Coilodera mearesii ( Westwood, 1842 )

Qiu, Jian-Yue, Xu, Hao & Chen, Li, 2017, Taxonomic review of the Oriental flower beetle Coilodera penicillata species complex (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), Zootaxa 4350 (3), pp. 511-537 : 520-521

Coilodera mearesii ( Westwood, 1842)

( Figs. 10–14 , 42–44 , 51, 62, 69 , 77–78, 85 , 95–97 )

Macronota mearesii Westwood, 1842: 104 (type locality: Darjeeling, India), plate 28, fig. 3 ♀; Schaum 1845: 43; Harold 1869: 1298; Schoch 1895b: 138 (Sikkim).

Macronota dives var. mearesi (Westwood) : Schaum 1848: 27 (treated as a variety); Schaum 1849: 262.

Coelodera mearesi (Westwood) : Schoch 1896b: 34; Mikšić 1972: 698 (raised to species rank), figs. 15–17; Mikšić 1976: 266, figs. 33b, 33e; Antoine 1986: 18, fig. 10e ♂ (parameres).

Macronota penicillata var. mearesi (Westwood) : Arrow 1910: 45 (treated as a variety); Janson 1917: 109 (on the type series).

Coelodera penicillata var. mearesi (Westwood) : Schenking 1921: 133.

Coilodera mearesi (Westwood) : Nakane 1972: 113 (raised to species rank), figs. 1 (parameres), 7 (habitus); Krajčík 1998: 88; Sakai & Nagai 1998: 357 (northeastern India), plate. 136, figs. 1624-1 ♂, 1624-2 ♀.

Coilodera mearesii (Westwood) : Smetana 2006: 306; Krajčík 2011: 53; Krajčík 2012: 76; Bezděk 2016: 401.

Diagnosis. Body length 20.0–21.9 mm; width 9.0–11.4 mm. This species is very similar to Coilodera dives , but it can be distinguished by the following characters: tomentum on body surface lemon-yellow; head, pronotum, and protibiae with green metallic reflections ( Figs. 10–13 , 42–43 ); posterior margin of the median tomentose area of pronotum always curved in both sexes; pronotal ridges usually slightly wider; median portion of abdomen with sparse, long setae in some individuals ( Figs. 11 , 43 ; absent in Fig. 12 ); parameres flatter in lateral view ( Fig. 78 ).

Type material. Syntype: 1♀ (OXUM), Khills [handwritten on pale yellow label] / Meares Parry [handwritten on red label] / TYPE COL: 715, Macronota mearesii Westw. , HOPE DEPT. OXFORD [species name handwritten on red label with a black border] ( Figs. 42–44 ).

Comments on type material. The original description of Macronota mearesii is based on an unspecified number of female specimens provided by British entomologist Frederic J. S. Parry ( Westwood 1842). Schaum (1849) have examined more of conspecific specimens from the Parry’s collection and these specimens were later purchased by Mr. R. Oberthür ( Janson 1917). It is difficult to locate and verify all potential types, and here we only examined one female type from OXUM.

Other material examined (58♂♂, 50♀♀). 1♀ (BMNH, Bourgoin Coll.), Coll. Nonfried, Hymalaya; 1♀ ( MSNG), Imalaja, Dohrn 80. NEPAL: 3♀♀ ( MFNB), Himalaya, Mount Everest ; 1♂ ( BMNH, Krajčík Coll.), 7.VI.1980, Dhankuta Arun Valley , southeast des Makalu Tashigaon, 2,100 m, C. Holzschun ; 1♀ ( BMNH, Krajčík Coll.), 3–6.VI.1984, northwestern Pokhara , Modi-Khola, Landrung, 1100 m, C. Holzschun. INDIA: Sikkim: 1♂ , 1♀ ( BMNH), India: Sikkim, Pemayangtse, 6,000 ft., 18.V.1934, H. G. Champion ; 2♀♀ (MFNB), Sikkim; 5♂♂, 1♀ ( MFNB), Himalaya, Sikkim ; 5♂♂, 3♀♀ ( NHMB), Sikkim, Coll. Dr. Itzinger // Museum Frey Tutzing ; 1♂ ( NHMB), Sikkim // Museum Frey Tutzing ; 1♀ (MHNG), 6♂♂, 5♀♀ ( MNHN), British India, Sikkim, Lachen- Dachung, VIII.1933 ; 1♂ ( MNHN, Sicard Coll.), Snotong, Sikkim ; 3♂♂, 1♀ ( MNHN), Mus. Hist. Nat. Harmand, Sikkim, 1890 ; West Bengal: 1♂ ( QCCC), 27.VI.1987, Tiger Hill, T. Hiyashita leg. ; 8♂♂, 2♀♀ (BMNH, Bourgoin Coll.), 2♂♂ (MNHN, Oberthür Coll.), British Bootan, Padong [Pedong, Darjeeling], L. Durel 1913; 4♂♂, 4♀♀ (BMNH, Bourgoin Coll.), 1♀ (SDEI), 2♂♂ (MNHN, Oberthür Coll.), British Bootan, Padong, L. Durel 1914; 2♂♂, 3♀♀ (BMNH, Bourgoin Coll.), British Bootan, Padong, L. Durel 1931; 1♂, 4♀♀ (SDEI), British Bootan, Padong, L. Durel 1881; 1♀ (BMNH, Nevinson Coll.), Pedong, A. Desgodins; 2♂♂, 3♀♀ ( MNHN), Inde Anglaise, Pedong District de Darjeeling . Chasseurs indigenes 1932; 2♂♂ (MFNB), Pedong bei, Darjeeling 1935, Slg, R. Oberthür, Eing. Nr.4.1956; 1♂ (MHNG), 1♂ ( MNHN), Inde Anglaise, Pedong Region de Darjeeling . Chasseurs indigenes 1933; 1♀ (BMNH, Bourgoin Coll.), Darjeeling; 2♂♂ (BMNH, Bowing Coll.), Darjeeling; 2♂♂, 1♀ (BMNH, Nevinson Coll.), Daijeling; 1♀ (BMNH), Darjeeling // Andrewes Bequest. B. M. 1922-221; 1♀ ( BMNH), Gopaldhara, Rungbong Valley , Darjeeling, Br. Sikkim, W.K. Webb. 1911 // Andrewes Bequest. B. M. 1922-221 ; 1♂, 1♀ (BMNH), Darjeeling // 60.15 E. I. C.; 3♀♀ (MFNB), Jindia, Darjiling; 1♀ (MFNB), Environs de Kurseong, R.P. Bretaudeau; 2♂♂ (MNHN, Sicard Coll.), Bengale Kurseong // Museum Paris, Collection Ernest Ander 1914; 1♀ (SDEI), Darjeeling, Juni, Fruhstorfer; 1♀ (MHNG), Darjeeling // Christie // Coll. R. Petrovitz; 2♂♂, 1♀ (MNHN), Pankassari, S div. of Kalimpong, VIII. 1933. CHINA: Xizang: 5.VIII.2017, Mount Qomolangma Nature Reserve, Zhangmu , Nyalam County, 27°58'36.82"N, 85°58'25"E, 2,100 m, Jian-Yue Qiu & Hao Xu.

