Metachroma

Metachroma maniocae Blake

Metachroma maniocae Blake, 1966, p. 216.

DESCRIPTION.—Approximately 3.5 mm in length, oblong oval, shining, pronotum very finely punctate, elytra with small striate punctures becoming faint over basal callosities, toward apex, and on sides; yellow-brown, head with a broad dark plaga, pronotum usually with a more or less well-defined dark transverse fascia, elytra with dark streak down intrahumeral sulcus ending in a rounded dark spot, often connected with a marginal dark streak, another spot below this on side.

Head with interocular space half width of head, a broad dark median area from occiput down front, front shining, with scattered punctures, clypeus separated by well-marked transverse sulcus and alutaceous with denser and coarser punctures. Antennae extending below humeri, outer joints darker. Prothorax moderately convex with widely curved sides, a depression behind eyes, polished and with fine, not dense punctures, pale yellow-brown with a broad dark fascia. Scutellum dark. Elytra with small striate punctures fading out over basal callosities, sides, and apex, surface very shiny, pale yellow-brown with a dark streak down intrahumeral sulcus ending in a broad spot, often connected with marginal dark area, below this on the side another spot, this often faint or even lacking. Body beneath sometimes dark reddish brown, in paler specimens yellowish brown, legs with a slight darkening at base of tibiae, femora not toothed, claws with a long tooth. Length, 3.5–3.8 mm; width, 1.9–2.0 mm.

TYPE.—Male, USNM 68198, with twelve paratypes.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Cuba.

OTHER LOCALITIES.—Cuba: Soledad, Cienfuegos, P. J. Darlington, G. Salt, May 1925; Cayamas, 5 September, E. A. Schwarz; Jovellanos, Matanzas, attacking cassava, 10 May 1941, E. V. Echemendia.

Metachroma bredeni Blake

Metachroma bredeni Blake, 1958, pp. 94, 96.

DESCRIPTION.—Between 3.6 and 4.3 mm in length, broadly oblong oval, yellow or orange-brown, sometimes with wide deeper reddish brown areas on each side of pronotum and on each elytron a piceous spot in intrahumeral sulcus connecting narrowly with another larger spot in transverse depression below, and a spot on side parallel to this, two other spots along side near middle, some of these spots may be missing or elytra may be entirely pale; head and prothorax not at all shiny but alutaceous, striate punctation on elytra becoming indistinct near apex.

Head with interocular space a little less than half width of head, occiput rounded, smoothly alutaceous, scarcely punctate, although clypeus frequently wrinkled, a distinct sulcus separating front from clypeus, and a median depressed line on front, anterior margin of clypeus with very little emargination, dull yellowish or reddish brown, often with dark median line and dark transverse sulcus, jaws piceous. Antennae extending below humeri, sometimes entirely pale but often with apical joints (which are wider) also darker. Prothorax not quite twice as broad as long, with well-rounded sides, not very convex, with a short transverse depression over head, not shiny but alutaceous, also usually wrinkled, either entirely reddish brown or with a deeper brown area on each side. Scutellum yellow-brown. Elytra about three times as long as prothorax and only a little wider, with a short intrahumeral sulcus and faint transverse depression below inconspicuous basal callosities, striate punctation becoming faint towards apex, surface shiny, not at all alutaceous, paler yellow-brown than prothorax, either entirely pale or with piceous spotting as indicated above, some of spots may be missing. Body beneath reddish brown with abdomen and legs more yellowish brown, femora not toothed, claws with a short basal tooth. Length, 3.6–4.3 mm; width, 2.0–2.2 mm.

TYPE.—Female, USNM 64533.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Castle Bruce Junction, Dominica (21 March 1956; J. F. G. Clarke, collector).

OTHER LOCALITIES.—Dominica: 2.2 miles east of Pont Casse, 1 May 1964, O. S. Flint, Jr.; 1 mile west of Pont Lolo, 1,300 feet, March and June 1965, J. F. G. Clarke and T. M. Clarke.

Metachroma is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is distributed from Ontario, Canada to Mendoza, Argentina, including the Antilles (where a large number of species occur). It has also been suggested that the genus extends to the Pacific Islands, though this is not confirmed. There are about 140 described species in Metachroma, 40 of which are found north of Mexico. An extinct species is also known from the Eocene of the United States.

The name of the genus comes from the Ancient Greek μετα ("different") and χρῶμα ("color"), referring to the variations in color pattern found within many of the species.