Phaelota assamensis, Prathapan, K. D. & Konstantinov, A. S., 2009

Prathapan, K. D. & Konstantinov, A. S., 2009, Descriptions of eight new species of Phaelota (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with a new generic synonymy and a key to species of Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 1991, pp. 1-27 : 2-4

Phaelota assamensis , new species

( Figs 1 – 6)

Distribution. India (Assam).

Host plants. Unknown.

Description. Total body length 3.2 mm, width 2.1 mm. Each elytron with three black patches at humeral callus, below scutellum and at apex ( Figs 1, 5). Pronotum blackish except for anterior and lateral margins being light brown. Head with vertex dark brown and facial part light brown. Six basal antennomeres light brown, rest black. Legs dark brown, except for tibial apex light brown.

In lateral view, vertex and frons form convex line, their intersection being concave and proximal end of frons higher than vertex. Vertex punctate ( Fig. 2). Antennal callus slightly raised, oblique, shorter than wide, low near supracallinal sulcus, high near supraantennal sulcus, separated from each other by midfrontal depression. Suprafrontal sulcus well developed, midfrontal sulcus poorly developed. Frontal ridge slightly wrinkled. Anterofrontal ridge without vertical carina medially. Maxillary palpus with preapical palpomere subequal to half of apical palpomere. Third antennomere nearly as long as second ( Fig. 2). Tenth antennomere nearly as wide as long.

Lateral margin of pronotum nearly straight ( Fig. 3), anterolateral callosity forms obtuse denticle at pore. Disc shiny, punctation fine, stronger than that on vertex. Antebasal transverse impression absent except for imperceptible curved longitudinal line laterally on each side near posterior margin. Scutellum shiny, impunctate, triangular, wider than long, apex narrowly rounded. Elytron with well developed humeral callus ( Figs 1, 5), with very slight depression posteriorly, maximum width at proximal 1/3. Striae slightly depressed. Interstices flat with extremely minute punctures. Width of interstices subequal to 4 – 7 times diameter of a puncture. Epipleuron oblique, not reaching apex. Metasternum about two times as long as prosternum. Metafemur with flat ridge along its posterior edge ( Fig. 4). Metatibia straight in lateral view, curved from dorsal view, proximal 1/3 dorsally convex, rest of surface nearly flat. Claw longer than metatibial spine.

Median lobe of aedeagus slightly constricted in middle ( Fig. 6), widening apically, with obtuse denticle at apex. Apical one third slightly flattened on ventral side.

Female unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♂. Labels: 1) Doom Dooma , Assam, May 29 1943, DE Hardy; 2 ) Holotype Phaelota assamensis sp. nov. des. D. Prathapan, A. Konstantinov, 2007 ( USNM) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective based on the type locality.

Remarks. Phaelota assamensis can be separated from all other species of Phaelota based on the elytra with dark spots and bands and the dark pronotum with anterior and lateral margins light brown.