Paraplotes yaoi Lee

Lee, Chi-Feng, 2015, The genus Paraplotes Laboissière, 1933 in Taiwan, a speciose group with brachelytrous females (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Zootaxa 3904 (2), pp. 223-248 : 239-242

Paraplotes yaoi Lee , sp. nov.

( Figs 67–71 , 90 )

Paraplotes taiwana: Kimoto, 1966: 33 ; Kimoto, 1991: 16. (misidentification)

Type locality. Kaoshiung county, Tenchih (aeα), 23°04’N, 120°45’E, 1500 m.

Type material (n= 58). Holotype ♂, Kaoshiung, Tengchih (aeα), 26.V.2009, leg. C.-F. Lee. Paratypes: 2♂♂, 2♀♀, same data as holotype; 1♂, same locality, 2–5.VI.2008, leg. C.-F. Lee ( TARI); 1♂, 2♀♀, same locality, 5.II.2009, leg. M.-H. Tsou; 5♂♂, 2♀♀, same locality, 18.IV.2013, leg. B.-X. Guo ( TARI); 4♂♂, 1♀, same locality, 18.IV.2013, leg. Y.-T. Chung ( TARI); 1♂, same locality, 8.VI.2013, leg. W.-C. Liao ( TARI); 2♂♂, 1♀, same locality, 6.VII.2013, leg. W.-C. Liao ( TARI); 4♂♂, 5♀♀, 3.VIII.2013, leg. B.-X. Guo ( TARI); 1♂, 1♀, same locality, 6.VIII.2013, leg. B.-X. Guo ( TARI); 1♂, same locality, 10.VIII.2013, leg. W.-C. Liao ( TARI); 1♂, Shanping (ffi±), 31.VI.1997, leg. K.-J. Wu ( NMNS); 1♂, 2♀♀, Taoyuan (ffiae), 1.VII.2009, leg. M.-H. Tsou; 2♀♀, same locality, 1.VII.2009, leg. S.-F. Yu ( TARI); 2♂♂, 1♀, Tonalintao (+Mϔffi), 6.VII.2011, leg. M.-H. Tsou ( TARI); 1♂, same locality, 3.II.2013, leg. W.-C. Liao ( TARI); Pingtung: 8♂♂, 3♀♀, Machiatsun (ffiYIJ), 22.IX. leg. J.-C. Chen ( TARI).

Description. Male: Length 4.5–4.8 mm, width 2.2–2.4 mm. Yellowish-brown or dark yellowish-brown, antenna, coxa, base of femur, and tarsi darkened; meso- and metathoracic ventrites, and abdomen blackish brown; elytron bluish- or purplish- metallic. Antenna relatively long and slender, about 0.8X as long as body; ratios of length to width of antennomeres III to XI about 1.0: 1.1: 1.0: 0.9: 1.1: 1.0: 1.1: 1.1: 1.5. Pronotum strongly transverse, 2.2–2.5X wider than long, anterior margin moderately concave; sides anteriorly widened. Elytra long, about 1.6X longer than wide. Aedeagus ( Figs 67–69 ) wide, about 3.4X longer than wide, sides parallel, apex truncate, but slightly convex near middle; in lateral view moderately curved, apex wide; tectum membranous; apico-lateral scerlites large; lateral spiculae two-paired; median spicaula long, about 0.8X as long as aedeagus.

Female: Length 4.4–4.6 mm, width 2.9–3.1 mm. Similar to males, elytra relatively wider than males, about 1.2X longer than wide. Hind wings extremely reduced or moderately, from 0.22 (in Taoyuan: Figs 90 d & e), 0.24X (in Tengchih: Fig. 90 b), to 0.31X (in Machiatsun: Fig. 90 a) as long as those of males, Gonocoxae ( Fig. 70 ) separated, without sclerites connected. Ventrite VIII ( Fig. 71 ) apically widened, surface with dense setae along apex, as well as apical margin, spiculum slender. Spermathecal receptaculum ( Fig. 72 ) as wide as pump; pump strongly curved, apex widely rounded; spermathecal duct short, slender, shallowly projecting into receptaculum.

Differential diagnosis. See diagnosis of Paraplotes jengi .

Distribution. Widespread in south Taiwan (Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties) ( Fig. 79 ).

Etymology. Dedicated to Dr. Cheng-Te Yao for assisting in collecting.

Notes. Specimens collected from Hoozan (= Fengshan RM) ( Kimoto 1966) and Liu Kui (Aa) ( Kimoto 1991) should belong to this species based on the localities (all in Kaoshiung county).

Figures

FIGURES 67 – 72. Diagnostic characters of Paraplotes yaoi Lee, sp. nov. 67. Aedeagus, dorsal view; 68. Aedeagus, lateral view; 69. Aedeagus, ventral view; 70. Gonocoxae; 71. Ventrite VIII; 72. Spermatheca.

FIGURES 81 – 91. Hind wings. 81: male; 82 – 85: females. 81, Paraplotes taiwana, Tulanshan; 82, P. cheni, a & b, different individuals from same population; 83, P. j e ng i, a – c, different individuals from same population; 84, P. meihuai, a – c, different individuals from same population; 86, P. taiwana, a: Tulanshan, b: Motien, c: Tahanshan; 87, P. tatakaensis; 88, P. ts oui, a: Chihlanshan, b: Lalashan, c: Taipingshan; 89, P. tsuenensis, a & b, different individuals from same population; 90, P. y ao i, a: Machiatsun, b: Tengchih, c: Tona, d & e: Taoyuan; 91. P. yuae, a: Wushihken; b: Anmashan, c: Wuchihshan.

FIGURES 79 – 80. Distribution map of Paraplotes species of Taiwan, solid line: 1000 m, broken line: 2000 m. 79. Widespread species, brown dots: P. tsoui, green dots: P. y ua e, pink dots: P. jengi, red dots: P. y a oi, blue dots: P. taiwana; 80. Localized species, brown dots: P. tahsiangi, pink dot: P. tsuenensis, green dots: P. tatakaensis, red dots: P. meihuai, blue dot: P. cheni.