Hermaeophaga dali Konstantinov

Lopatin, I. K. & Konstantinov, A. S., 2009, New genera and species of leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from China and South Korea, Zootaxa 2083 (1), pp. 1-18 : 14

Hermaeophaga dali Konstantinov , new species

( Figs 39–44 )

Holotype, male. China, Yunnan, Dali, Wenshui , Paederia foetida , 04.VI.2002. 2000m, N25°59'55 '’ E100°02'32 '’, leg. A.Konstantinov & M. Volkovitsh ( IZAS) . Paratypes 10 specimens (8 USNM, 2 ZMAS) .

Body length 1.94–2.05 mm, width 1.16–1.18 mm. Head and pronotum black with light bronzish tint, as dark as elytra. Antennae entirely black.

Head ( Fig. 39 ) slightly convex in lateral view (frons and vertex form slightly convex line in lateral view). Vertex shiny, without punctures or wrinkles in middle. Supracallinal sulci absent, but head surface bends from antennal calli to vertex thus separating antennal calli from it. Midfrontal sulcus present, well visible only at base. Orbital and supraorbital sulci deep and relatively wide, being most noticeable sulci on head. Suprafrontal sulcus deep. Frontal ridge narrows between antennal calli also narrowing ventrally forming denticle at anterofrontal ridge ( Fig. 39 ). Antennomere two slightly longer than three and four separately.

Pronotum slightly swollen anterolaterally, with anterolateral callosity forming acute denticle. Antebasal transverse impression deep in middle, as deep as laterally. Disc with small dense and sharp punctures. Procoxal cavities widely open. Intercoxal prosternal process extends posteriorly beyond coxae.

Elytron with well developed humeral callus, widest nearly at middle. Punctures confused, distance between them varies significantly. Larger punctures form irregular striae with smaller punctures placed in between. Elytral slopes nearly vertical at basal one third.

Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 40, 41 ) parallel-sided, not constricted before apex in ventral view, nearly straight in lateral view with apex strongly bent dorsally. Apex flat, lacking defined denticle in ventral view. Apical part of longitudinal impression narrows gradually.

Spermatheca with pump clearly separated from receptacle ( Fig. 42 ). Apical part of pump rounded, slightly wider than base of horizontal part. Flattened part of pump straight. Vaginal palpi merged together with external side of apex slightly convex in middle ( Fig. 43 ). Tignum with stalk straight in middle and strongly curved anteriorly ( Fig. 44 ).

Host plant: Paederia foetida L. ( Rubiaceae ).

Comments: Hermaeophaga dali can be separated from all other Eurasian species of the genus with the help of the following key, where it is in the same couplet with H. flavitarsa Doberl. It can be separated from it by the tarsi being dark brown, as dark as the tibiae, and the median lode of the aedeagus is parallel-sided and not constricted before the apex, with the apical denticle strongly bent dorsally.

Etymology: This species name refers to the type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 39–44. Hermaeophaga dali. 39, head, frontal view; 40, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral view; 41, median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view; 42, spermatheca; 43, vaginal palpi; 44, tignum.