Mimastra fortipunctata Maulik, 1936

Bezděk, Jan, 2009, Revisional study on the genus Mimastra (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae): Species with unmodified protarsomeres in male. Part 1., Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (2), pp. 819-840 : 822

Mimastra fortipunctata Maulik, 1936

( Figs. 2 , 6 , 23 )

Mimastra fortipunctata Maulik, 1936: 527 (key), 542 (original description).

Mimastra fortipunctata: WILCOX (1973) : 483 (catalogue); KIMOTO (1982): 13; MEDVEDEV (1992): 14; MEDVEDEV & SPRECHER- UEBERSAX (1999): 311 (catalogue); KIMOTO (2001): 41; KIMOTO (2005): 61 (catalogue).

Mimastra bhutanica Kimoto, 1982: 14 (original description), syn. nov.

Mimastra bhutanica: KIMOTO (2005) : 61 (catalogue).

Type localities. Mimastra fortipunctata : not given in the original description. Based on the labels of the holotype, the type locality is ‘E. Himalayas, Kurseong’ [= Karsiyang, 26°52′N 88°16′E, West Bengal, India]. Mimastra bhutanica : ‘ Bhutan, Kharbani’.

Type material examined. Mimastra fortipunctata : HOLOTYPE: unsexed, ‘Type [white round label with red collar, h] // D´Abreu [vertically] / Ind. Mus. / Kurseong / 6000 ft. / E. Himalayas [p] / II–VIII [h] -09. [w, p] // Mimastra / fortipunctata [h] / S. Maulik [p] / Type 1936 [w, h] // Brit. Mus. / 1939- [p] 149 [w, h]’ ( BMNH). PARATYPES: 1 spec. unsexed, ‘Mus. Collr. [vertically] / Damukdia / Ghat / E. Bengal / 22-VII-07 [w, p] // Ind. Mus. [w, p] // 951 / 16 [w, p] // Mimastra / fortipunctata [h] / S. Maulik det. [p] Mlk. / paratype 1936 [w, h] // Brit. Mus. / 1939- [p] 149 [w, h]’ ( BMNH); 1 J, ‘Mus. Collr. [vertically] / Damukdia / Ghat / E. Bengal / 22-VII-07 [w, p] // Ind. Mus. [w, p] // 947 / 16 [w, p] // Mimastra / fortipunctata Mlk. [h] / S. Maulik det. [p] / paratype 1936 [w, h] // Brit. Mus. / 1939- [p] 149 [w, h]’ ( BMNH); 1 J, ‘Mus. Collr. [vertically] / Siliguri / N. Bengal. / 18–20.VII.07 [w, p] // Ind. Mus. [w, p] // 979 / 16 [w, p] // Mimastra / fortipunctata Mlk. [h] / S. Maulik det. [p] / paratype 1936 [w, h] // Brit. Mus. / 1939- [p] 149 [w, h]’ ( BMNH); 1 spec. unsexed, ‘C. Paiva [vertically] / Ind. Mus. / Darjiling / E. Himalayas / alt. [p] 7000 [h] ft. [p] / 5 [h] –VIII-09. [w, p] // Mimastra / fortipunctata Mlk. [h] / S. Maulik det. [p] / paratype 1936 [w, h] // Brit. Mus. / 1939- [p] 149 [w, h]’ ( BMNH).

Mimastra bhutanica : HOLOTYPE: ♀, ‘ Kharbandi / 700 m [p] 9.1975 [w, h] // Bhutan, Dorjee / Khandu Dukpa [w, p] // PHOTO [red label, p] // HOLOTYPE [red label, p] // Mimastra / bhutanica / Kimoto, n. sp. [w, h]’ ( NHMB) . Additional material examined. INDIA: WEST BENGAL: 1 J 1 ♀, Darjeeling, 7000 ft., 9.viii.1924, Major R. W. G. Hingston leg. ( BMNH). ARUNACHAL PRADESH: 114 spec. (3 JJ 3 ♀♀, remaining spec. unsexed), 8 km S Jamiri, Sessa vicinity, 350 m, 27°07–09´N 92°34´E, 26.v.–4.vi.2005, L. Dembický leg. ( BMNH). BHUTAN: 1 ♀, Dorjee Khandu, Chasilakha, 1978 ( NHMB).

Differential diagnosis. Due to the small body size and characteristic black pattern on the elytra ( Fig. 23 ), M. fortipunctata cannot be confused with any other Mimastra species. Aedeagus as in Fig. 2 . Spermatheca as in Fig. 6 . Body length: males 4.00– 4.60 mm; females 4.00– 5.20 mm.

Distribution. Bhutan ( KIMOTO 1982), India ( MAULIK 1936), Nepal ( MEDVEDEV 1992, KIMOTO 2001).

Comments. KIMOTO (1982) described M. bhutanica based on two specimens (holotype and paratype) deposited in NHMB and distinguished it from M. fortipunctata by a finer punctation of the elytra. My comparison of the type material of both species and numerous other recently collected specimens showed no difference in the intensity of elytral punctures. The holotype of M. bhutanica is a pale specimen with slightly reduced black pattern on the elytra that falls fully within the variability range of M. fortipunctata . Mimastra bhutanica is thus proposed here as a new synonym of M. fortipunctata .

Mimastra fortipunctata was originally described from 29 specimens ( MAULIK 1936). I have found the holotype and four paratypes in BMNH; the depository of the remaining paratypes is unknown to me.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Aedeagus (a – dorsal view; b – lateral view; c – ventral view). 1 – Mimastra badia Kimoto, 1989; 2 – M. fortipunctata Maulik, 1936; 3 – M. maai Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963; 4 – M. malvi Chen, 1942. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figs. 5–9. Spermatheca. 5 – Mimastra badia Kimoto, 1989; 6 – M. fortipunctata Maulik, 1936; 7 – M. maai Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963; 8 – M. pallida Jacoby, 1896; 9 – M. polita Jacoby, 1889. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figs. 22–25. Habitus. 22 – Mimastra badia Kimoto, 1989 (paratype, male, 5.90 mm); 23 – M. fortipunctata Maulik, 1936 (female, 3.85 mm); 24 – M. malvi Chen, 1942 (paratype of M. grahami, female, 7.80 mm); 25 – M. maai Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 (male, 6.80 mm).