Taumacera multicostata ( Jacoby, 1896 )

Bezděk, Jan, 2019, Taumacera revisited, with new synonyms, new combinations and a revised catalogue of the species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 59 (1), pp. 23-52 : 38-39

Taumacera multicostata ( Jacoby, 1896)

( Fig. 101 )

Platyxantha multicostata Jacoby, 1896a: 495 (original description)

Type material examined. SYNTYPES: 1 ♀, ‘Co-/ type [white round label with yellow collar, p] // SUMATRA / SI-RAMBÉ / XII.90-III.91 / E. MODIGLIANI [w, p] // Museo Civ. / Genova [orange, p] // Jacoby Coll. / 1909-28a [w, p] // Platyxantha / multicostata / Jac.[b, h] // SYN- / TYPE [white round label with pale blue collar, p] ( BMNH); 1 ♀, ‘ SUMATRA / SI-RAMBÉ / XII.90-III.91 / E. MODIGLIANI [w, p] // Typus [red letters, w, p] // multicostata / Jac. [w, h] // Platyxantha / multicostata / Jac. [b, h]’ ( MSNG).

Comments. The correct generic assignment of this species remains unclear. JACOBY (1896a) described it from two specimens (according to a note mentioned in the same paper in the description of Platyxantha submetallica ) and classified it in Platyxantha which was followed by WILCOX (1973). Recently, REID (1999) transferred it to Taumacera without any comments. I examined both syntypes (females) deposited in the BMNH and MSNG. The BMNH syntype ( Fig. 101 ) was studied in detail. It has closed posterior margins of the procoxal cavity and the metatibia without a spine. However, the legs are in bad condition and I cannot exclude that the spines were broken. The correct generic placement can be resolved only when a male specimen is discovered. Moreover, it cannot be excluded that Platyxantha multicostata and P. submetallica belong to a single species as they were collected in the same locality (Si-Rambé) and differ only in body length and paler colouration of the elytral disc in P. submetallica , as mentioned already by JACOBY (1896a).

Figures

Figs 94–104. Habitus of Taumacera. 94– T.variceps (Laboissière, 1933) (male); 95 – T.viridis (Hope, 1831) (male, syntype); 96 – T.coxalis (Jacoby, 1899) (female, syntype); 97 – T. jacobyi Weise, 1922 (male, syntype of Dorydea costatipennis Jacoby, 1896); 98 – T. javanensis Jacoby, 1895 (male, syntype); 99 – T. kinabaluensis (Mohamedsaid, 1995) (male); 100 – T. monstrosa (Jacoby, 1899) (male); 101 – T. multicostata (Jacoby, 1896) (female, syntype); 102 – T. submetallica (Jacoby, 1896) (female, syntype); 103 – T. sumatrana (Jacoby, 1899) (male); 104 – T. variabilis (Jacoby, 1891) (male, syntype).