Liroetis leechi Jacoby, 1890

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 : 542-543

Liroetis leechi Jacoby, 1890

( Figs 30 , 35, 40 , 42–49 )

Liroëtes leechi Jacoby, 1890: 215 (original description).

Liroëtis leechi : Wൾංඌൾ (1924): 128 (catalogue).

Liroetis leechi : Gඋൾඌඌංඍඍ & Kංආඈඍඈ (1963): 532 (key), 534 (faunistics); Wංඅർඈඑ (1973): 476 (catalogue); JංൺඇǤ (1988): 187 (noted);YൺඇǤ et al. (1997): 878 (faunistics); WൺඇǤ & YൺඇǤ (2006): 165 (faunistics); Bൾൾඇൾඇ (2010): 478 (catalogue); YൺඇǤ et al. (2015): 247 (key), 249 (noted).

Liroetis verticalis Jiang, 1988: 186 , 195 (original description). New junior subjective synonym.

Liroetis verticalis : YൺඇǤ et al. (1997): 879 (faunistics); Bൾൾඇൾඇ (2010): 478 (catalogue); WൺඇǤ & YൺඇǤ (1998): 93 (faunistics); YൺඇǤ et al. (2015): 247 (key), 250 (noted).

Liroetis verticolis [sic!, incorrect subsequent spelling]: YൺඇǤ (2002): 640 (noted).

Type localities. Liroëtes leechi : ‘Chang-Yang’ [based on title, = China, Hubei Province, Changyang County]. Liroetis verticalis : ‘[ China:] Fujian: Jianyang’.

Type material examined. Liroëtes leechi : Hඈඅඈඍඒඉൾ: ♀ ( Figs 42–46 , only photograph seen), ‘Chang Yang, / near Ichang, / 4–6000 ft., / V. VII. VIII. [w, p] // Liroëtes / leechi Jac. [b, h] // MCZ ENT / [QR Code] / 00732219 [w, p]’ ( MCZ).

Liroetis verticalis : Pൺඋൺඍඒඉൾ: 1 ♀ ( Figs 47–48 ), ‘[Fujian, Jianyang, Huangkeng, Aotou / 900–950 m / Chinese Academy of Sciences] [in Chinese, w, p] // [1960.IV.26. / Collector:Wu-Ji Pu] [in Chinese, w, combined p and h] // PARATYPE [y, p] // IOZ(E)1967856 [w, p] // Liroetis / verticalis Jiang 1988 / Det. Jiang Shengqiao [w, p]’ ( IZAS).

Additional material examined. CHINA: Hඎൻൾං: Changyang, vi.1888, 1 ♀, A. E. Pratt leg. ( MCZ). ZΗൾඃංൺඇǤ: Tienmu Shan, 1 ♀, E. Reitter leg.( NHMB); West Tianmu Shan, from ‘Blind Alley’ to ‘Immortal Peak’, 30°20.5–21.0′N 119°25.4–7′E, 1200–1500 m, 27.–28.vi.2017, 1 J, J. Hájek & J. Růžička leg. ( NMPC).

Diagnosis. Colouration. Body pale brown, apices of mandibles darkened, vertex black, scutellum dark brown or black, elytra metallic green or bluish green, antennae brown, gradually darkened apically, antennomeres I and II dorsally black, femora and tibiae with dark stripes on outer sides.

Body length. J: 8.9 mm; ♀: 10.0 mm (J ♀: 8.0–10.0 mm based on the original descriptions).

Male ( Fig. 49 ). Antennae 0.85 times as long as body. Pronotum convex, 1.64 times as wide as long, lustrous, very finely punctate, anterior margin with very fine but complete narrow border. Middle part of posterior margin of abdominal ventrite IV with short transverse triangular denticles separated by small U-shaped incision. Last abdominal ventrite with longitudinal impression narrowed in middle part. Protarsomere I narrow, elongate subtriangular, metatibial spur short, flat, with sharp apex.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 30 ). Median lobe of aedeagus 3.5 times as long as wide; apex triangular with transversely cut tip, subapically constricted, middle part slightly convergent, basal part parallel. Lateral view: ventral side straight in middle part, apical part straight and oblique; lateral elevation triangular, placed in apical quarter; another triangular elevation placed in basal third. Dorsal process 5.75 times as long as wide, 0.78 times as long as median lobe of aedeagus; widened in apical half, narrow and parallel in basal half, apex sharp. Lateral view: dorsal process moderately bent with apical half slightly wider.

Female. Metatibial spur absent. Last abdominal ventrite with posterior margin entire. Sternite VIII heart-shaped, middle part of posterior margin bisinuate, surface with keel along posterior margin bearing long setae, middle part with two small impressions, each impression with oblique keel in middle; tignum wide, triangular, ca. 0.5 times as long as sternite VIII ( Fig. 40 ). Spermatheca with small globular nodulus, cornu C-shaped with sharp apex, apical part of cornu longer than basal part, spermathecal duct slightly bent ( Fig. 35 ).

Differential diagnosis. Liroetis leechi is characterised by metallic green elytra, pale brown pronotum, head and underside, and black vertex. The most similar species are L. aeneipennis and L. coeruleus , which differ in completely pale brown or orange head.

Distribution. China: Fujian (JංൺඇǤ 1988, WൺඇǤ & YൺඇǤ 1998), Gansu (WൺඇǤ & YൺඇǤ 2006), Hubei (Jൺർඈൻඒ 1890, YൺඇǤ et al. 1997, present paper), Sichuan (YൺඇǤ et al. 1997), Zhejiang (Gඋൾඌඌංඍඍ & Kංආඈඍඈ 1963, present paper).YൺඇǤ et al. (2015) listed it also from China: Shaanxi without mentioning particular specimens.

Comments. Jൺർඈൻඒ (1890) described Liroetis leechi explicitely based on a single specimen (holotype). In the original description, the holotype was treated as a male with some doubts. The holotype deposited in MCZ is undoubtedly a female with the abdomen shrivelled and resembling a characteristic channel in middle of last abdominal ventrite in Liroetis males. The paratype of Liroetis verticalis described from Fujian by JංൺඇǤ (1988) was examined and compared with the holotype of L. leechi and additional specimens. No differences were found and L. verticalis is synonymized with L. leechi .

Figures

Figs 26–31. Aedeagus of Liroetis, dorsal and lateral views. 26 – L. aeneipennis Weise, 1889; 27 – L. coeruleus (Jiang, 1990); 28 – L. coeruleipennis Weise, 1889; 29 – L. ephippiatus (Laboissière, 1930); 30 – L. leechi Jacoby, 1890; 31 – L. nigricollis (Jiang, 1990). Fig. 27 reproduced from JංൺඇǤ (1990). Scale 0.5 mm.

Figs 32–41. Spermatheca (Figs 32–36) and sternite VII (Figs 37–41) of Liroetis. 32, 37 – L. aeneipennis Weise, 1889; 33, 38 – L. coeruleipennis Weise, 1889; 34, 39 – L. ephippiatus (Laboissière, 1930); 35, 40 – L. leechi Jacoby, 1890; 36, 41 – L. nigricollis (Jiang, 1990). Scales 0.25 mm for Figs 32–36, 0.5 mm for Figs 37–41.

Figs 42–49. Liroetis leechi Jacoby, 1890. 42–46 – Female, holotype. 42 – dorsal view; 43 – lateral view; 44 – apex of abdomen; 45 – head; 46 – labels. 47–48 – Female, paratype of Liroetis verticalis Jiang, 1988 (8.1 mm). 47 – dorsal view; 48 – labels. 49 – Male (8.9 mm).