Colaspis jalapae (Bechyné, 1950c) (Figs. 3a, 4c, 5c) New species record: JGZC: (1) male (JGZC-1790), Estelí, Reserva Natural Miraflor, 13°13′16″N 86°14′56″W, 1389 m, 10 September 2011, on Solanum myriacanthum, J.-M. Maes leg., Colaspis jalapae (Bech.) J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2022; (2) male (JGZC-1795), Estelí, Reserva Natural Miraflor, 13°15′19″N 85°15′18″W, 1300 m, 10 September 2011, on Salvia comayaguana, J.-M. Maes leg., Colaspis jalapae (Bech.) J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2022; (3) female (JGZC-2636), Estelí, Reserva Natural Miraflor, La Neblina del Bosque (jardín), 13°14′45″N 86°14′57″W, 1350 m, 28 January 2012, A. Cardoso, G. De la Cadena & A. Papadopoulou leg., Colaspis jalapae (Bech.) J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2022; (4) female (JGZC-1411), Jinotega, nr. El Mojón, Reserva El Jaguar, 13.237929 -86.052792, 1314 m, 20–21 November 2010, J.-M. Maes leg., Colaspis jalapae (Bech.) J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2022; (5) male (JGZC-0143), Matagalpa, Selva Negra, 12°59′53.13″N 85°53′38.78″W, 27 October 2001, P. Jolivet leg., Colaspis jalapae (Bech.) J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2022; (6) male (JGZC-1319), idem, October 2009, J.-M. Maes leg.; male (JGZC-1212), idem, May 2010, J.-M. Maes leg.; (7) male (JGZC-1407), idem, November 2010, J.-M. Maes leg.; female (JGZC-1227), Región Autónoma Atlántico Norte, 7 km N Waslala, Cañón Los Martínez, 900 m, June 2009, Fr. LePont leg., Colaspis jalapae (Bech.) J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2022. MEL: (1) 20 exx., # 130, Estelí, Paisaje Natural Protegido Miraflores-Moropotente, 13.245704 -86.254129, 1434 m, 26–27 October 2001, J.-M. Maes & B. Téllez leg.; (2) 4 exx., Jinotega, road Matagalpa-Jinotega, km 147.5, 13.044723 -85.934450, 1500 m, 20 November 1994, J.-M. Maes, J. Téllez & J. Hernández leg., Colaspis prasina C.L. Staines det. 1996; (3) 2 exx., #129, idem, 3 December 1994, Colaspis sanjoseana R. Westerduijn det. 2020; (4) 2 exx., Jinotega, El Jaguar, 13.237978 -85.052655, 1346 m, 25 October 2003, J.-M. Maes leg.; (5) 3 exx., Matagalpa, Fuente Pura, 13.010834 -85.920830, 1550 m, 20 March 1994, J.-M. Maes & A. De La Fuente leg.; (6) 1 ex., # 60, idem, 10 April 1994, Colaspis sanjoseana R. Westerduijn det. 2020; (7) 1 ex., idem, 12 June 1994, J.-M. Maes, J. Téllez & J. Hernández leg.; (8) 3 exx., # 61, idem, 26 June 1994; (9) 3 exx., idem, 21 July 1994; (10) 3 exx., idem, 16 August 1994, J.-M. Maes & J. Hernández leg.; (11) 7 exx., idem, 4 September 1994, J.-M. Maes leg.; (12) 8 exx., idem, 5 September 1994; (13) 1 ex., idem, 30 April 1995, J.-M. Maes, J. Téllez, J. Puig, V. Hellebuyck & J. Hernández leg.; (14) 3 exx., idem, March 1997, J.-M. Maes, J. Téllez & J. Prena leg.; (15) 1 ex., idem, 24–25 April 1999, J.-M. Maes & B. Hernández leg. The genus Colaspis Fabricius, 1801 (the Maecolaspis Bechyné, 1950b of most Neotropical catalogs; also in Maes and Staines 1991) is definitely one of the most diverse genera of American Eumolpinae. The genus is well represented in Nicaragua, where at least seven species were reported (Maes and Staines 1991). Here, we report a new species of Colaspis from Nicaragua that belongs in the bulk of very similar species occurring throughout America, and highly diverse in Central America, typically characterized by bright metallic green dorsum and fulvous legs and antennae, and very difficult taxonomically, since most species are very similar externally (Bechyné 1950c). C. jalapae was described from Veracruz (Mexico) and has not been reported anywhere else; thus, the presence of the species in Nicaragua would represent a significant expansion of the known range. Given the taxonomic difficulties of this group, there is a chance that the identification of Nicaraguan specimens is wrong, but these large (6.4–7.2 mm) and brightly colored specimens, even though they are not as big as reported in the original description (i.e., 8 mm), share the most important traits with the Mexican species, as to leave little doubt about their identification or, at the very least, their taxonomic proximity. Some of these traits include the darkened interstitial antennomeres and also the abrupt median enlargement of male metatibiae (Bechyné 1950c). One female specimen as well as the male genitalia and the spermatheca are illustrated for future reference (Figs. 3a, 4c, 5c).

Published as part of Gómez-Zurita, Jesús & Maes, Jean-Michel, 2022, New Genera and Species Records of Nicaraguan Eumolpinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Including a New Species in a New Generic Record for Central America, pp. 705-721 in Neotropical Entomology 51 (5) on page 713, DOI: 10.1007/s13744-022-00987-2, http://zenodo.org/record/15557377