Pyrrhalta viridipennis Kimoto, 1981

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 viridipennis Kimoto, 1981 Figs 11D-F , 13C, D , 14

Pyrrhalta viridipennis Kimoto, 1981: 2; Kimoto and Chu 1996: 57; Kimoto and Takizawa 1997: 301 (key), 374; Beenen 2010: 453 (catalogue); Xue and Yang 2010: 132 (catalogue); Yang et al. 2015: 122 (catalogue).

Types.

Holotype ♂ (OMNH, by original designation): "NANSHANCHI [南山溪] / TAIWAN / 21. VII. 1974 / Y. KIYOYAMA [p, y] // Pyrrhalta / Pyrrhalta viridipennis / Kimoto, n. sp. [h, w] // HOLOTYPE [p, r] // PHOTO [p, r]". Paratype. 1 ♂ (KMNH): "(Taiwan) [p] / Sungan [松安] / Miaoli [h] Hsien [p, w] // 10.IV.1967 [h] / B. S. Chang [p, w] // Pyrrhalta / Pyrrhalta viridipennis / Kimoto, n. sp. [h, w] // Det. S. Kimoto, 19 [p, w] // PARATYPE [p, b]".

Other material.

Taiwan. Chiayi: 1♂, 1♀ (TARI), Alishan (阿里山), 5-9.VIII.1981, leg. L. Y. Chou & S. C. Lin ; Kaohsiung: 1♂ (TARI), Kuanshanyakou (關山啞口), 30.VII.2015, leg. C.-F. Lee ; 1♂, 1♀ (TARI), Tengchih (藤枝), 7.IX.2012, leg. W.-C. Liao ; 2♂, 5♀ (TARI), same but with “10.VIII.2013”; 1♀ (TARI), same but with “27.IX.2013”; 2♂, 4♀ (TARI), same but with “5.X.2013”; 4♂, 1♀ (TARI), same locality, 4.VIII.2012, leg. J.-C. Chen ; 2♂, 2♀ (TARI), same locality, 30.VIII.2014, leg. B.-X. Guo ; 2♀ (TARI), Tsuyunshan (出雲山), 25.IV.1990, leg. C. C. Chiang ; Nantou: 1♀ (NMNS), Huishun (惠蓀), 3.VII.1991, leg. C. S. Lin ; 1♂ (NMNS), Shanlinchi (杉林溪), 11.V.1990, leg. C. C. Chiang ; 2♀ (TARI), Tsuifeng (翠峰), 1-3.VIII.1981, leg. T. Lin & W. S. Tang ; 1♂, 1♀ (TARI), same locality, 1-3.IX.1982, leg. L. Y. Chou & K. C. Chou ; 1♂, 2♀ (TARI), same locality, 12-14.IX.1984, leg. K. S. Lin & S. C. Lin ; Pingtung: 1♂, 1♀ (TARI), Ali (阿禮), 30.V.2014, leg. J.-C. Chen ; Taichung: 1♂, 1♀ (NHMUK), Basianshan National Forest Recreation Area (八仙山國家森林遊樂區), 27.V.2007, leg. G. Martin & D. L. J. Quicke ; 2♀ (TARI), Tahsuehshan (大雪山), 21.IV.2010, leg. C.-F. Lee ; Taipei: 1♂, 1♀ (TARI), Shihfen (十分), 23.V.2016, leg. J.-C. Chen ; 1♂ (TARI), Yingtzuling (鶯子嶺), 21.VI.2016, leg. Y.-L. Lin ; Taitung: 3♂ (TARI), Hsiangyang (向陽), 2.VII.2009, leg. S.-F. Yu ; 8♂, 5♀ (TARI), same but with "leg. M.-H. Tsou"; 1♀ (TARI), same locality, 22.XII.2013, leg. W.-C. Liao ; 1♂ (TARI), Hsiangyangshan (向陽山), 20.VI.2014, leg. J.-C. Chen.

Redescription.

