Aulacophora palliata (Schaller, 1783)

(Figs 108–110, 112–120)

Chrysomela palliata Schaller, 1783: 279 (India: Malayalam).

Crioceris palliata: Fabricius, 1787: 87 .

Cryptocephalus palliatus: Gmellin, 1890: 1718 .

Galleruca palliata: Fabricius, 1792: 22 .

Galeruca palliata: Olivier, 1808: 625 .

Aulacophora palliata: Jacoby, 1884: 41; Baly, 1888: 180 (India, Malaysia); Jacoby, 1889: 206 (Burma); Duvivier, 1892: 430 (India: Konbir); Weise, 1892: 398 (Sunda islands); Maulik, 1936: 182 (redescription); Chen & Kung, 1959: 375 (China: Yunnan, Hainan); Chûjô, 1962: 94 (Taiwan); Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963: 490 (China: Hainan, Guandong; Vietnam); Barroga & Mohamedsaid, 2002: 138 (Indonesia: Buru island); Aston, 2009: 13 (China: Hong Kong).

Orthaulaca (Ceratia) palliata: Weise, 1892: 398 .

Aulacophora (Ceratia) palliata: Laboissière, 1929: 258 (Vietnam); Chûjô, 1935c: 160 (Taiwan).

Ceratia palliata: Miwa, 1931: 189 (Taiwan) .

Type material. Schaller’s collection does no longer exist. It was lost in “Waisenhaus Halle”.

Other specimens examined. CHINA. Guandong: 1♂, V.–VII.1911, leg. S. V. Mell (BPBM); Hong Kong: 1♂, 1♀, Lantau, Pui O., 27.V.2008, leg. P. Aston (PAHC); INDONESIA. Java: 2♂, 2♀, leg. Harsfield, 60-15 (BMNH); 2♂, 2♀, Noesa Kembangan, leg. Drescher (MNHUB); TAIWAN. Miaoli: 1♂, Sanyi, 6.VII.2013, Y.-T. Chung (TARI); Kaoshiung: 1♂, Meinung, 14.XII.2012, leg. J.-C. Chen (TARI); 1♂, Tengchih, 4.VIII.2012, leg. J.-C. Chen (TARI); Pingtung: 1♂, Lilungshan, 15.VIII.2009, leg. S.-F. Yu (TARI); 1♂, same locality, 23.XII.2009, leg. J.-C. Chen (TARI); 1♂, Nanjenhu, 15.III.2010, leg. M.-H. Tsou (TARI): 1♂, Peitawushan, 18.VI.2012, leg. J.-C. Chen (TARI); 1♂, 13.VIII.2013, leg. Y.-T. Chung (TARI); 1♂, same locality, 28.V.2014, leg. Y.-T. Chung (TARI); 1♂, Shouka, 13.VI.2013, Y.-T. Chung (TARI); 1♂, Shuangliu, 19.VII.2007, leg. S.-F. Yu (TARI); 4♂, 1♀, Tahanshan, 19.XI.2012, leg. J.-C. Chen (TARI); 5♂, 1♀, same locality, 15.XI.2013, leg. Y.-T. Chung (TARI); 5♂, 4♀, Wutan, 5.VIII.2014, leg. Y.-T. Chung (BMNH, RBCN); Tainan: 1♂, Tanei, 25.VI.2007, leg. Y.-C. Chang (TARI); 1♂, Tungshan, 14.III.2010, leg. M.-H. Tsou (TARI); Taipei: 1♂, Chungchengshan, 16.IX.2011, leg. S.-F. Yu (TARI); 1♀, same locality, 9.X.2011, leg. M.-H. Tsou (TARI); Taitung: 5♂, 2♀, Yanping logging trail, 19.X.2012, leg. J.-C. Chen (MNHUB).

Diagnosis. See diagnosis of Aulacophora frontalis .

Males. Length 6.0– 6.6 mm, width 3.1–3.5 mm. General color (Figs 108–108) yellowish brown except elytron black and shining. Vertical area of head with a strongly thickened transverse ridge on each side (Fig. 112). Antenna (Fig. 113) filiform, antennomere I a little swollen; III triangular, with semicircle groove at outer baso-lateral angles; IV and V extremely widened; V with longitudinal groove on lateral expansion, groove without setae; ratio of length of antennomeres III to XI about 1.0: 0.8: 0.9: 0.8: 0.9: 0.8: 0.9: 0.8: 1.0; ratio of length to width from antennomere III to XI about 1.6: 0.9: 1.2: 3.1: 3.5: 3.3: 3.4: 3.8: 4.8. Apex of abdominal tergite VIII weakly emarginate at middle (Fig. 119), apical margin with several setae; base weakly sclerotized. Median lobe of fifth abdominal ventrite short and rectangular, disc flat and without longitudinal grooves, apical margin weakly emarginate at middle. Penis (Figs 115–116) abruptly widened at apical 1/5, apex pointed; almost straight in lateral view but curved at apical 1/5; ventral surface depressed at middle of apical 1/5; tectum well sclerotized, apex widened; endophallus with dense, irregularly arranged setae, and with one longitudinal sclerite, apex rounded, basally widened and bifurcate.

Females. Length 6.8–7.7 mm, width 3.2–4.4 mm. Similar to male (Fig. 110), but transverse ridge on vertical area absent; antenna filiform and not modified (Fig. 114), ratio of length of antennomeres III to XI about 1.0: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 1.1; ratio of length to width from antennomere III to XI about 3.2: 3.2: 3.3: 3.0: 3.7: 3.6: 3.7: 3.5: 4.5. Apical margin of abdominal ventrite V not modified, rounded. Gonocoxae (Fig. 117) slender, apex of each gonocoxa with eight or nine setae from apical 1/6 to apex; gonocoxae connected at middle, base widened. Ventrite VIII (Fig. 118) weakly sclerotized; apex wide, apical margin a little emarginate at middle, surface with dense short setae along apical margin, and several long setae scattered at apical area; spiculum short. Spermathecal receptaculum (Fig. 120) swollen, hardly separated from pump; pump strongly curved; spermathecal duct short, stout, shallowly projecting into receptaculum.

Host plants. Cucurbitaceae: Trichosanthes cucumeroides (Ser.) Maxim. ex Fr. & Sav., and T. ovigera Bl. (present study).

Distribution. Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam.