Gastroserica fukiensis Frey, 1972

Ahrens, Dirk, Liu, Wangang, Lukic, Daniel & Bai, Ming, 2023, A taxonomic review of Microserica Brenske, 1894 from continental Asia (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Sericini), Zootaxa 5241 (1), pp. 1-115 : 12-14

Gastroserica fukiensis Frey, 1972

Figs. 2E–H , 24

Gastroserica fukiensis Frey, 1972 a: 174 ; Ahrens 2002: 59.

Microserica fukiensis: Ahrens 2002a: 59 ; Ahrens 2006a: 238; 2007b: 25; Ahrens & Bezděk 2016: 298.

Microserica inornata Nomura, 1974: 98 ; synonymized by Ahrens 2002: 59.

Type material examined. Holotype ( fukiensis ): Ô [ China] “ Kuatun (2300 m) 27, 40 n.Br. 117, 40 ö. L. J. Klapperich 20.5.1938 (Fukien)/Type Gastroserica fukiensis G. Frey 1971 ” ( CF 2 ) . Paratypes: 1 Ô, 1 ♀ [ China] “ Kuatun (2300 m) 27, 40 n.Br. 117, 40 ö. L. J. Klapperich 20.5.1938 (Fukien) / Paratype Gastroserica fukiensis G. Frey 1971 ” ( CF) .

Additional material examined. (see also Ahrens 2002). China. 2 ex. “China:SW Zhejiang, 5.VI.Fangyangshan, Huangmao Jian 27°53’N 119°11’E, 1500-1850m Jaroslav Turna leg., 2008” ( ZFMK), 6 ex. “C-China, Shaanxi, Qinling Shan, 6km E of Xunyangba 1000-1300m, 23.V.-13.VI. leg. C. Holzschuh 2000” ( CP), 4 ex. “China, W Hubei, 8+15.-17.VI. Muyuping S env.- 1100m 31.45N 110.4E Jaroslav Turna leg., 2002” ( CP), 2 ex. “China, 1000-1300m, Shaanxi, Qinling Mts. Xunyangba (6km E), 23.v.-13.vi.1998, J.H. Marshal leg.” ( CP), 3 ex. [China] “Kuatun, Fukien China 25.5.46 (Tschung Sen.) / ex. Coll. V. Balthasar National Museum Prague, Czech Republic” ( NMPC), 2 ex. [China] “Kuatun (2300m) 27,40n.Br. 117,40o.L. J. Klapperich 11.5. 1938 (Fukien) / ex. Coll. V. Balthasar National Museum Prague, Czech Republic” ( NMPC), 3 ex. [China] “Kuatun (2300m) 27,40n.Br. 117,40o. 2 Frey (1972) did not specify in which museum the type specimens of this taxon are preserved, however, we found only type specimens in the collection G. Frey ( NHMB). Since he noticed ZFMK for type depository in all other species that originated from the ZFMK Bonn (leg. Klapperich) treated in that paper ( Frey 1972), the holotype of G. fukiensis should also belong to ZFMK.

L. J. Klapperich 13.5. 1938 (Fukien) / ex. Coll. V. Balthasar National Museum Prague, Czech Republic” ( NMPC), 1 ex. [ China] “ Kuatun (2300m) 27,40n.Br. 117,40o. L. J. Klapperich 4.6. 1938 (Fukien) / ex. Coll. V. Balthasar National Museum Prague, Czech Republic” ( NMPC), 1 ex. [ China] “Kuatun (2300m) 27,40n.Br. 117,40o. L. J. Klapperich 30.5. 1938 (Fukien) / ex. Coll. V. Balthasar National Museum Prague, Czech Republic” ( NMPC), 1 ex. [ China] “Kuatun (2300m) 27,40n.Br. 117,40o. L. J. Klapperich 25.5. 1938 (Fukien) / ex. Coll. V. Balthasar National Museum Prague, Czech Republic” ( NMPC), 1 ex. [ China] “Kuatun (2300m) 27,40n.Br. 117,40o. L. J. Klapperich 23.5. 1938 (Fukien) / ex. Coll. V. Balthasar National Museum Prague, Czech Republic” ( NMPC), 1 ex. [ China] “Kuatun (2300m) 27,40n.Br. 117,40o. L. J. Klapperich 11.4. 1938 (Fukien) / ex. Coll. V. Balthasar National Museum Prague, Czech Republic” ( NMPC), 1 ex. “China-Guangdong, Daqiao env., 1000-1200m, 24°54’N-113°01’E, 1.- 3.v.2002, Dr. R. Fencl lgt.” ( CP), 1 Ô [ China] “Tienmushan, 12.VI.1936, 1350m, leg. O. Piel, Musee Heude” ( IZAS), 1 Ô [China] “Kuling, 7.VII.1935, leg. O. Piel, Musee Heude” ( IZAS), 2 ÔÔ [ China] “ Mt. Dayaoshan, Jinxiu, Guangxi, 12.VI.1982, leg. Li Fasheng ” ( CAU), 1 Ô [China] “ Mt. Jianfengling , Ledong, Hainan, 17-21.V.2007, leg. Ba Yibin, Lang Juntong” ( HBUM), 1 Ô [ China] “San’gang, Mt. Wuyishan , Fujian, 16-28.Ⅴ.2004, leg. Yuan Caixia, Li Jing” ( HBUM), 1 Ô “China: Zhejiang, Lin’an City, Daming Shan, 30°02’04’’N, 118°39’14’’E, light trap, 860m, 7.VII.2014, Jia-Yao-Hu leg.” ( SNUC), 1 Ô “ CHINA: Zhejiang Prov. West Tiammu Shan (Mts.) reserve forest, esp. on flowering Castanea sequinii, 5.-6.vii.2017; 1500 m 30°20’58.5’’N, 119°25’26.5’’E J. Hájek & J. Růžička leg. / 1060 Asia Sericini spec.” ( NMPC), 1 Ô, 1 ♀ “ CHINA: Zhejiang Prov. West Tiammu Shan (Mts.) reserve forest, esp. on flowering Castanea sequinii, 5.-6.vii.2017; 1500 m 30°20’58.5’’N, 119°25’26.5’’E J. Hájek & J. Růžička leg.” ( NMPC) .