Distribution. Nepal; northeastern India; China (new record).

Natural history. This species inhabit the mountainous along the south side of Himalaya, and adult visit the flower of Viburnum mullaha Buchanan-Hamilton ex Don (Adoxaceae) (or near) ( Figs. 95–97 ).

Remarks. Coilodera mearesii was regarded as a variety of C. penicillata ( Schaum 1848, 1849; Arrow 1910), and it was resurrected to species level simultaneously by Mikšić (1972) and Nakane (1972). This species was reported from northern India, Sikkim, and Nepal ( Mikšić 1972; Nakane 1972; Sakai & Nagai 1998) where is sympatric with C. penicillata ( Fig. 85 ). Coilodera mearesii can be separated from congeners by the differences on scutellum, mesometasternal suture, outer tooth of metatibia, and male genitalia. It is believed that the records from Fujian of southeastern China ( Ma 1995, 2002b) was based on the misidentification for C. nigroscutellaris , and here we recorded Coilodera mearesii from China for the first time.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 14. Habitus of Coilodera. 4 – 9, C. dives: 4 – 5, northern Kachin, Myanmar (male); 6 – 7, Mêdog Xizang (female); 8 – 9, Mêdog, Xizang (male). 8, Mêdog, Xizang (male). 10 – 14, C. mearesii (male): 10 – 11, Tiger Hill, northern India; 12, Kurseong, northern India; 13 – 14, female paratype of C. miksici.

FIGURES 34 – 48. Types and labels of Coilodera. 34 – 36, C. dives, female lectotype (photograph by Giulio Cuccodoro). 37 – 41, C. miksici: 37 – 39, male holotype; 40 – 41, female paratype. 42 – 44, C. mearesii, female syntype (provided by Amoret Spooner). 45 – 46, C. formosana, female syntype (photograph by Joachim Willers). 47 – 48, C. nigroscutellaris, male syntype (photograph by Joachim Willers).

FIGURES 49 – 72. Scutellum, mesometasternal process, and male metatibia of Coilodera. 49 – 58, scutellum: 49, C. dives. 50, C. grandimaculata. 51, C. mearesii. 52 – 56, C. penicillata: 52 – 53, Lincang, Yunnan; 54, Gia Lai, central Vietnam; 55 – 56, Mount Daweishan, Yunnan. 57, C. formosana. 58, C. nigroscutellaris. 59 – 66, mesometasternal process. 59, C. dives. 60 – 61, C. grandimaculata: 60, male holotype; 61, female paratype. 62, C. mearesii. 63 – 64, C. penicillata: 63. Hua Phan, northeastern Laos; 64, Jingdong, Yunnan. 65, C. formosana; 66, C. nigroscutellaris. 67 – 72, male metatibia. 67, C. dives. 68, C. grandimaculata. 69, C. mearesii. 70, C. penicillata. 71, C. formosana. 72, C. nigroscutellaris.

FIGURES 73 – 85. Male genitalia and distribution of Coilodera. 73 – 84, Male genitalia: 73 – 74, C. dives. 75 – 76, C. grandimaculata, holotype. 77 – 78, C. mearesii. 79 – 80, C. penicillata. 81 – 82, C. formosana. 83 – 84, C. nigroscutellaris. 85, distribution of Coilodera.

FIGURES 95 – 99. Habitat of Coilodera. 95 – 97, C. mearesii: 95, habitat (Zhangmu, Nyalam, Xizang); 96 – 97, host plant (Hydrangea sp.). 98 – 99, C. penicillata: larva in cockroach galleries of Salganea raggei in rotten wood (Yingjiang, Yunnan).