Macrolasia Weise, 1903

Szawaryn, Karol & Tomaszewska, Wioletta, 2014, A contribution to Macrolasia Weise (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Epilachnini), Zootaxa 3780 (3), pp. 577-584 : 578-579

Macrolasia Weise, 1903

Macrolasia Weise, 1903: 230 . Type species: Macrolasia arcula Weise, 1903 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Weise mentioned that Macrolasia is most similar to the Palaearctic genus Subcoccinella Agassiz & Erichson (= Lasia Hope ), but after our detailed morphological examination this similarity appears to be only superficial. Macrolasia shares the general color pattern, presence of the apical tibial spurs, and a transverse carina near the apices of the mid- and the hind tibiae with Subcoccinella , but the genus also differs in many details. Species of both genera possess bifid tarsal claws, but in Macrolasia the claws bear an additional, weak basal angulation (basal angulation absent in Subcoccinella ); Macrolasia has clypeus with a weakly raised anterior border, in Subcoccinella the clypeus is simple, without a raised anterior border; they also differ significantly in the structure of the mandibles, labium, shape of the mentum, and the structure of male and female genitalia.

Macrolasia can be distinguished from other Indian genera of Epilachnini by the combination of the following characters: antenna shorter than the width of head, prosternal process with distinct, sharp carinae, metaventral postcoxal lines separated medially, metaventral intercoxal process with large punctures, and the abdominal ventrite 6 in female not divided longitudinally.

Redescription. Body ( Figs. 1 , 34, 35 ) oval, convex; dorsum pubescent. Pronotum and elytra yellowish-orange to reddish-orange, with several black maculae.

Head ( Figs. 8, 9 ) exposed, transverse; uniformly densely punctate; ventral antennal grooves weakly marked. Eye finely faceted, weakly emarginate antero-medially. Antennal insertions ( Fig. 8 ) exposed in front of eyes, close to inner eye margins, with distance between antennal sockets about 8 times greater than distance between antennal socket and inner margin of eye. Antennal sockets without border. Antenna ( Fig. 13 ) as long as distance between eyes; 11-segmented; scape large, swollen, about two times longer than pedicel; pedicel longer than wide, slightly swollen, longer than antennomere 3; antennomere 3 elongate, shorter than antennomeres 4–5 together; antennal club relatively compact, 3-segmented, asymmetrical. Clypeus ( Fig. 8 ) very short, transverse, with raised border; labrum ( Fig. 14 ) short, transverse, emarginate, covered with short setae at base and with moderately long setae anteriorly, anterior margin membranous, scarcely covered with short setae. Mandibles ( Figs. 10, 11 ) subtriangular, ramificate apically and smooth along incisor edge; incisor edge produced; prostheca moderately large, long, densely setose; dorsal surface of each mandible with a few long setae at outer margin near base; dorsal and ventral surfaces basally with areas of small dense pores (probably sensilla). Submentum ( Fig. 9 ) transverse, subrectangular, fused with gula with suture visible only laterally; labium ( Figs. 15, 16 ) with mentum transverse; mentum 2.4 times wider than prementum; prementum short, sclerotised, with subtriangular field at apex covered with moderately long setae; dorsal surface of prementum sclerotised, glabrous ( Fig. 16 ); ligula reduced, short, transverse, without setae; labial palp 3-segmented, short, placed medio-laterally on prementum, with distance between labial palps much broader than width of palpiger; basal palpomere short, subquadrate; second palpomere elongate, slightly swollen, about 1.5 times as long as basal palpomere; terminal palpomere about as long as median one. Maxilla ( Fig. 12 ) with cardo subtriangular; basistipes and mediastipes separated, with suture clearly visible; galea suboval ( Fig. 2 ), densely setose apically; lacinia slender, falcate, covered with short setae at base, with long setae at apex; maxillary palp 4-segmented, palpomeres 2–4 widened apically, pubescent. Gula ( Fig. 9 ) transverse; gular sutures convergent anteriorly, reaching about 1/2 length of gula.

Pronotum transverse, widest at base and gradually narrowing anteriorly, anterior angles produced forward; anterior, lateral and posterior margins not bordered; disc convex, densely punctate, without microsculpture. Prothoracic hypomeron smooth; notosternal suture distinct; prosternum in front of coxa about 0.6 times as long as longitudinal coxal diameter, anterior edge of prosternum with ridge for entire length; hind margin of prosternum in front of coxae without border; prosternal process with short lateral carinae ( Fig. 5 ); procoxal cavity transverse, with small triangular slit laterally.