Redescription. Length: 5.8 mm, length of elytra: 3.9 mm, width: 3.4 mm. Body oval, body yellowish brown, head and ventral surface including abdomen and most parts of pygidium blackish, dorsal surface dull and nearly glabrous.

Labroclypeus elliptical, slightly wider than long, widest shortly before base, lateral margins strongly convex and convergent to strongly rounded anterior angles; anterior margin weakly emarginate medially, margins weakly reflexed; lateral margins and ocular canthus produce a blunt angle; surface shiny, medially almost flat, finely and coarsely, densely punctate, with numerous long, erect setae; frontoclypeal suture finely incised and curved medially. Frons dull, with sparse, coarse punctures, beside eyes and behind frontoclypeal suture with a few single short setae, otherwise with minute setae in punctures. Smooth area in front of eyes twice as wide as long. Ocular canthus sparsely finely punctate, narrow and moderately long (1/3 of ocular width), with a terminal seta. Eyes moderately large, ratio of diameter/interocular width: 0.68. Antenna with ten antennomeres; club composed of four antennomeres, straight, 1.2 times as long as remaining antennomeres combined. Mentum elevated and slightly flattened anteriorly.

Pronotum wide, widest shortly before base, lateral margins evenly convex and convergent to blunt but moderately produced anterior angles, posterior angles strongly rounded. Anterior margin of pronotum weakly convex, with fine and complete marginal line; basal marginal line absent; surface finely and densely punctate, with minute setae in punctures, anterior and lateral anterior margins sparsely setose. Hypomeron carinate, weakly produced ventrally. Scutellum triangular, finely and densely punctate, on midline narrowly impunctate.

Elytra short, widest at middle, striae distinctly impressed, finely and densely punctate, intervals convex, with fine and sparse punctures concentrated along striae, with very minute setae in punctures, odd intervals with a few short setae; epipleural edge robust, ending at slightly rounded external apical angle of elytra, epipleura densely setose, apical border chitinous, without a fringe of short microtrichomes (visible at ca 100x magnification).

Ventral surface dull, finely and densely punctate, metasternum sparsely covered with fine, short, or very minute setae; metacoxa glabrous, with a few single setae laterally. Mesosternum between mesocoxae as wide as mesofemur. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/1.72. Abdominal sternites finely punctate, with a transverse row of coarse punctures, each bearing a robust seta. Pygidium strongly convex and dull, with mixed finer and larger punctures, without smooth midline, with numerous short setae and a few longer in the larger punctures.

Legs moderately wide; femora finely and sparsely punctate, with two longitudinal rows of longer setae. Metafemur moderately shiny, anterior margin acute, without submarginal serrated line; anterior row of seta-bearing punctures present; ventral posterior margin finely serrate at apex, only weakly widened in apical half, dorsal posterior margin serrate, with a few short setae basally. Metatibia moderately long and wide, widest at middle, ratio width/length: 1/3.1; dorsal margin sharply carinate, with two groups of spines, basal group at middle, apical one at three quarter of metatibial length, in basal third with a few robust single setae; lateral face longitudinally convex, finely and very sparsely punctate, along midline smooth, with minute setae in punctures; ventral edge finely serrate, with three robust equidistant setae; medial face smooth, apex interiorly near tarsal articulation sharply truncate. Tarsomeres with fine, sparse setae ventrally, neither laterally nor dorsally carinate, dorsally smooth; metatarsomeres glabrous, with a strongly serrated ridge ventrally and a parallel subventral smooth carina immediately beside it; first metatarsomere as long as following two tarsomeres combined, twice as long as dorsal tibial spur. Protibia short, bidentate; anterior claws symmetrical, basal tooth of both claws bluntly truncate at apex.

Aedeagus: Fig. 2E–G . Habitus: Fig. 2H .

Variation. The coloration of this species is also quite variable, ranging from almost entirely yellow (females, some males – except black head and ventral surface) to bicolored with margins and disc as well as frons dark brown (some males). In addition, we found a color variant with blackish elytra and red pronotum, very similar to the next species; this color form from Zheijang (1060 Asia Sericini spec.) is in shape of parameres clearly identical with G. fukiensis .

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–D: Gastroserica varians Moser, 1915 (China: Yunnan: Diaolin N.R.); E–H: G. fukiensis Frey, 1972 (Taiwan: Fu Shan). A, E: Aedeagus, left side lateral view; C, G: Aedeagus, right side lateral view; B, F: Parameres, dorsal view; D, H: Habitus (not to scale). Scale: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 24. Distribution of the genus Gastroserica (Helioserica Ahrens, Lukic & Liu, new subgenus), part 1.