Pyrrhalta meifena Kimoto, 1976

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 meifena Kimoto, 1976 Figs 15D-F , 20 , 21

Pyrrhalta meifena Kimoto, 1976: 4; Kimoto 1987: 188 (additional records); Kimoto and Chu 1996: 56 (catalogue); Kimoto and Takizawa 1997: 3010 (key), 373; Beenen 2010: 453 (catalogue); Xue and Yang 2010: 126 (catalogue); Lee and Cheng 2010: 119 (redescription); Takahashi 2012: 323 (deposition of type material); Yang et al. 2015: 119 (catalogue).

Types.

Holotype ♂ (OMNH, by original designation): "[TAIWAN] / Meifeng [梅峰] / Nantou Hsien [h, w] // 26.VI.1971/ Y. Miyatake [h, w] // Pyrrhalta / Pyrrhalta meifena / Kimoto, n. sp. [h, w] // HOLOTYPE [p, r] // (Regd. O.M.N.H.) [p, w]". Paratypes. 1 ♀ (KMNH): "(Taiwan) / Wushe [霧社] / Nantou Hsien [h, w] // 30.V.1965 / B. S. Chang [h, w] // Pyrrhalta / Pyrrhalta meifena / Kimoto, n. sp. [h, w] // Det. S. Kimoto, 19 [p, w] // PARATOPOTYPE [p, b]"; 1 ♂ (KMNH): "[TAIWAN] / Meifeng [梅峰] / Nantou Hsien [h, w] // 26.VI.1971 / Y. Miyatake [h, w] // Pyrrhalta / Pyrrhalta meifena / Kimoto, n. sp. [h, w] // PARATOPOTYPE [p, b]".

Other material.

Taiwan. Chiayi: 1♂, 2♀ (TARI), Alishan (阿里山), 22.IX.2009, leg. M.-H. Tsou ; 2♂♂ (TARI), same locality, 29.V.2016, leg. Y.-T. Chung ; 1♂ (TARI), Shizilu (十字路), 23.VII.2015, leg. U. Ong ; Hsinchu: 9♂, 2♀, Litungshan (李棟山), 24-25.III.2009, leg. M.-H. Tsou ; 4♂, 3♀ (TARI), same locality, 28.III.2009, leg. S.-F. Yu ; 1♀ (TARI), same locality, 16.VI.2010, leg. Y.-L. Lin ; Hualien: 1♂, 2♀ (TARI), Kuanyuan (關原), 2.VII.2008, leg. S.-F. Yu and M.-H. Tsou ; 1♀ (TARI), Pilu (碧綠), 15.VII.2019, leg. B.-X. Guo ; 1♀ (TARI), Tayuling (大禹嶺), 2.VII.2018, leg. J.-C. Chen ; Kaohsiung: 1♀ (TARI), Chungchihkung (中之關), 1.VII.2009, leg. S.-F. Yu ; 1♀ (TARI), same locality, 2.VII.2009, leg. M.-H. Tsou ; 1♀ (TARI), same locality, 17.IV.2012, leg. L.-P. Hsu ; 1♂, 1♀ (TARI), Tienchih (天池), 2.VII.2009, leg. M.-H. Tsou ; Nantou: 1♂, 2♀ (TARI), Meifeng (梅峰), 24-26.VI.1981, leg. K. S. Lin & W. S. Tang ; 1♀ (TARI), same locality, 1-3.VIII.1981, leg. T. Lin & W. S. Tang ; 6♂ (TARI), Tatachia (塔塔加), 13.VII.2014, leg. W.-C. Liao ; 1♂ (TARI), Tsuifeng (翠峰), 25-27.VI.1981, leg. K. S. Lin & W. S. Tang ; 1♀ (TARI), same locality, S. C. Lin & C. N. Lin ; Taichung: 5♂, 7♀ (TARI), Anmashan (鞍馬山), 7.VI.2010, leg. C.-F. Lee ; Taitung: 1♂ (TARI), Hsiangyang (向陽), 9.V.2013, leg. J.-C. Chen ; 1♂ (TARI), same locality, 18.VII.2014, leg. W.-C. Huan ; 2♀ (TARI), Liyuan (栗園), 19.VI.2013, leg. C.-F. Lee.

Redescription.