Length 5.3-7.8 mm, width 2.3-3.5 mm. Body color (Fig. 11D-F ) yellowish brown; antenna reddish brown; elytra green but with wide yellow stripe along lateral margin, apical area more or less yellowish brown. Eyes small, interocular space 2.67-2.75 × diameter of eye. Antennae filiform in males (Fig. 14A ), length ratios of antennomeres I-XI 1.0: 0.7: 1.2: 1.1: 1.0: 1.0: 0.9: 0.9: 0.8: 0.7: 0.9, length to width ratios of antennomeres I-XI 2.6: 2.9: 4.5: 3.9: 3.7: 3.7: 3.4: 3.5: 3.1: 3.3: 4.4; similar in females (Fig. 14B ), length ratios of antennomeres I-XI 1.0: 0.5: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.8: 0.8: 0.7: 0.7: 0.6: 0.8, length to width ratios of antennomeres I-XI 2.8: 2.1: 3.6: 4.0: 4.0: 3.6: 3.7: 3.2: 3.1: 2.9: 3.7. Pronotum and elytra convex. Pronotum 1.9-2.0 × wider than long, disc with reticulate microsculpture; with dense, coarse punctures, and short pubescence, with median longitudinal and lateral depressions; lateral margins rounded, widest at middle, apical and basal margin slightly concave; anterior and posterior setiferous punctures slightly erect. Elytra elongate and broad, parallel-sided, 1.6-1.7 × longer than wide; disc rough, with dense, fine punctures, and short pubescence. Apical spur of tibia of middle leg small and curved (Fig. 14M ), and tarsomere I not modified in males. Aedeagus (Fig. 14C, D ) slender in dorsal view, 7.9 × longer than wide, asymmetric, curved at apical 1/7, apically narrowed, apex broadly rounded; ostium large, not covered by membrane; straight but strongly curved near base in lateral view, slightly curved near apex, apex narrowly rounded; two endophallic sclerites elongate, primary sclerite longer and 0.6 × as long as aedeagus, apex with several fine teeth; secondary sclerite small, 0.4 × as long as the longer sclerite. Only apices of gonocoxae (Fig. 14J ) sclerotized, elongate, with several short setae near apex, and four long setae near apex. Ventrite VIII (Fig. 14I ) well sclerotized, strongly broadened near apex, outer sides strongly curved, several short setae along apical margin and bearing cluster of long setae medially, spiculum long. Receptacle of spermatheca (Fig. 14N ) very swollen; pump short and strongly curved; sclerotized proximal spermathecal duct wide and short. Apical margin of abdominal ventrite V moderately concave medially, with deep, indistinctly margined depression at middle in males (Fig. 14L ); slightly concave, with median, longitudinal internal ridge in females (Fig. 14K ).

Variation.

The apex of the aedeagus is variable among populations; more slender in north and central Taiwan (Fig. 14E, F ); recurved in southeast Taiwan (Fig. 14G, H ).

Host plant.

Larvae and adults feed on leaves of Rhododendron rubropilosum Hayata var. rubropilosum Hayata ( Ericaceae ) (Fig. 13E, F ).

Biology.

The first author and Mr. Ta-Hsiang Lee collected one larva feeding on leaves April 20, 2010 in Tahsuehshan, central Taiwan (Fig. 13E ). It was reared in the laboratory. The newly eclosed adult appeared May 20 (Fig. 13F ).

Remarks.

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

Distribution.

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

Figures

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 11. Habitus of Pyrrhalta taiwana Kimoto and P. viridipennis Kimoto A P. taiwana, male, dorsal view B ditto, ventral view C ditto, lateral view D P. viridipennis, male, dorsal view E ditto, ventral view F ditto, lateral view.

Figure 13. Field photographs of Pyrrhalta taiwana Kimoto and P. viridipennis Kimoto on host plant A host plant for P. tahsiangi, Vaccinium randaiense B mature larva of P. taiwana C pupa of P. taiwana D adult of P. taiwana E Third-instar larva of P. viridipennis F adult of P. viridipennis.

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.