Neodownesia rubra Gressitt, 1953

Sekerka, Lukáš, 2015, Wallacea, Pistosia and Neodownesia: three distinct genera and their tribal placement (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 55 (2), pp. 713-743 : 720-722

Neodownesia rubra Gressitt, 1953 stat. restit.

( Fig. 2 )

Neodownesia rubra Gressitt, 1953: 122 (original description); GRESSITT & KIMOTO (1963): 906 (Chinese fauna); KIMOTO (1999): 68 (as synonym of W. sita ).

Wallaceana rubra: UHMANN (1955) : 187 ( W. sita sensu UHMANN (1940) = W. rubra ); UHMANN (1958):231 (catalogue).

Wallacea rubra: BOROWIEC & SEKERKA (2010) : 383 (catalogue).

Pistosia rubra: CHEN et al. (1986) : 138 (Chinese fauna), 599 (key to species); HUA (2002): 294 (catalogue).

Wallaceana sita [misidentification]: UHMANN (1940): 126 (faunistics); UHMANN (1955): 187 (= W. rubra ); UHMANN (1958): 231 (ex parte, catalogue).

Pistosia sita [misidentification]: KIMOTO (1999): 67 (ex parte); HUA (2002): 294 (catalogue).

Wallacea sita [misidentification]: BOROWIEC & SEKERKA (2010): 383 (catalogue).

Type locality. ‘Ta-chu-lan, alt. 1,000 met., Shaowu, NW. Fukien Prov., SE. China’ [= China, Fujian Prov., Shaowu Co., Dazhulan, approx. 27°41.7′N, 117°39.0′E, 1000 m a.s.l.].

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: J, glued, ‘Fukien, S. China | ShaoWu, TaChuFung | KwaYiaLiao | VI-10-42 [hw] T. C. Maa [w, p, cb] || L-110 [w, typed, cb] || HOLOTYPE | NEODOWNESIA [hw] | MAAI [hw] | J.L.Gressitt [r, p + hw by Gressitt, cb] || NEODOWNESIA | MAAI | GRESS. | J.L.G. Det.1950 [w, hw by Gressitt, cb] || En- 289753 | [Data Matrix barcode] SYS [w, p, cb]’ ( SYSU).

Differential diagnosis. See Table 1.

Distribution. China: Fujian ( UHMANN 1940, GRESSITT 1953).

Remarks. UHMANN (1940) reported three specimens of W. sita from Fujian: ‘Kuatun, 27.4°N, 117.4°E, 2300 m’ also repeated by GRESSITT (1950). The locality name most likely refers to Guadun and surrounding mountains (as mentioned by Uhmann), known as Wuyishan Mts., however, the elevation is confusing as the highest peak, Mt. Huanggangshan, is only 2158 m a.s.l. and is the highest in Fujian. The original coordinates given by Uhmann are too rough and thus not helpful in locating the actual collecting site. Guadun is a small village (approx. 27°44.0′N, 117°38.5′E, 1200 m a.s.l.) with surrounding mountains reaching 1900 m a.s.l.

GRESSITT (1953) descibed N. rubra from locality Dazhulan situated just 4 km (in bee-line) south from Guadun and deposited one paratype in Uhmannʼs collection (specimen not listed by GAEDIKE & DÖBLER (1971)). UHMANN (1955) stated that his earlier record from Fujian actually belong to Gressittʼs N. rubra and synonymized Neodownesia with Wallaceana . UHMANN (1958) listed his record from Fujian under W. sita , omitted the 1955 paper, and listed W. rubra separately. Due to confusion because of delays in printing of the catalogue, Uhmann stated that the catalogue was closed on 31 st December 1956 and that all new changes will be included in the planned supplement ( UHMANN 1964), in which he however, did not correct the distribution and records of Wallaceana sita and W. rubra . GRESSITT & KIMOTO (1963) listed both Wallaceana sita and Neodownesia rubra , in the revision of Chinese Chrysomelidae despite noting that the UHMANNʼs (1940) record was corrected to W. rubra , eliminating Neodownesia . They also added: ‘We differ with this [ Wallaceana ] however (see Neodownesia ), and thus do not know whether sita occurs in China or not.’ Under Neodownesia they wrote: ‘Uhmann has indicated this as a synonym of Wallaceana , but we believe it is a distinct genus because of alternately carinate elytral interstices’. Although the statement that Neodownesia is a distinct genus from Wallaceana is correct, the information about the questionable presence of W. sita in China is confusing and led the following authors to cite W. sita from China ( CHEN et al. 1986, HUA 2002, BOROWIEC & SEKERKA 2010). But there was no need of that because the record was a simple misidentification and therefore China must be removed from the range of N. sita , although its presence in China is quite possible, but so far there is no record.

Figures

Figs 1–7. 1 – Neodownesia mediovittata (Gestro, 1920) (Laos: Ban Song Cha, J, 8.7 mm); 2 – N. rubra Gressitt, 1953 (holotype, J, 6.5 mm); 3 – N. sita (Maulik, 1919) (Thailand: Soppong, ♀, 9.0 mm); 4 – Wallacea apicalis Gestro, 1896 (Indonesia: Mentawai Is.: Siberut, 5.3 mm); 5 – Pistosia terminalis (Baly, 1869) (holotype, 9.5 mm, © Natural History Museum, London); 6 – P. maculata (syntype, 12.0 mm, © Museum für Tierkunde, Berlin); 7 – P. testacea (Fabricius, 1801) (Indonesia: Sulawesi: Ahua Creek, 11.1 mm).