Mesoventrite ( Fig. 5 ). Anterior edge of mesoventrite with raised border for entire length but interrupted medially; mesal surface with cavity for receiving apex of prosternal process; mesoventral process about as wide as mesocoxal diameter; meso-metaventral articulation with suture visible, junction straight, without internal knob. Scutellum small, triangular, transverse. Elytra at base distinctly broader than pronotum ( Figs. 34, 35 ); dually punctate; humeral angles well developed; lateral margins narrow, visible from above throughout; elytral epipleuron incomplete apically ( Fig. 3 ), smooth; submarginal carina almost complete reaching anterior margin of mesocoxal cavity; metaventral postcoxal lines not connected medially, complete laterally, arcuate, recurved anteriorly, with distinct groove behind ( Fig. 1 ); metaventrite with discrimen almost complete; metaventral intercoxal process covered with large punctures; metepimeron distinct.

Legs ( Figs. 1, 7 ) short and stout, apices of mid- and hind femora not protruding from outer margin of elytral epipleuron ( Fig. 1 ). Trochanters angulately produced ( Fig. 7 ), with weak cavities on their inner surfaces for receiving tip of tibiae in repose. Femora swollen, with grooves for entire length on inner face for receiving tibiae. Tibiae with grooves for entire length on outer face for reception of tarsi; mid- and hind tibiae with distinct, transverse carina in apical portion ( Fig. 7 ); protibiae with one apical spur, mid- and hind tibiae with two apical spurs; tarsi pseudotrimerous; tarsal claws bifid, with weak basal angulation ( Fig. 4 ).

Abdomen with six ventrites in both sexes ( Fig. 3 ). Ventrite 1 at longitudinal mid-line more than twice as long as ventrite 2. Abdominal postcoxal lines ( Figs. 17, 27 ) separate medially, laterally recurved and incomplete, exceeding 2/3 length of ventrite 1. In males, apical margin of ventrite 5 truncate ( Fig. 17 ), ventrite 6 weakly emarginate ( Fig. 18 ), abdominal tergite VIII rounded ( Fig. 19 ). Apodeme of male sternum IX long, stout. Tergite X transverse ( Figs. 25, 26 ). In females, apical margin of ventrite 5 emarginate ( Fig. 27 ), ventrite 6 arcuate, entire ( Fig. 28 ), tergite VIII rounded ( Fig. 29 ).

Male genitalia. Tegmen ( Figs. 22, 23 ) with penis guide symmetrical, pointed apically, with sharp tooth near apex on outer edge; parameres slightly shorter than penis guide, widening anteriorly, separated, articulated with phallobase, with apical part of inner margin setose; tegminal strut short, about as long as phallobase. Penis base ( Fig. 24 ) without distinct T-shaped capsule; penis apex divided ( Figs. 20, 21 ).

Female genitalia. Proctiger (TX) sclerotised at lateral and posterior margins, anterior portion membranous, rounded ( Fig. 30 ); coxites reniform, styli absent ( Fig. 31 ). Bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 32 ) large, long, non divided, ending with sperm duct; sperm duct ( Fig. 33 ) short, simple; spermatheca sclerotised, simple with small projection at apex, without clear nodulus or ramus; accessory gland membranous, long, about 5 times longer than spermatheca; common oviduct located at the base of bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 30 ).

Distribution. South India.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Macrolasia arcula (Weise); 1) habitus, ventral view; 2) mouthparts; 3) abdomen, female; 4) tarsal claws; 5) prosternal process, meso- and metaventrite; 6) apex of mid tibia; 7) hind leg.

FIGURES 34 – 35. Macrolasia arcula (Weise); 34) female; 35) male, lectotype.

FIGURES 8 – 16. Macrolasia arcula (Weise); 8) head, dorsal; 9) head, ventral; 10) mandible, dorsal; 11) mandible, ventral; 12) maxilla; 13) antenna; 14) labrum; 15) labium, ventral; 16) labium, dorsal.

FIGURES 17 – 33. Macrolasia arcula (Weise); 17) abdomen, male; 18) abdominal ventrite 6, male; 19) abdominal tergite VIII, male; 20) apex of penis, lateral; 21) apex of penis, ventral; 22) tegmen, inner; 23) tegmen, ventral; 24) penis, ventral; 25) genital segment of male, ventral; 26) genital segment of male, dorsal; 27) abdomen, female; 28) abdominal ventrite 6, female; 29) abdominal tergite VIII, female; 30) female genitalia, dorsal; 31) female genitalia, ventral; 32) bursa copulatrix, ventral; 33) spermatheca with accessory gland.