Paraplotes cheni Lee

Lee, Chi-Feng, 2015, The genus Paraplotes Laboissière, 1933 in Taiwan, a speciose group with brachelytrous females (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Zootaxa 3904 (2), pp. 223-248 : 224-227

Paraplotes cheni Lee , sp. nov.

( Figs 9–14 , 82 )

Type locality. Taiwan: Pingtung county, Tahanshan (⋏ΑM), 22°24’N, 120°45’E, 1400 m.

Type material (n= 13). Holotype ♂ ( TARI): Pingtung: Tahanshan (⋏ΑM), 29.VI.2013, leg. B.-X. Guo. Paratypes: 3♂♂, 2♀♀, same data as holotype ( TARI); 2♂♂, 1♀, same locality, 11.VII.2013, leg. B.-X. Guo ( TARI); 2♂♂, 1♀, same locality, 12.VII.2013, leg. Y.-T. Chung ( TARI); 1♂, same locality, 14.VIII.2011, leg. Y.-T. Wang ( TARI).

Description. Male: Length 5.5–5.6 mm, width 3.1–3.2 mm. Dark brown or blackish brown; elytron bluish- or purplish- metallic. Antenna relatively long and slender, about 0.9X as long as body; ratios of length to width of antennomeres III to XI about 1.0: 1.2: 1.2: 1.0: 1.1: 1.1: 1.1: 1.0: 1.5. Pronotum strongly transverse, 2.9X wider than long, anterior margin moderately concave; sides anteriorly widened. Elytra long, about 1.5X longer than wide. Aedeagus ( Figs 9–11 ) slender, about 4.6X longer than wide, sides apically widened, apex truncate; in lateral view moderately curved, apex wide; tectum membranous; apico-lateral scerlites large and elongate; lateral spiculae one-paired; median spicaula long, about 0.9X as long as aedeagus.

Female: Length 5.9–6.0 mm, width 3.6–3.7 mm. Similar to males, elytra relatively wider than males, about 1.2X longer than wide. Hind wings ( Fig. 82 ) moderately reduced, about 0.28–0.31X as long as those of males, apically reduced. Gonocoxae ( Fig. 12 ) connected with one slender sclerite, longitudinal, widened at basal 1/3; connection between gonocoxa and sclerite extremely slender. Ventrite VIII ( Fig. 13 ) apically widened, surface with dense setae along apex, as well as apical margin, spiculum slender. Spermathecal receptaculum ( Fig. 14 ) as wide as pump; pump strongly curved, apex narrowly rounded; spermathecal duct short, slender, shallowly projecting into receptaculum.

Differential diagnosis. Paraplotes cheni is similar to P. jengi with the truncate apex of the slender median lobe ( Figs 9–11 , 15–17 ) but it can be distinguished by the much larger apico-lateral sclerites and lacking projection at middle of apical margin of median lobe in P. cheni ( Figs 9–11 ).

Distribution. Only known from the type locality ( Fig. 80 ). Although Parapotes taiwana and P. cheni have been collected from the same road to Tahanshan, adults of P. cheni were collected only from one locality above 1400 m and those of P. taiwana collected from localities lower than 1000 m.

Etymology. Named after Mr. Chang Chin Chen for supporting the TCRT in various ways.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 14. Diagnostic characters of Paraplotes cheni Lee, sp. nov. 9. Aedeagus, dorsal view; 10. Aedeagus, lateral view; 11. Aedeagus, ventral view; 12. Gonocoxae; 13. Ventrite VIII; 14. Spermatheca.

FIGURES 81 – 91. Hind wings. 81: male; 82 – 85: females. 81, Paraplotes taiwana, Tulanshan; 82, P. cheni, a & b, different individuals from same population; 83, P. j e ng i, a – c, different individuals from same population; 84, P. meihuai, a – c, different individuals from same population; 86, P. taiwana, a: Tulanshan, b: Motien, c: Tahanshan; 87, P. tatakaensis; 88, P. ts oui, a: Chihlanshan, b: Lalashan, c: Taipingshan; 89, P. tsuenensis, a & b, different individuals from same population; 90, P. y ao i, a: Machiatsun, b: Tengchih, c: Tona, d & e: Taoyuan; 91. P. yuae, a: Wushihken; b: Anmashan, c: Wuchihshan.

FIGURES 15 – 20. Diagnostic characters of Paraplotes jengi Lee, sp. nov. 15. Aedeagus, dorsal view; 16. Aedeagus, lateral view; 17. Aedeagus, ventral view; 18. Gonocoxae; 19. Ventrite VIII; 20. Spermatheca.

FIGURES 79 – 80. Distribution map of Paraplotes species of Taiwan, solid line: 1000 m, broken line: 2000 m. 79. Widespread species, brown dots: P. tsoui, green dots: P. y ua e, pink dots: P. jengi, red dots: P. y a oi, blue dots: P. taiwana; 80. Localized species, brown dots: P. tahsiangi, pink dot: P. tsuenensis, green dots: P. tatakaensis, red dots: P. meihuai, blue dot: P. cheni.