Argopistes tsekooni Chen, 1934

Lee, Chi-Feng, Chiang, Ming-Yao & Suenaga, Haruki, 2024, The genus Argopistes Motschulsky from Japan and Taiwan, with descriptions of three new species from Taiwan (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini), ZooKeys 1215, pp. 151-183 : 151-183

Argopistes tsekooni Chen, 1934

Figs 8 A – C , 9

Argopistes tsekooni Chen, 1934 b: 316 ( China: Shanghai, Hangchow); Csiki 1940: 525 (catalogue); Chûjô and Kimoto 1961: 174 ( China, Japan); Gressitt and Kimoto 1963: 813 ( China: Jiangsu); Kimoto 1965: 437 (redescription); Lee and An 2001: 183 ( South Korea); Lee and Cho 2006: 91 (host plant); Takizwa, 2012: 38 (faunistics); Cho and An 2020: 15 ( North Korea); Won et al. 2023: 9 ( South Korea: Ulleungdo).

Argopistes biplagiatus : Baly 1874: 202 (misidentification).

Type material examined.

One syntype • (sex undetermined, IZAS): “ 浙江 (= Zhejiang): 杭州 (= Hangchow) / 1934. [h] / 中国科學院 (= Chinese Academy of Sciences) [h, p] // 害水蜡樹 (attacking Ligustrum obtusifolium ) [h, w] // Argopistes / tsekooni / Chen [h, w] ”. Although this specimen does not bear any type label, it should be regarded as type specimen since it fit the original description.

Additional material examined.

Japan. • 1 ♀ ( NHMUK): “ Argopistes / biplagiatus / Motsch / Japan [h, w] // Baly Coll. [p, w] ” ; Honshu. Shizuoka: • 1 ♂ ( SEHU), Tagata-gun, Tohi , 4. V. 1985, leg. Y. Komiya ; Tokyo: • 1 ♂ ( HAPC), Komae-shi, Komai-machi , 10. VI. 2021, leg. R. Seki ; Yamaguchi: • 1 ♂ ( NHMUK) ; Kyushu. Fukuoka: • 1 ♀ ( HAPC), Fukuoka-shi, Higashi-ku, Shimobaru (alt. 100–360 m), 27. V. 2009, leg. S. Sejima ; • 1 ♀ ( NHMUK), Mt. Mikazuki , 2. V. 1954, leg. K. Morimoto ; Nagasaki: • 1 ♂, 2 ♀ ( SEHU), Sasebo-shi, Mt. Yahirodake , 14. IV. 1981, leg. J. Okuma ; • 1 ♂ ( SEHU), same locality but with “ 21. IV. 1981 ” ; Oita: • 2 ♂, 3 ♀ ( HAPC), Hita-shi, Miwa, Chikura , 11. IV. 2016, leg. S. Sasaki.

Diagnosis.

Adults of A. tsekooni are recognized easily by their small body sizes (<3.5 mm;> 3.5 mm in others except A. unicolor ), elongate ovate body shapes (elytra 1.2 × longer than wide; but 1.1 × longer than wide in others), and the combined red spots on elytra (usually separate red spots on the elytra in others); additionally, most genitalic characters are unique, such as the tube-like apex of the aedeagus (Fig. 9 C ); few setae on apical margin of abdominal ventrite VIII in females (Fig. 9 E ); and transverse gonocoxae with dense, long setae on the widely rounded apical margin (Fig. 9 G ).

Redescription.

Length 2.8–3.2 mm, width 2.1–2.4 mm. Color (Fig. 8 A – C ) blackish brown, elytron with one transverse orange area at basal 1 / 3, and narrowed towards suture; tarsi and front tibiae yellow; antennae dark brown but seven basal antennomeres yellow. Pronotum broad, convex, lateral margin narrowly explanate; 2.0–2.1 × wider than long, disc with dense coarse punctures; lateral margin rounded, anterior margin strongly concave, posterior margin moderately convex. Elytra elongate oval, 1.2 × longer than wide, disc with confused, dense, coarse punctures.

Male. Antenna filiform (Fig. 9 A ), antennomere I much longer than others, approximate ratios of length of antennomeres I – XI 1.0: 0.4: 0.3: 0.5: 0.5: 0.5: 0.5: 0.5: 0.5: 0.5: 0.7; approximate ratios of length to width of antennomeres I – XI 3.1: 1.8: 2.0: 2.5: 2.3: 1.9: 1.8: 2.1: 2.1: 2.2: 2.9. Aedeagus (Fig. 9 C, D ) gradually widened from basal 1 / 9–1 / 2, then gradually narrowed to basal 1 / 2, strongly widened posterior – basal 1 / 2; anterior opening large, ~ 0.39 as long as aedeagus, from apex to apical 2 / 5; tectum composed of one pair of sclerotized processes, long, ~ 0.85 as long as anterior opening, wide and slightly curved from basal 2 / 4 to apex in lateral view, recurved near apex; endophallic sclerite laterally flattened, with base twisted.

Female. Antenna (Fig. 9 B ) similar to males, but antennomeres VII – X wider, ratios of length of antennomeres I – XI 1.0: 0.4: 0.3: 0.4: 0.4: 0.4: 0.4: 0.4: 0.4: 0.4: 0.6; ratios of length to width of antennomeres I – XI 3.8: 1.8: 2.0: 1.8: 1.9: 1.9: 1.6: 1.5: 1.5: 1.5: 2.4. Ventrite VIII (Fig. 9 E ) weakly sclerotized, only part of apical margin well sclerotized, with several setae along apical margin, spiculum long and base wider. Spermathecal receptaculum (Fig. 9 F ) longer than pump, moderately swollen, curved in lateral view; pump emarginated at inner side of base; spermathecal duct with long basal part, ramus truncate. Gonocoxae (Fig. 9 G ) wide and separated, base membranous, each gonocoxa asymmetric, apically narrowed from near base, with sparse setae along apical areas, setae longer at apical 1 / 2.

Color variation.

One male has a black body and lacks transparent spots on elytra. Another male has an entire yellowish-brown body.

Host plants.

Oleaceae : Ligustrum obtusifolium ( Chûjô & Kimoto, 1961) ; Syringa oblata Lindl. , L. japonicum , L. licidum , and L. sinense ( Zhang et al. 2008 b) .

Biology.

The biology and life history of A. tsekooni were studied under laboratory and outdoor conditions in Huangshan City of Anhui Province, China ( Zhang et al. 2009). Argopistes tsekooni overwintered as adults and had three overlapping generations in Anhui Province.

Distribution.

China, Japan (Honshu, Kyushu, the Goto Isls., Hirado-jima Is. Tsushima Is.), North Korea, South Korea.

Figures

Figure 8. Habitus of Argopistes species A A. tsekooni Chen, male, dorsal view B ditto, ventral view C ditto, lateral view D A. unicolor Jacoby, female, dorsal view E ditto, ventral view F ditto, lateral view.

Figure 9. Argopistes tsekooni Chen A antenna, male B antenna, female C aedeagus, dorsal view D aedeagus, lateral view E abdominal ventrite VIII, female F spermatheca G gonocoxae.