Sticholotis acutifolia Wang & Ren

Xingmin Wang, Hermes E. Escalona, Shunxiang Ren & Chen Xiaosheng, 2017, Taxonomic review of the ladybird genus Sticholotis from China (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Zootaxa 4326 (1), pp. 1-72 : 27-28

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4326.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A2A72998-86A8-4E77-A2E3-64615Edb2D5F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5309733
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A987ED-FFB6-FFF4-BDB6-EB5D5BBCFD4B
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Sticholotis acutifolia Wang & Ren
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Sticholotis acutifolia Wang & Ren sp. nov.

( Figures 65–67 View FIGURES 65 – 73. 65 – 67 , 206–210 View FIGURES 206 – 216. 206 – 210 , 299 View FIGURE 299 )

Diagnosis. This species is close to S. magnopunctata in morphological characters and genitalia, but can be distinguished from the latter by the spot on center of elytral disc rounded and touching the black external band, and elytra with two rows of large punctures along elytral suture ( Fig. 65 View FIGURES 65 – 73. 65 – 67 ). In S. magnopunctata , the spot on on center of elytral disc is elongate oval but not touching the black external band and the elytra lack large punctures ( Fig. 62 View FIGURES 56 – 64. 56 – 58 ). The penis guide is also diagnostic and in S. acutifolia is distinctly narrower than in S. magnopunctata ( Figs 204 View FIGURES 197 – 205. 197 – 200 , 209 View FIGURES 206 – 216. 206 – 210 ).

Description. TL: 2.14 mm, TW: 1.88 mm, TH: 1.15 mm, TL/TW: 1.14; PL/PW: 0.41; EL/EW: 0.88; HW/TW: 0.40; PW/TW: 0.68.

Head brown. Pronotum and scutellum black. Elytra orange, with moderately wide brown band along lateral margin and suture; band expanded at middle of lateral margin and elytral apex. Elytra with 3 large black spots disposed as follows: the largest resting on middle of elytral suture; a pair resting on disc slightly posteriad of half length of elytron ( Figs 65–67 View FIGURES 65 – 73. 65 – 67 ). Underside brown, elytral epipleuron and legs yellowish brown.

Body almost circular in outline, hemispherical, shiny and glabrous. Head frontal punctures large, dense and shallow, 0.2–0.8 diameters apart, with short dense setae. Eyes small and coarsely faceted, interocular distance about 0.57x head width ( Fig. 67 View FIGURES 65 – 73. 65 – 67 ).

Pronotal punctures fine and conspicuous, 1.0–2.0 diameters apart. Elytral punctures slightly larger than those on pronotum, 1.5–2.0 diameters apart, with two rows of large punctures along sutural spot margin. Elytral margins very narrowly explanate, hardly visible from above.

Prosternal surface shagreened, punctures inconspicuous, with long sparse setae. Mesoventral surface shagreened, punctures large. Metaventrite covered by coarse and dense punctures distributed at center. Elytral epipleuron broad and complete to apex, feebly foveate to accommodate femoral tips of hind legs. Wings welldeveloped.

Male genitalia: Penis short, capsule with small inner process and without outer one ( Fig. 207 View FIGURES 206 – 216. 206 – 210 ); tegmen with penis guide slightly longer than parameres, in lateral view thin and straight, widest at base, tapering to apex, apex sharply pointed ( Fig. 208 View FIGURES 206 – 216. 206 – 210 ); penis guide in ventral view subtriangular, widest at base, tapering to apex, apex pointed ( Fig. 209 View FIGURES 206 – 216. 206 – 210 ); parameres very slender, with short setae apically.

Female genitalia: Ovipositor elongate and triangular, styli highly reduced, each with several long terminal setae ( Fig. 210 View FIGURES 206 – 216. 206 – 210 ).

Holotype: 1male, China, Guangxi: Pinglongshan, Shiwandashan National Natural Reserve , [21°49.88′N, 107°56.79′E], ca 160m, 29.vii.2005, Wang XM leg ( SCAU) GoogleMaps . Paratype: 1female, same data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Distribution. China: Guangxi.

Etymology. The specific epithet is formed from the Latin adjective acutifolius, referring to pointed apex of penis.