Liroetis zhongdianicus Jiang, 1988

Bezděk, Jan, 2021, Redefinition of Liroetis, with descriptions of two new species and an annotated list of species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 61 (2), pp. 529-614 : 565-566

Liroetis zhongdianicus Jiang, 1988

( Figs 117 , 124, 131 , 155–159 )

Liroetis zhongdianica Jiang, 1988: 189 , 196 (original description).

Liroetis zhongdianica : JංൺඇǤ (1992): 658 (noted); Bൾൾඇൾඇ (2010): 479 (catalogue); YൺඇǤ et al. (2015): 247 (key), 250 (noted).

Type locality. ‘[ China:] Yunnan: Xiaozhongdian’.

Type material examined. Pൺඋൺඍඒඉൾ: 1 ♀ ( Figs 155–159 ), ‘[Yunnan, Xiaozhongdian / 3200 m / Chinese Academy of Sciences] [in Chinese , w, combined p and h] // [1984.VII.31. / Collector Shu-Yong Wang] [in Chinese, w, combined p and h] // ALLOTYPE [g, p] // IOZ(E)1966996 [w, p] // Liroetis zhongdianica / Jiang [p] ♀ [w, h]’ ( IZAS).

Diagnosis. Colouration. Dorsal side pale brown, ventral side dark brown with paler abdomen. Legs dark brown with paler profemora. Antennae brown.

Body length. ♀: 8.5 mm (J ♀: 8.0–9.0 mm based on the original description).

Male. Not examined.

Aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 117 ). Median lobe slightly regularly bent in apical two thirds; lateral elevation high, placed at anterior third of aedeagus length. Dorsal process in lateral view with basal part narrow, gradually wider apically, apex pronounced to finger-like process.

Female ( Figs 155–158 ). Pronotum 1.43 times as wide as long, distinctly convex, lustrous, impunctate, anterior margin concave, with well visible thin border, lateral margins widest in anterior third, straight and convergent posteriorly, rounded and convergent anteriorly, posterior margin widely rounded. Metatibial spur absent. Pygidium with wide V-shaped incision. Sternite VIII transversely oval, posterior margin with shallow emargination in middle, surface glabrous, with U-shaped impression in middle of posterior half, tignum subtriangular, short, 0.60 times as long as sternite VIII ( Fig. 131 ). Spermatheca with poorly developed nodulus covered with fine wrinkles, cornu C-shaped, gradually narrowing towards apex, spermathecal duct distinctly bent ( Fig. 124 ).

Differential diagnosis. The only examined specimen is a female paratype in poor condition. Based on the drawing of the aedeagus in lateral view in the original description ( Fig. 117 ), the dorsal process of Liroetis zhongdianicus is similar to L. flavipennis and L. lonicernis but the lateral elevation is slightly higher than in those two species. Posterior margin of sternite VIII in L. zhongdianicus has a shallow emargination in the middle ( Fig. 131 ), while there is a small rounded convexity in L. flavipennis . At the moment, I treat L. zhongdianicus as a valid species; however, examination of the holotype and additional specimens are necesary to fully evaluate its taxonomic status.

Distribution. China: Yunnan (JංൺඇǤ 1988). YൺඇǤ et al. (2015) listed it also from China: Fujian, Hunan and Zhejiang without mentioning particular specimens.

Figures

Figs 108–117.Aedeagus of Liroetis, dorsal and lateral views. 108 – L. flavipennis Bryant, 1954; 109 – L. humeralis Jiang, 1988; 110 – L. lonicernis Jiang, 1988; 111 – L. medvedevi nom. nov.; 112 – L. nepalensis Chûjô, 1966; 113 – L. prominensis Jiang, 1988; 114 – L. sichuanensis Jiang, 1988; 115 – L. tibetanus Jiang, 1988; 116 – L. tibialis Jiang, 1988; 117 – L. zhongdianicus Jiang, 1988. Figs 116–117 reproduced from JංൺඇǤ (1988). Scale 0.5 mm.

Figs 118–131. Spermatheca (Figs 118–124) and sternite VII (Figs 125–131) of Liroetis. 118, 125 – L. flavipennis Bryant, 1954; 119, 126 – L. humeralis Jiang, 1988; 120, 127 – L. medvedevi nom. nov.; 121, 128 – L. nepalensis Chûjô, 1966; 122, 129 – L. sichuanensis Jiang, 1988; 123, 130 – L. tibetanus Jiang, 1988; 124, 131 – L. zhongdianicus Jiang, 1988. Scales 0.25 mm for Figs 118–124, 0.5 mm for Figs 125–131.

Figs 155–159. Liroetis zhongdianicus Jiang, 1988, female, paratype (8.5 mm). 155 – dorsal view; 156 – lateral view; 157 – ventral view; 158 – pronotum; 159 – labels.