely dull reddish brown with the jaws deep brown. Antennae extending nearly to the middle of elytra, the basal six joints paler and narrower than the outer joints. Prothorax not quite twice as broad as long with arcuate sides and a small sharp tooth at each angle, a short transverse depression over occiput, otherwise moderately convex, alutaceous and finely punctate, entirely pale yellowish brown. Scutellum pale. Elytra with a short intrahumeral sulcus and slight transverse 'depression below basal callosity; regular and well defined rows of punctures to beyond the middle of the elytra, the rows then becoming faint and indistinct on sides and apex; surface shiny, pale yellowish brown. Body beneath entirely pale, legs pale, femora obsoletely punctate at apex, the usual emargination near apex of middle and posterior tibiae. Length 4 mm.: width 2.2 mm.
Type, female, U.S.N.M. Type No. 64533, collected by J. F. G. Clarke on the Breden Smithsonian expedition, March 21, 1956, at Castle Bruce Junction, Dominica, B.W.I. Remarks. - The entirely pale colmor and well marked striate punctation differentiate this from other pale West EXPLANATION OF PLATE 11
Figures 1-7. Fig. 1, Chalcosicya alayoi, Type, from Ciudamar, Oriente Prov., Cuba. Fig. 2, Metachroma zayasi, Type, from Sierra del Cristal, Orientp Prov., Cuba. Fig. 3, Metachroma cornutum, Type, from Cayamas, Cuba. Fig. 4, Metachroma bredeni, Type, from Dominica, British West Indies.
Fig. 5, Metachroma nanum, Type, from Puerto Rico. Fig. 6, Metachroma mltipunctatum, Type, from Sierra del Cristal, Cuba. Fig. 7, Metachroma grande, Type, from Yunque, Oriente Prov., Cuba.



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3. Metachroma cornu+um 4, Mefachroma bredeni 5Metachroma nanum 6- MeTachroma tnultipunctatum
7. Mefachroma drande
BLAKE - EUMOLPID BEETLES




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96 Psyche [December
Indian species. It is the first species of Metachroma to be described from Dominica. It resembles several North Amer- ican species of Metachroma (such as M. pallidurn Say) but has a less coarsely punctate head and prothorax, and in those species the prothorax is usually a deeper reddish brown in color.
Metachroma nanum new species
Figure 5
About 3 mm. in length, oblong oval, shining, the elytra distinctly striate punctate, yellow brown without darker markings except brownish mouthparts.
Head with interocular space half its width, lightly but densely punctate over occiput, a groove about inner margin of eyes and a transverse line between antenna1 sockets; jaws large and deeper brown in color. Antennae entirely pale, not extending to the midldle of the elytra. Prothorax moderately convex with arcuate sides, surface shining, very indistinctly punctate, entirely pale. Elytra with intra- humeral sulcus accentuated by row of punctures, and the depression below basal callosity having coarser punctures there, the striate punctation becoming gradually finer and evanescent at apex; surface very shiny, entirely pale yel- low brown. Body and legs entirely pale, the usual emargin- ation near apex of middle anld hind tibiae. Length 3 mm. ; width 1.6 mm.
Type, female, U.S.N.M. Type No. 64534, collected by Kline on guava (Psidium guajava), May 31, 1951, in Puerto Rico. Remarks. - This is approximately the size of the Cuban species, M. lituratum Suffrian, but lacks the dark markings, and is also more distinctly punctate on the elytra. Metachroma multipunctatum new species
Figure 6
Between 5.5 and 6.5 mm. in length, broadly oblong oval, very shiny, the pronotum finely punctate, the elytra with large, closely set, striate punctures throughout; two of the four specimens deep chocolate brown with a large piceous spot on either side of pronotum and a row of three dark spots across the base of each elytron anld one below the humerus and another in middle below that and an ir-



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1958J Blake - Eumolpid Beetles 97
regular row of four below middle; suture in part dark; in the other two specimens the pronotum and elytra en- tirely dark; femora dark at apex, tibiae dark at base, en- tirely dark in dark specimens.
Head with interocular space about one-third width of head ; coarsely and shallowly punctate, more densely so in lower front, a short median line and the usual deep groove along inner margin of eyes; deep brown or piceous. Anten- nae redldish brown, not reaching the middle of the elytra. Prothorax not quite twice as wide as long at widest point, with arcuate sides and small tooth at each angle, a trans- verse depression over occiput anteriorly; surface lustrous, finely and not densely punctate, in pale specimens a deep reddish brown with a large dark spot nearly covering each sifde, leaving only a small area anteriorly and at base and a median line pale, in dark specimens entirely dark. Scutellum piceous. Elytra broad and moderately convex with only a short intrahumeral sulcus, very coarsely striate punctate with some irregular punctures between the rows at the middle, punctation deep and distinct on the sides and at apex; very shiny, deep brown with darker spots consisting of three across the base of each elytron, one below humerus, another in middle and in a row of four below the middle, suture in part dark. In dark specimens the elytra entirely dark. Body beneath &ark in all speci- mens, the femora in paler specimens pale with dark apex, the tibiae dark in basal half; in dark specimens the legs entirely dark; the usual emargination near apex of mid- dle and hind tibiae. The front and hind femora with a small tooth. Length 5.5 to 6.5 mm.; width 3 to 3.7 mm. Type, female, U.S.N.M. Type No. 64535, and three para- types, all females, one of these in the collection of F. de Zayas, all collected in the Sierra del Cristal, Oriente Prov- ince, Cuba, May 1955, by F. de Zayas.
Remarks. - Although I have examined no males, I be- lieve that these specimens represent two color forms, as in M. longitarsum Blake, one pale with spots, and the other entirely dark. The large, closely placed punctures serve to distinguish this species. The type is of the spotted form.



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Psyche
[December
Mztachroma ,grande new species
Figure 7
About 6.5 mm. in length, broadly oblong oval, shining, the occiput and prothorax very lightly punctate, elytra with striate punctures also very light except in depression below basal callosity, entirely deep piceous black except the reddish brown antennae, tarsal joints and head. Head with interocular space considerably less than half the width of head, eyes large, vertex with median line, as well as deep groove around thfe inner margin of eyes, sur- face finely and not densely punctate, lower front wrinkled ; mouthparts paler reddish brown than the rest of head which is deeper brown. Antennae reddish brown, the 7th joint deeper brown, slender, not reaching middle of elytra. Prothorax not twice as broad as long, moderately convex, with rounded sides and small acute tooth at each angle, a slight transverse depression over head, surface very shiny and with fine, scarcely discernible punctures, entirely piceous. Scutellum piceous. Elytra with an intrahumeral sulcus and a depression below basal callosity with the striate punctures larger in depression and thence becoming finer and at sides and apex almost vanishing; surface lustrous piceous black. Body beneath and legs piceous, the tibiae at apex and tarsal joints deer) reddish brown; the usual emargination near apex of middle and hind tibiae, and the front and hind femora with a small tooth. Length 6.5 mm. ; width 3.2 mm.
Type, female, from Yunque, Oriente Province, Cuba, collected in July 1955 by F. de Zayas, and in his collection. Remarks. - This is larger than either M. zayasi or M. schwarzi Blake and also less coarsely punctate on the elytra.



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