Cangshanaltica sprynari, Damaška & Aston, 2019

Damaška, Albert F. & Aston, Paul, 2019, Leaf litter and moss-inhabiting flea beetles of Hong Kong (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 59 (1), pp. 151-161 : 153-154

Cangshanaltica sprynari sp. nov.

( Figs 2 A–I, 7A–E)

Ivalia sp. n.: ASTON (2009): 11 (note).

Type locality. China, Hong Kong, Lantau Island, Wang Tong.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁, ‘ China: Hong Kong – Lantau isl. , Wang Tong 8. viii. 2010 Paul Aston lgt. ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: 1 ♁♁ 2 ♀, same locality label as the holotype and additional label ‘Genus Ivalia det. Döberl 2010’ (1 ♁ USNM, 1 ♀ SYSU, 1 ♀ NMPC); 1 ♀, ‘ China: Hong Kong – Lantau isl., Sunset Peak floating in river below waterfall, 27. ix. 2009 Paul Aston lgt.’ ( PCPA); 1♁, ‘ China: Hong Kong – Lantau isl., Wang Tong, on moss; 9.iii.2009.Paul Aston lgt.’ ( AFCD); 1♁, ‘ China: Hong Kong – Lantau isl., Wang Tong, on moss; 15. xi. 2008 Paul Aston lgt.’ ( ADPC).

Differential diagnosis. This new species belongs to the genus Cangshanaltica based on following characters: (1) pronotal anterolateral setiferous pore placed in the middle of the pronotal side margin; and (2) antennomere VII with a distal protrusion. Cangshanaltica sprynari sp. nov. differs from all other species of Cangshanaltica by following characters: (1) round anterior pronotal margins (other species have anterior pronotal margins somewhat sharp), (2) short, broad and strongly diverging vaginal palpi (other species have long, slender and parallel vaginal palpi), and (3) nearly undivided frontal calli ( C. nigra Konstantinov et al., 2013 has poorly developed frontal calli, C. siamensis Damaška & Konstantinov, 2016 has distinctly divided triangular frontal calli). The species differs from C. nigra in brown coloration ( C. nigra is black), in the shape of the aedeagus ( C. nigra has the apex of the aedeagus gradually narrowing, C. sprynari has a narrow apex of the aedeagus, distinctly divided by a visible, abruptly narrowing step), in the shape of vaginal palpi ( C. nigra has parallel and long vaginal palpi, vaginal palpi of C. sprynari are short, broad and strongly diverging), development of frontal calli (in C. nigra , frontal calli are nearly invisible) and metatarsomere III long (in C. nigra , the metatarsomere III is very short). The species also differs from C. siamensis in the shape of the aedeagus ( C. siamensis has a distinctly pointed apex) and in having a bulbose spermathecal receptacle ( C. siamensis has a slender receptacle).

Description. Habitus ( Figs 1 A–C). Body 1.7 mm long, 1.3 mm wide in maximum, oval-rounded in dorsal view, convex in lateral view, 1 mm high in maximum. Color of both ventral and dorsal body surface dark brown, legs light brown, eyes black.

Head nearly hypognathous. Frontal calli present, flat, feebly visible, indistinctly divided, distinctly surrounded ventrally and dorsally by longitudinal impressions. Interantennal space wide. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, antennomeres I–V and XI light brown, antennomeres VI–X darker. Antennomere VII bearing distal protrusion anteriorly.Antennomere I triangular, antennomere II oval, antennomeres III–XI regularly elongate. Maxillary palpi light brown. Frontal ridge broad, flat. Clypeus bearing two groups of three setae each, situated symmetrically on each side. Labrum bilobed, with incision reaching ¼ of labrum length, bearing six large setae in posterior parts and some scattered smaller setae on anterior margin.

Thorax. Pronotum convex, twice as wide as long, sparsely covered with shallow punctures, anterior pronotal margins strongly rounded, posterior pronotal edges sharp. Elytra strongly convex with irregular punctation, punctures larger and deeper than those on pronotum. Metathoracic wings and humeral calli absent. Metatibiae curved in dorsal view, pilose, with exterior row of teeth reaching from proximal ¼ of length of metatibia to apex. Metatibial teeth gradually elongate apically. Metatarsus attached on metatibia in deep apical impression surrounded externally by long external teeth and internally by short apical row of long teeth. Metatarsomere I 2–3× longer than II, metatibial apical tooth as long as metatarsomere II.

Abdomen with five distinct ventrites. Ventrite I as long as II and III combined, with II slightly longer than III. Longitudinal ridge on ventrite I long, reaching 2/3 of its length.

Genitalia. Aedeagus ( Figs 2 H–I) long, curved and broad in lateral view, parallel-sided in ventral view, apex abruptly narrowed in step-like fashion in apical eighth of aedeagus. Spermathecal pump long, receptacle bulbose, duct simple, short, directed parallel with the receptacle, reaching ½ of receptacle length ( Fig. 2D ). Vaginal palpi short, broad, strongly diverging, bearing group of long setae ( Fig. 2E ). Tignum long, slender, simple ( Fig. 2F ).

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Pavel Špryňar, a Czech botanist and entomologist, who has contributed to Czech entomology by hosting an entomological club for children in Prague.

Biology. The specimens were collected at night, walking on the surface of a thin layer of moss covering stones in secondary forest growth and orchard, near Wang Tong village, Lantau, Hong Kong ( Figs 7 A–B). Cangshanaltica sprynari sp. nov. appears to be active only at night, they usually begin to occur two hours after dusk (P. Aston frequently visits the locality during the day and early evening, finding no specimens) and only in periods of humidity or rainfall, never found when the moss is totally dry. One specimen was collected, with many other terrestrial beetles, in a stream after being washed away in heavy rainfall.

Host plant. One of us (PA) found the beetles feeding on moss Fissidens sp., Fissidentaceae ( Figs 7 C–D). Also the gut contained the residua of moss ( Fig. 7E ).

Figures

Fig. 2. Morphology of Cangshanaltica sprynari sp. nov.. A – habitus in dorsal view; B – habitus in lateral view; C – habitus in ventral view; D – spermatheca; E – vaginal palpi; F – tignum; G – apical sclerite; H – aedeagus in dorsal view; I – aedeagus in lateral view.

Fig. 1. Morphology of Benedictus sagittalis sp. nov.A – habitus in dorsal view; B – habitus in lateral view; C – habitus in ventral view; D – spermatheca; E – apical sclerite; F – tignum; G – vaginal palpi; H – aedeagus in dorsal view; I – aedeagus in lateral view.

Fig. 7. Ecology and habitat of Cangshanaltica sprynari sp. nov.. A – type locality of C. sprynari in Mui Wo, Lantau, HK; B – a thin layer of moss with C. sprynari walking at night (red arrow); C–D – Fissidens sp., the main host species of moss for C. sprynari; E – residua of moss tissues from the gut of C. sprynari.