Lilioceris yuae Long, 2000b

Figs 25, 26, 36A-D, 46A-C, 55A-D, 66A-C, 68, 74A-D

Lilioceris yuae Long, 2000b: 416 (China: Hainan).

Type material examined.

Holotype of Lilioceris yuae (MBSU), Holotype: ♀, Lilioceris yuae sp. nov., Jianguo Long det., 1999.9.30 / Hainan, Qiong Shan, Dongzhai Gang, 1985.VI.4, Shigui Jiang coll. En-207218 SYS.

Other material examined.

Total 52 specimens. China: Guangxi: 18♀ 16♂, Fangchenggang, Jinhuacha Nature Reserve, 2021.III.24-29, Pingzhou Zhu coll. ; 1♀, Nanning, Daming Shan, 2019.VIII.20, Meiying Lin coll. ; 1♂, Fangchenggang, Shangsi, Shiwan Dashan, 2023.6.1, Yuan Xu and Neng Zhang coll. ; Guangdong: 2♀, Dinghu Shan, 1980.VI.4-10, Yinshu Xie coll. ; 2♀ 4♂, Zhanjiang, Dalang village, 2016.IV.26-27, Hongbin Liang coll. ; Hainan: 1♂, Jianfengling, 1982.VIII.5 / Chengfeng Liang coll. / Lilioceris yuae, det. Liang H.B.; 1♂ 1♀, Qinglan / 1965.II.8, Enkong Liu coll. ; 1♀, Danzhou, SC Tropical Agr. Univ., beating, 19.50664°N, 109.47883°E / 150 m, 2007.V.16, Hongbin Liang coll. ; 1♀, Ledong, Jianfengling, Chahekou, 206 m, 2009.XII.4, 18.74552°N, 108.99068°E, Meiying Lin coll. ; 1♀, Jianfengling, E108.8716, N18.7170, 1412 m, 2019.4.14 -16, Haitian Song coll. ; 2♂, Baisha, Gaofeng village, 19.04059°N, 109.31583°E, 886 m, 2020.VII.28, Yuan Xu coll.

Diagnosis.

Anterior angles of pronotum slightly protruding, pronotal disc with two rows of fine punctures. Humeral groove of elytra indistinct, punctures diminishing posteriorly, absent on apical 1/3. Lateral metasternum with sparse pubescence.

Redescription.

BL = 7.5-7.8 mm, BW = 3.5-3.8 mm. Body brownish red, head, antenna, legs and lateral metasternum with a weak blue metallic luster.

Head (Figs 25, 46A). Vertex flat, with a very deep groove in the middle, sparsely punctate and pubescent laterally; frontoclypeal area triangular, lateral disc with sparse punctures and pubescent; labrum transverse, with sparse pubescent; antennae nearly 1/2 of body length, antennomeres 1-4 nearly globular, antennomere 2 shortest, antennomeres 5-10 length almost equal, flatten, antennomere 11 slender.

Pronotum (Figs 25, 46B). Anterior angles protruding, posterior angles slightly protruding; sides distinctly constricted in the middle; disc flat; middle of disc with two rows of fine and shallow punctures. Scutellum triangular and pubescent.

Elytra (Figs 25, 36B). Humeri protruding, humeral groove and basal impression shallow; elytra without completely punctate striae, punctures sparse, diminishing posteriorly, absent on apical 1/3; intervals smooth; epipleura raised, with a row of fine punctures.

Mesosternum pubescent. Lateral metasternum with a short and oblique strip of pubescence. Metepisternum densely pubescent (Fig. 46C).

Abdominal sternite (Fig. 36A). Lateral transverse impressions big and distinct on sternites 1-4, other areas of sternites 1-4 densely pubescent. Middle of first abdominal sternite with a row of distinctly long pubescence in male, and first abdominal sternite without long pubescence in female.

Leg (Fig. 36C). Femora with dense pubescence on the dorsal surface, with sparse pubescence on the ventral surface, without tooth.

Male genitalia (Fig. 55A-D). Ostium occupying 1/4 length of median lobe (Fig. 55A); apex slightly hooked (Fig. 55B); tegmen Y-shaped, basal piece of tegmen oval and narrow, lateral lobes slightly sclerotized and combined with second connecting membrane; internal sac membranous, with distinct dorsal and ventral sclerites, posterior part of dorsal sclerite in dorsal view parallel, ventral sclerite extended and tubular (= flagellum), median sclerite very small (Fig. 55C, D).

Female reproductive organs (Fig. 66A-C). Tergites 8 and 9, sternites 8 and 9 sclerotized, posterior areas of tergite 8, sternite 8, and apodemes with pubescence, spiculum gastrale Y-shaped and long; ovipositor with dense pubescence, distal part of ovipositor cylindrical, long and with a protuberance; spermatheca simple and curved.

Distribution

(Fig. 68). China (Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan).

Host plant and habitat

(Fig. 74A-D). This species feeds on Smilax lanceifolia Roxb. according to our observation in Hainan. One locality of this species, near a road of Gaofeng village (Hainan, Baisha), is situated at the subtropics. The habitat is secondary forests, which is characterized by high temperature and humidity, plentiful precipitation, and much sunlight. The forests are open and composed of tall trees, woody vines, and many weeds.

Remarks.

Lilioceris yuae is very similar to L. cyanicollis but differs by the body color and pubescence on the metasternum; the body of L. yuae is brownish red, and only the head, antenna, leg, and lateral metasternum have a very weak blue metallic luster; lateroposterior corner of metepisternum with sparse pubescence. In L. cyanicollis, the elytra and abdomen are brownish red, pronotum is brownish red or blue, and the other areas are blue with a distinctly blue metallic luster; and the metepisternum is glabrous. However, the male genitalia and the female reproductive organs of these two species are very similar. We temporarily treat L. yuae as distinct species, as more material is needed to conclusively elucidate their relationship.