Bruchia sparsa Weise 1906

Bruchia sparsa Weise 1906

Figure 4

Bruchia sparsa Weise 1906: 227, 1911a: 30 (catalog), 1911b: 44 (catalog); Bruch 1915: 378 (faunal list); Blackwelder 1946: 729 (faunal list); Monrós & Viana 1947: 259 (redescription); Papp 1953: 91 (catalog); Uhmann 1957: 115 (catalog), 1964: 11 (faunal list).

Parallel-sided; opaque black, legs and elytral maculae yellow; in some specimens the pronotum has a narrow yellow band on the anterior margin and another on the posterior; each elytron with 7 yellow maculae distributed as follows: two basal of which one rounded post-scutellar and the other larger situated to the side of the scutellum; two in the middle; and three in the apical region, which form a transverse oblique line. Head: vertex of head granulate; strong medial sulcus present; with shallow interocular sulcus and longitudinal striae in the internal orbit of the eyes; area between medial and ocular sulci deeply, coarsely punctate. Antenna: barely reaching middle of pronotum; thick, robust; antennomere I subglobose; II–V transverse, short, II subequal in length to I, III–V wider and shorter than II; VI–VII form wide, setose club, I–II punctate, III–VI with setae. Pronotum: lateral margin slightly angulate in middle, basal ½ sinuate and divergent, apical ½ sinuate and convergent; the anterior and basal margins somewhat arcuate; anterior margin with small, rounded tooth; posterior angle acute; surface with two types of punctures, some large and sparse, of irregular distribution and others finer and more numerous; medial longitudinal callus present which has a sulcus; transverse basal impression present; pronotal length 0.6–0.7 mm; pronotal width 0.6–0.9 mm. Scutellum: quadrate; granulose. Elytron: lateral margin sparsely dentate; apical margin slightly explanate, dentate; humerus produced, slightly angulate; densely, coarsely punctate, surface granulate; with tubercles more or less distributed in irregular series, tending to form costae; with 8 rows of punctures, puncture rows very irregular, confused; pit surrounded by carinae after middle of puncture rows 5 and 6; elytral length 1.9–2.1 mm; elytral width 0.9–1.3 mm. Leg: femur with row of setae on inner margin; tibiae straight, with fringe of setae at apex. Venter: prosternum punctate medially, granulose laterally; meso- and metasterna granulose; abdominal sternites granulose laterally, smooth medially, each sternite with row of white setae apically. Total length: 2.5–3.0 mm.

Comparative notes. This species is most similar to B. fulvipes and can be distinguished by the elytral costae being tuberculate; the vertex of the head with a medial fovea; and the elytral punctures rows being irregular.

Distribution. Brazil, Ecuador, and Argentina.

Specimens examined. Argentina: Buenos Aires, iii.1939 (USNM); Buenos Aires, Delta Parana, Marzo 1944 (USNM); Capital Federal, Marzo 1942 (USNM); Formosa, i.1936 (USNM); Misiones, Loreto (USNM). Brazil: Bahia (USNM); Minas, B. Horizonte (USNM); Minas Gersis Viçosa, 13 Oct.–1 Nov. 1985 (USNM); Para, Bragance (USNM); Taperina (USNM). Ecuador: Napo: Yasuní, 0°40.47’ S, 76°38.84’ W, VIII-17- 1997 (CDFA). Total: 11.