Aetheomorpha Lacordaire, 1848

Wang, Feng-Yan & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2012, Taxonomy of the genus Aetheomorpha Lacordaire (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae: Clytrini) from China, with description of five new species, Journal of Natural History 46 (23 - 24), pp. 1407-1440 : 1409-1410

Genus Aetheomorpha Lacordaire, 1848

Aetheomorpha Lacordaire, 1848: 311 ; Chapuis, 1874: 123; Jacoby, 1908:123; Clavareau, 1913: 45; Gressitt and Kimoto, 1961: 86; Regalin and Medvedev, 2010: 564.

Type species

Aetheomorpha nematoides Lacordaire, 1848 (designated by Jacoby 1908).

Diagnosis

The genus Aetheomorpha can be recognized by the following characters: body cylindrical or suboval; head small, very short, smooth, perpendicular; mandibles very short; eyes small; antennae more or less robust, second and third antennomeres short and subconical, following antennomeres triangular; pronotum variable; scutellum large; elytra more or less lobed at sides; legs feeble, tarsi short, first tarsomere longer than second, third small, fourth slender; pygidium more or less exposed.

This genus is very closely allied to the genus Smaragdina , but is usually distinguished by the following characters: antennae more robust; elytra with more or less distinct epipleural lobes; tarsi short; pygidium exposed. According to Jacoby (1908), Aetheomorpha was not well defined as a genus-level taxon and is most possibly a transitional form.

Key to Chinese species of the genus Aetheomorpha Lacordaire

1. Pronotum entirely pale.................................................. 2 Pronotum partly black.................................................. 7

2. Elytron mostly black, with a yellowish band at one-third, and the other one near apex.............................................. A. sauteri (Chûjô) Elytron pale with black bands or spots................................... 3

3. Elytron pale only with an oblique black band at humerus and a black stripe in posterior four-fifths of suture............. A. hakka Gressitt and Kimoto Elytron with black spots................................................ 4

4. Scutellum entirely fulvous............................................... 5 Scutellum more or less blackish.......................................... 6

5. Apex of aedeagus ( Figure 7D–F ) fan-shaped....... A. bacboensis Medvedev Apex of aedeagus ( Figure 6D–F ) obviously broad bidentate........................................................ A. furcata Medvedev and Kantner

6. Pronotum with six depressions, each elytron fulvous with five spots, a black stripe from base to apex laterally, and large punctures...... A. wangi sp. nov. Pronotum smooth, without depression, elytra fulvous, moderately punctured, each elytron with four spots....................... A. decemnotata (Jacoby)

7. Pronotum with only a black marking.................................... 8 Pronotum with more than one markings................................ 13

8. Pronotum reddish with a black basal band, with sinuate anterior border and two anterior prolongations................................. A. yunnana Pic Pronotum fulvous with central stripe..................................... 9

9. Elytra have regular rows of punctures, elytra fulvous, each elytron with a broad and dark violaceous stripe occupying apex laterally in males, while elytra completely blue in females.............................. A. laeta Medvedev Elytra with irregular rows of punctures, colour pattern not as above...... 10

10. Elytra completely bluish black in both sexes............ A. coerulea (Jacoby) Elytra fulvous with markings in both sexes.............................. 11

11. Each elytron with five isolated spots...... A. gressitti Medvedev and Regalin Elytra with black bands, which connected with lateral stripe............. 12

12. Aedeagus as Figure 1B–D , with obvious teeth at lateral margins.................................................................. A. bidentata sp. nov. Aedeagus as Figure 10D–F.............................. A . taiwana Chûjô

13. Elytra with large punctures, punctate-striated....... A. punctistriata sp. nov. Elytra irregularly punctured........................................... 14

14. Body oval, frons sparsely covered with long pubescence, especially near inner margins of eyes, underside of aedeagus with sparse punctures................................................................. A. obtusapicata sp. nov. Body oblong-ovate, frons glabrous, underside of aedeagus impunctate.... 15

15. Head protruded in males; underside of aedeagus with a high ridge medially ( Figure 11F )......................................... A. weigeli Medvedev Head not protruded; underside of aedeagus medially convex in the apical quarter ( Figure 2F ).................................... A. bilobata sp. nov.

Figures

Figure 1. Aetheomorpha bidentata sp. nov.: (A) habitus; (B) male genitalia in dorsal view; (C) male genitalia in lateral view; (D) male genitalia in ventral view; (E) spermatheca; (F) rectal sclerites in ventral view; (G) rectal sclerites in dorsal view. Scales 0.5 mm.

Figure 2. Aetheomorpha bilobata sp. nov.: (A) habitus; (B) maxilla; (C) labium; (D) male genitalia in dorsal view; (E) male genitalia in lateral view; (F) male genitalia in ventral view; (G) spermatheca; (H) rectal sclerites in ventral view; (I) rectal sclerites in dorsal view. Scales 0.5 mm.

Figure 6. Aetheomorpha furcata Medvedev and Kantner: (A) habitus; (B) maxilla; (C) labium; (D) male genitalia in dorsal view; (E) male genitalia in lateral view; (F) male genitalia in ventral view; (G) spermatheca; (H) rectal sclerites in ventral view; (I) rectal sclerites in dorsal view. Scales 0.5 mm.

Figure 7. Aetheomorpha bacboensis Medvedev: (A) habitus; (B) maxilla; (C) labium; (D) male genitalia in dorsal view; (E) male genitalia in lateral view; (F) male genitalia in ventral view; (G) spermatheca; (H) rectal sclerites in ventral view; (I) rectal sclerites in dorsal view. Scales 0.5 mm.

Figure 10. Aetheomorpha taiwana Chûjô: (A) habitus; (B) maxilla; (C) labium; (D) male genitalia in dorsal view; (E) male genitalia in lateral view; (F) male genitalia in ventral view. Scales 0.5 mm. (Paratype of Aetheomorpha bowditchi Gressitt and Kimoto).

Figure 11. Aetheomorpha weigeli Medvedev: (A) habitus; (B) maxilla; (C) labium; (D) male genitalia in dorsal view; (E) male genitalia in lateral view; (F) male genitalia in ventral view; (G) spermatheca; (H) rectal sclerites in ventral view; (I) rectal sclerites in dorsal view. Scales 0.5 mm.