Theopea coerulea Gressitt & Kimoto

Lee, Chi-Feng & Bezdĕk, Jan, 2018, Revision of the genus Theopea Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae) of East Asia: species lacking modified clypeus in males and the T. sauteri species group, Zootaxa 4508 (3), pp. 334-376 : 356-357

Theopea coerulea Gressitt & Kimoto , valid species

( Figs 13 A–13C, 14)

Theopea coerulea Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963: 679 ; Wilcox, 1973: 630 (catalogue); Kimoto, 1989c: 200 (as synonym of T. sauteri , misidentification). Theopea sauteri: Wang et al., 1998: 129 (faunistic records); Yang, 2002: 656 (catalogue) (misidentifications).

Types. Holotype ♂ ( BPBM): “Fukien, S. China / TaChuFung, TaoShul / SuTou [p] / V-9 [h] -45. T. C. Maa [p, w] / / Theopea / coerulea / holo G&K [h] / J.L.Gressitt det. [p, w] // Holotype [p] / Theopea ♂ / coerulea [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto [p, r]” . Paratypes: 1♀ ( BPBM): “Fukien, S. China / Chungan , WuIChiShan [p] / VI-10-44 [h] T.C.Maa [p, w] // Theopea / coerulea / allo G&K [h] / J.L.Gressitt det. [p, w] // Theopea / coerulea / ♀ G&K [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto det. 1961 [p, w] // ALLOTYPE [p] / Theopea / coerulea [h] / J.L.Gressitt [p, r]” ; 1♂ ( CAS): “FUKIEN S. China / Shaowu : Tachulan / 1000 m, T. Maa [p, w] // V-31-1942 [h, w] // PARATYPE [p] / Theopea / coerulea [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto [p, y]” ; 1♀ ( CAS): “Fukien, S. China / Shawu , TaChuFung / Taosul [p] VI- / 6-9 [h] -43, T.C.Maa [p, w] // PARATYPE [p] / Theopea / coerulea [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto [p, y]” ; 1♂ ( KMNH): “Fukien, S. China [p] / ShaoWu TachuFung / V-21-1942 [h] T.C.Maa [p, w] // Theopea / coerulea / G&K [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto det. 1961 [p, w] // PARATYPE [p, b]” ; 1♂ ( BMNH): “Fukien, S. China / ShaoWu , TaChuFung [p] / VI-6- 9-1943 [h] T.C. Maa [p, w] // PARATYPE [p] / Theopea / coerulea [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto [p, y] // Para- / type [p, w, circle label with yellow border] // Brit. Mus. / 1963-245 [p, w]” ; 1♂ ( USNM): “nr Foochow / China, 1921- / 1924 / CR Kellogg [p, w] // US [p, w] // PARATYPE [p] / Theopea / coerulea [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto [p, y]” ; 1♂ ( CAS): “FUKIEN, S. China / Shaowu : ShuiPaiKai / T. C. Maa [p, w] // MAY 21, 1943 [h, w] // PARATYPE [p] / Theopea / coerulea [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto [p, y]” ; 1♂ ( KMNH): “ China / Reitter. [p, w] // YENPINGFU / FUKIEN [p, w] // Theopea / coerulea / G&K [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto det. 1962 [p, w] // PARATYPE [p, b]” ; 1♀ ( NHMB): “ China / Reitter. [p, w] // YENPINGFU / FUKIEN [p, w] // Museum Frey / Tutzing [p, w] // PARATYPE [p] / Theopea / coerulea [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto [p, y]” .

Other specimens examined. CHINA. Fujian: 4 ♀♀ (TARI), Chishui (赤水), 20.VI.2014; 2♀♀ ( USNM), Dayunshan (戴雲山), 7–8.VI.2014, leg. A. Konstantinov ; 2♂♂, 1♀ ( USNM), Foochow (福州), 1921-24, leg. C. R. Kellogg ; 1♂ ( TARI), Guihe (桂和村), 17.V.2015 ; 5♀♀ ( TARI), Houchai (後宅), 24–25.VI.2014 ; 5♀♀ ( TARI), same locality, 9.VI.2015 ; 1♂, 1♀ ( TARI), Jiuxianshan (九仙山), 12.VI.2015 ; 12♀♀ ( USNM), Wuyishan (武夷山), 1–2.VI.2014, leg. A. Konstantinov ; 1♀ ( USNM), Youxi (尤溪), 30.V.2014, leg. A. Konstantinov.