Length 5.6-6.5 mm, width 2.7-3.2 mm. Body yellow (Fig. 15D-F ); antennae black but four or five basal antennomeres paled; tibiae and tarsi black or blackish brown. Eyes small, interocular space 2.35-3.58x diameter of eye. Antennae filiform in males (Fig. 20A ), gradually broadened from antennomere V to X, length ratios of antennomeres I-XI 1.0: 0.7: 0.7: 0.8: 0.8: 0.8: 0.8: 0.7: 0.7: 0.7: 0.8, length to width ratios of antennomeres I-XI 2.8: 2.2: 2.3: 2.5: 2.6: 2.7: 2.6: 2.4: 2.3: 2.1: 2.7; similar in females (Fig. 20B ), length ratios of antennomeres I-XI 1.0: 0.7: 0.8: 0.7: 0.9: 0.7: 0.7: 0.6: 0.6: 0.6: 0.8, length to width ratios of antennomeres I-XI 2.7: 2.5: 2.8: 2.7: 2.8: 2.3: 2.1: 1.8: 1.8: 1.9: 2.3. Pronotum and elytra convex. Pronotum 2.2-2.3 × wider than long, disc smooth; with extremely dense, coarse punctures, and sparse long pubescence, with median longitudinal and lateral depressions; lateral margins moderately rounded, widest at middle, apical and basal margins slightly concave; anterior and posterior setiferous punctures slightly erect. Elytra broad, parallel-sided, 1.5-1.6 × longer than wide; disc smooth, with extremely dense, coarse punctures, and short pubescence. Apical spur of tibia of middle leg absent and tarsomere I not modified in males. Aedeagus (Fig. 20C, D ) broad in dorsal view, 5.7 × longer than wide, symmetric, subparallel from base to middle, then apically narrowed, apex acute; ostium obliquely longitudinal, covered by a membrane; strongly curved near base in lateral view, slight recurved at apical 1/6, apex acute; primary endophallic sclerites elongate, 0.5 × as long as aedeagus, with several teeth at apex. Only apices of gonocoxae (Fig. 20I ) sclerotized, longitudinal, with dense, long setae along lateral and apical margins. Ventrite VIII (Fig. 20E ) well sclerotized, with dense, long setae laterally, apical area, and along apical margin, spiculum long. Receptacle of spermatheca (Fig. 20F ) very swollen; pump long and strongly curved; sclerotized proximal spermathecal duct narrow and short. Apical margin of abdominal ventrite V with one pair of rounded ridges at middle and slightly concave between ridges in males (Fig. 20H ); broadly rounded in females (Fig. 20G ).

Remarks.

adults of P. meifena Kimoto are characterized by their small body sizes, 5.6-6.5 mm long (7.3-8.7 mm long in others), and yellow bodies (Fig. 15D-F ) (black bodies in P. alishanensis sp. nov. (Fig. 15A-C ); brown bodies in P. igai and P. meihuai sp. nov. (Fig. 18 )) within the species group. In males of P. meifena , the lanceolate aedeagus (Fig. 20C ) is similar to those of P. alishanensis sp. nov. (Fig. 16C ) and P. meihuai sp. nov. (Fig. 22C ) but differs in lacking secondary endophallic sclerite in addition to the primary endophallic sclerite (one secondary sclerite in P. meihuai sp. nov.; two secondary sclerites in P. alishanensis sp. nov.).

Host plants.

Larvae and adults feed on leaves of Acer insulare Hayata var. caudatifolium (Hayata) and A. rubescens Hayata ( Sapindaceae ).

Biology.

Mrs Su-Fang Yu found young larvae (Fig. 21B ) feeding on tender leaves of Acer insulare var. caudatifolium (Fig. 21A ) February 26, 2009, in Litungshan, northern Taiwan; and reared them in the laboratory. mature larvae (Fig. 20C ) began to burrow into soil March 2, and built underground chambers for pupation. Duration of the pupal stage was 22-24 days. adults (Fig. 21D ) appeared from spring to summer.

Distribution.

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

Figures

Figure 15. Habitus of Pyrrhalta alishanensis sp. nov. and P. meifena Kimoto A P. alishanensis sp. nov., male, dorsal view B ditto, ventral view C ditto, lateral view D P. meifena, male, dorsal view E ditto, ventral view F ditto, lateral view.

Figure 16. Diagnostic characters of Pyrrhalta alishanensis sp. nov. A antenna, male B antenna, female C aedeagus, dorsal view D ditto, lateral view E abdominal ventrite VIII F spermatheca G abdominal ventrite V, female H abdominal ventrite V, male I gonocoxae.

Figure 18. Habitus of Pyrrhalta igai Kimoto and P. meihuai sp. nov. A P. igai, female, dorsal view B ditto, ventral view C ditto, lateral view D P. meihuai sp. nov., female, dorsal view E ditto, ventral view F ditto, lateral view.

Figure 20. Diagnostic characters of Pyrrhalta meifena Kimoto A antenna, male B antenna, female C aedeagus, dorsal view D ditto, lateral view E abdominal ventrite VIII F spermatheca G abdominal ventrite V, female H abdominal ventrite V, male I gonocoxae.

Figure 21. Field photographs of Pyrrhalta meifena Kimoto on host plant A host plant, Acer insulare var. caudatifolium B Second-instar larva C third-instar larva D adult.

Figure 22. Diagnostic characters of Pyrrhalta meihuai sp. nov. A antenna, male B antenna, female C aedeagus, dorsal view D ditto, lateral view E abdominal ventrite VIII F gonocoxae G spermatheca H abdominal ventrite V, female I abdominal ventrite V, male.