Pyrrhalta gressitti Kimoto, 1969

Lee, Chi-Feng & Bezdek, Jan, 2021, Revision of the genera Xanthogaleruca Laboissiere, 1932 and Pyrrhalta Joannis, 1865 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae) of Taiwan, with type designation of Galerucella lineatipes Takei, ZooKeys 1039, pp. 1-108 : 1

Pyrrhalta gressitti Kimoto, 1969 Figs 5A-C , 6 , 7A, B

Pyrrhalta gressitti Kimoto, 1969: 25; Kimoto and Chu 1996: 55 (catalogue); Kimoto and Takizawa 1997: 301 (key), 373; Beenen 2010: 452 (catalogue); Xue and Yang 2010: 123 (catalogue); Yang et al. 2015: 116 (catalogue).

Pyrrhalta (Pyrrhalta) gressitti : Wilcox, 1971: 86.

Types.

Holotype ♀ (KUEC), labeled: "(TAIWAN) / Alishan / Chiai Hsien / 27. VII. 1966 [p, w] // Pyrrhalta / Pyrrhalta gressitti / Kimoto, n. sp. [h, w] // HOLOTYPE [p, r]". Paratypes. 1 ♀ (KMNH) and 1♀ (BPBM): "(TAIWAN) / Alishan / Chiai Hsien / 27. VII. 1966 [p, w] // Pyrrhalta / Pyrrhalta gressitti / Kimoto, n. sp. [h, w] // PARATOPOTYPE [p, b]"; 1 ex. (KMNH): "(TAIWAN) / Alishan / Chiai Hsien [p] / 30 [h]. VII. 1966 [p, w] // Pyrrhalta / Pyrrhalta gressitti / Kimoto, n. sp. [h, w] // PARATYPE [p, b]"; 1♂, 1♀ (BPBM): "FORMOSA: / Arisan [阿里山] / VIII-18-1947 / J. L. Gressitt [p, w] // L. Gressitt / Collection [p, w] // Pyrrhalta / Pyrrhalta gressitti / Kimoto, n. sp. [h, w] // PARATYPE [p, b]".

Other material.

Taiwan. Chiayi: 12♂, 3♀ (TARI), Alishan (阿里山), 5-9.VIII.1981, leg. L. Y. Chou & S. C. Lin ; 2♀ (TARI), same locality, 17-20.VIII.1982, leg. K. C. Chou & C. C. Pan ; 2♀ (NMNS), same locality, 8.IX.1989, leg. I. S. Hsu ; 1♀ (NMNS), same locality, 26.IV.1990, leg. C. C. Chiang ; 8♂, 5♀ (TARI), Tatachia (塔塔加), 9.VI.2009, leg. C.-F. Lee ; 3♂ (TARI), same locality, 20.VII.2009, leg. H. Lee and S.-F. Yu ; Kaohsiung: 1♂ (TARI), Kuanshan Wind Gap (關山啞口), 30.VII.2015, leg. C.-F. Lee ; Nantou: 1♂ (NMNS), Patungkuan (八通關), 20-22.VI.1990, leg. J. T. Yang ; Pingtung: 2♂, 2♀ (TARI), Peitawushan (北大武山), 24.X.2013, leg. J.-C. Chen ; 1♀ (TARI), same but with “12.IX.2015”; Taitung : 15♂, 4♀ (TARI), Hsiangyang (向陽), 2.VII.2009, leg. M.-H. Tsou ; 1♀ (TARI), Liyuan (栗園), 19.VI.2013, leg. C.-F. Lee ; 1♂, 2♀ (TARI), same locality, 19.VI.2014, leg. J.-C. Chen ; 2♀ (TARI), Motien (摩天), 23.V.2011, leg. C.-F. Lee ; 2♂ (TARI), same but with “19.VI.2011”.

Redescription.

Length 3.9-5.4 mm, width 1.7-2.4 mm. Body color (Fig. 5A-C ) yellowish brown; head with median longitudinal black stripe; antennae reddish brown; elytra green but apical 1/3 and lateral margins yellowish brown; outer sides of tibiae more or less darkened. Eyes small, interocular space 2.76-3.48 × diameter of eye. Antennae filiform in males (Fig. 6A ), length ratios of antennomeres I-XI 1.0: 0.6: 1.0: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.8: 0.8: 0.7: 0.7: 0.8, length to width ratios of antennomeres I-XI 3.1: 2.1: 3.5: 3.4: 3.4: 3.3: 2.8: 3.1: 2.8: 2.9: 3.1; similar in females (Fig. 6B ), length ratios of antennomeres I-XI 1.0: 0.6: 1.0: 0.8: 0.7: 0.8: 0.7: 0.6: 0.6: 0.6: 0.8, length to width ratios of antennomeres I-XI 3.0: 2.1: 4.4: 3.1: 3.0: 3.1: 3.1: 2.7: 2.7: 2.5: 3.0. Pronotum and elytra convex. Pronotum 1.8-2.0 × wider than long, disc with reticulate microsculpture; with dense, coarse punctures, and short pubescence, with median longitudinal and lateral depressions; lateral margins moderately rounded, widest at apical 1/3, apical margin slightly concave, basal margin straight; anterior and posterior setiferous punctures slightly erect. Elytra elongate and broad, parallel-sided, 1.7 × longer than wide; disc smooth, with dense, coarse punctures, and short pubescence, with one pair of indistinct longitudinal ridges between suture and humeral calli, two indistinct longitudinal ridges arising from humeral calli, inner ridges separated into two at apical 1/3. Apical spur of tibia of middle leg slender (Fig. 6F ), and tarsomere I not modified in males. Aedeagus (Fig. 6C, D ) slender in dorsal view, 6.3 × longer than wide, asymmetric, curved at apical 1/4, recurved at apical 1/7, broadly rounded, ostium small and located at right side, not covered by membrane; straight but strongly curved near base in lateral view, recurved at apical 1/7, apex narrowly rounded; primary endophallic sclerite elongate, 0.6 × as long as aedeagus, deeply divided in lateral view. Only apices of gonocoxae (Fig. 6G ) sclerotized, with several long setae at apical and lateral areas. Ventrite VIII (Fig. 6E ) well sclerotized, strongly broadened near apex, outer sides strongly curved, several short setae along apical margin and bearing a cluster of long setae near middle, spiculum long. Receptacle of spermatheca (Fig. 6H ) very swollen; pump long and strongly curved; sclerotized proximal spermathecal duct wide and short. Apical margin of abdominal ventrite V moderately concave medially, with deep depression at middle in males (Fig. 6I ); only concave in females (Fig. 6J ).

Remarks.

adults of P. gressitti Kimoto and P. viridipennis Kimoto are characterized by their partly green elytra, which possess longitudinal ridges. However, P. gressitti can be separated from P. viridipennis by its smaller body sizes, 3.9-5.4 mm long (5.3-7.8 mm long in P. viridipennis ), smooth and shining elytra, with coarse punctures (rough elytra with fine punctures in P. viridipennis ); recurved apex of aedeagus and broadly rounded apex of primary endophallic sclerite lacking teeth (Fig. 6C, D ) (curved apex of aedeagus and narrowly rounded apex of primary endophallic sclerite with teeth in P. viridipennis (Fig. 14C, D )); slender apical spur of tibia of middle leg in males (Fig. 6F ) (small and stout apical spur of tibia of middle leg in males of P. viridipennis (Fig. 14M )); and moderately concave apical margin of abdominal ventrite V in females (Fig. 6J ) (slightly concave apical margin of abdominal ventrite V with short internal ridge in females of P. viridipennis (Fig. 14L )).

Host plants.

Larvae and adults feed on leaves of Rhododendron rubropilosum Hayata var. rubropilosum Hayata ( Ericaceae ) (Fig. 7A, B ).

Distribution.

The species is widespread at mid-altitudes (1,500-2,500 m) in southern Taiwan.

Figures

Figure 5. Habitus of Pyrrhalta gressitti Kimoto, P. houjayi sp. nov., and P. tahsiangi sp. nov. A P. gressitti, male, dorsal view B ditto, ventral view C ditto, lateral view D P. houjayi sp. nov., male, dorsal view E ditto, ventral view F ditto, lateral view G P. tahsiangi sp. nov., male, dorsal view H ditto, ventral view I ditto, lateral view.

Figure 6. Diagnostic characters of Pyrrhalta gressitti Kimoto A antenna, male B antenna, female C aedeagus, dorsal view D ditto, lateral view E abdominal ventrite VIII F apex of tibia of middle leg, male G gonocoxae H spermatheca I abdominal ventrite V, male J abdominal ventrite V, female.

Figure 7. Field photographs of Pyrrhalta gressitti Kimoto and P. tahsiangi sp. nov. on host plant A mature larva of P. gressitti B P. gressitti, adult C adult of P. tahsiangi on Rhododendron chilanshanense D adult of P. tahsiangi on R. mariesii.

Figure 14. Diagnostic characters of Pyrrhalta viridipennis Kimoto A antenna, male B antenna, female C aedeagus, from Alishan (阿里山), dorsal view D ditto, lateral view E apex of aedeagus, from Shihfen (十分), dorsal view F ditto, lateral view G apex of aedeagus, from Hsiangyang, dorsal view H ditto, lateral view I abdominal ventrite VIII J gonocoxae K abdominal ventrite V, female L abdominal ventrite V, male M apex of tibia of middle leg N spermatheca.