Redescription. Length 5.1–6.2 mm, width 2.2–2.5 mm. General color ( Figs 13 A–13C) metallic blue; antennae blackish brown; mouthparts and legs yellow, but apices of tibiae, and tarsi darker. Vertex with reticulate microsculpture. Antennomeres III & IV slight curved and V to XI filiform in males ( Fig. 14A ), narrower apically, length ratios of antennomeres I–XI 1.0: 0.3: 0.8: 1.0: 1.1: 1.0: 1.1: 1.0: 0.9: 0.8: 1.0, length to width ratios of antennomeres I–XI 3.4: 1.4: 2.7: 3.7: 3.9: 3.4: 3.6: 3.9: 4.4: 4.4: 5.1; slender in females ( Fig. 14B ), antennomeres III–X straight, length ratios of antennomeres I–XI 1.0: 0.4: 0.8: 1.0: 1.0: 0.9: 1.0: 0.9: 0.9: 0.8: 1.0, length to width ratios of antennomeres I–XI 3.2: 1.6: 3.8: 4.6: 4.7: 4.2: 4.4: 4.5: 4.4: 3.9: 4.9. Pronotum transverse, 1.4x wider than long, disc with reticulate microsculpture, dense, coarse punctures, and one pair of lateral depressions; lateral margin basally narrowed; apical and basal margins subtruncate. Elytra elongate and parallel-sided, 1.8x longer than wide; disc with reticulate microsculpture, dense, coarse punctures arranged into longitudinal rows, and distinct, longitudinal ridges between longitudinal rows of punctures. Apical margin of abdominal ventrite V in females rounded but with a small notch at middle ( Fig. 14H ). Tarsomeres I of front legs swollen in males ( Fig. 14I ), subparallel in females ( Fig. 14J ). Penis ( Figs 14 C–14E) extremely slender, 9.0x longer than wide; apex narrowly rounded, with medial, shallow, narrow notch; sides asymmetrical, expanded to right at apical 1/3, tectum elongate from apical 1/10 to basal 1/3, narrower apically; almost straight in lateral view, moderately curved near base; triangular sclerites small; internal sac with one narrow, short endophallic sclerite complex, 0.5x as long as penis, composed of two sclerites, basal piece subequal to apical piece in length, apical piece with acute apex, dorsal sclerite well developed, 1.6X longer than basal piece, apex acute in lateral view, ventral sclerites present. Gonocoxae ( Fig. 14F ) elongate, slightly broadened subapically, connected from basal 1/3 to apical 1/4; apices narrowly rounded, each gonocoxa with eight setae along outer margin from apex to apical 1/6; with one pair of short lateral processes at basal 2/5. Ventrite VIII ( Fig. 14G ) longitudinal and well sclerotized; disc with several long setae at sides, and with dense, short setae along apical margin; spiculum extremely slender. Receptacle of spermatheca ( Fig. 14K ) strongly swollen; pump slender and strongly curved; proximal spermathecal duct deeply inserted into receptacle, broad and short.

Diagnosis. Males of T. coerulea have asymmetrical penises that are similar to those of T. sekerkai sp. nov. They differ in possessing a well sclerotized apical piece and shorter dorsal sclerite (1.6x long than basal piece) ( Figs 14 C–14E), in contrast the membranous apex of the apical piece and shorter dorsal sclerite (3.6x longer than basal piece) in T. sekerkai ( Figs 20 C–20E).

Food plants. Unknown.

Remarks. One male (KMNH) (labeled: “Kiautschau / China [p, w] // Spec. ad / Apophylia [h, w] // PARATYPE [p, b]” and two females (NHMB) (labeled: “Kiautschau / China [p, w] // Museum Frey / Tutzing [p, w] // PARATYPE [p] / Theopea / coerulea [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto [p, y]”) collected from Shandong represents a similar but distinct species based on the different shape of the aedeagus. However, description of the new species is deferred due to insufficient available material. One paratype collected from Guandong and Vietnam respectively are designated as paratypes of T. laosensis sp. nov.

Distribution: China: Fujian.

Figures

FIGURES 13. Habitus of Theopea species. 13A. T. coerulea Gressitt & Kimoto, male, dorsal view; 13B. Same, ventral view; 13C. T. coerulea, female, dorsal view; 13D. T. geiseri sp. nov., male, dorsal view; 13E. Same, ventral view; 13F. T. geiseri sp. nov., female, dorsal view; 13G. T. geiseri sp. nov., female, color variation, dorsal view; 13H. T. hainanensis sp. nov., male, dorsal view; 13I. Same, ventral view.

FIGURES 14. Diagnostic characters of Theopea coerulea Gressitt & Kimoto. 14A. Antenna, male; 14B. Antenna, female; 14C. Penis, dorsal view; 14D. Penis, lateral view; 14E. Penis, ventral view; 14F. Gonocoxae; 14G. Abdominal ventrite VIII; 14H. Apical margin of abdominal ventrite V, female; 14I. Tarsi of front leg, male; 14J. Tarsi of front leg, female; 14K. Spermatheca.

FIGURES 20. Diagnostic characters of Theopea sekerkai sp. nov. 20A. Antenna, male; 20B. Antenna, female; 20C. Penis, dorsal view; 20D. Penis, lateral view; 20E. Penis, ventral view; 20F. Gonocoxae; 20G. Abdominal ventrite VIII; 20H. Apical margin of abdominal ventrite V, female; 20I. Tarsi of front leg, male; 20J. Tarsi of front leg, female; 20K. Spermatheca.