Monolepta rubra (Gyllenhal, 1808)

Figs 7–9

Crioceris rubra Gyllenhal, 1808: 272 (Chevrolat 1836: 407) .

= Luperodes javanensis Jacoby, 1887: 234 (syn. by Bowditch 1925: 253).

Type material. Crioceris rubra . Syntypes: 2 ex. “ Crioceris 81. 107 / rubra Gyllenh. Synon. Inf. 34 / Ind. Or. [?] Lund.” and another ex with “ Java Mellenb.” (NHRS) .

Luperodes javanensis . Lectotype: “ Batavia / Luperodes javanensis Jac. Type / Type 18105 / Sythoff, Batavia, Java ” (RMNH) . Paralectotype: 1 ex. same data as lectotype (MCZH; Fig. 7). Type locality: 6º10′ S / 106º51′ E. Jacoby mentioned “two specimens” from one location in his original publication. Both are available, and we designate a lectotype here to fix the name on a single specimen .

Further material examined.– Indonesia. 2 ex., Nierst, Depok, 6º23′ S / 106º48′ E, 1899, Coll. Veth (RMNH) ; 33 ex., Java, Proepoek Tegal, 6º52′ S / 109º08′ E, IX.1909, Valck Lucassen (RMNH) ; 4 ex., Java, Slawi Tegal, 6º59′ S / 109º08′ E, IX.1909, Valck Lucassen (RMNH) ; 3 ex., Soemba Northcoast, 9º41′ S / 119º58′ E, IV.1930, W. C. van Heurn (RMNH) ; 5 ex., Java, Semarang, 6º58′ S / 110º25′ E, E. R Jacobson (RMNH) ; 1 ex., Bandong, 6º54′ S / 107º36′ E, Coll. Veth (RMNH); 2 ex., West Java, Krawang ds Randas-dengklok, 6º18′ S / 107º17′ E, 2.XI.1951, L.V.L (RMNH) . – Malaysia. 1 ex., Sarawak (BMNH); 2 ex., Borneo, German Mission, 56358, Martin Schmidt (MNHU) .

Redescription

Total length. 4.50–6.00 mm (mean 5.31 mm; n = 10).

Head. Entirely reddish-brown to blackish brown. Antenna slender, pale yellowish-brown, terminal antennomere usually dark-brown (Fig. 8A). Third antennomere slightly longer than second; ratio length of second to third antennomere 0.75–1.00 (mean 0.83); ratio length of third to fourth antennomere 0.38–0.56 (mean 0.42; Fig. 8B).

Thorax. Pronotum finely punctuated, entirely reddish-brown to dark-brown, surface strongly convex. Pronotal width 1.40–1.75 mm (mean 1.58 mm), ratio length to width 0.63–0.65 (mean 0.64). Scutellum, mesoand metathorax dark brown. Elytron uniformly reddish to dark brown, rarely more yellowish, sometimes with fine darker outer margins (Fig. 7b). Elytral length 3.65– 4.30 mm (mean 3.94 mm), maximal width of both elytra together 2.50–3.00 mm (mean 2.77 mm), ratio of maximal width of both elytra together to length of elytron 0.68–0.72 (mean 0.70). Legs fulvous.

Abdomen. Dark brown.

Male genitalia. Median lobe lanceolate, slender, becomes slightly narrow towards apex. Tectum pointed. Few long and slender median spiculae, lateral spiculae club-shaped, lobe-liked at apex, (Figs 8 Ca, Cb), ventral spiculae weakly sclerotized and hardly visible.

Female genitalia. Spermatheca with very small nodulus, middle part and cornu long, curved (Fig. 8D), two pairs of bursa sclerites with strong spines (Fig. 8E).

Diagnosis. Monolepta rubra is characterized by an entirely brownish-red to dark brown colouration. Monolepta rufipennis and M. sulawensis sp. nov. are most similar in colouration (Figs 37A, 60A). Total length of M. rubra (4.50–6.00 mm) is similar to M. rufipennis, while M. sulawensis sp. nov. is much smaller (3.70–4.25 mm), the pronotum of M. rubra is less broad (0.64–0.68) than in the other two species (0.60–0.64). M. rufipennis can be distinguished also by the contrast between black head and pronotum to the reddish elytra. Median lobe is slender and lacks the ventral spiculae in M. rubra and M. rufipennis, and both species are surely closely related, but the outer shape of the median lobe is much more slender in M. rubra (Figs 8 Ca, 37Ca).

Distribution. Known from Java and adjacent islands (Fig. 9), and Borneo.