Mimastra lunata ( Kollar & Redtenbacher, 1844 )

Bezděk, Jan, 2011, Revisional study on the genus Mimastra (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae). Part 3: Mimastra oblonga and M. tarsalis species groups, Zootaxa 2766, pp. 30-56 : 35-37

Mimastra lunata ( Kollar & Redtenbacher, 1844) , status restored

( Figs 4, 14–15, 22, 30, 38, 46)

Phyllobrotica lunata Kollar & Redtenbacher, 1844: 556 (original description); Gemminger & von Harold, 1876: 3560 (catalogue). Haplosoma lunata: Allard, 1888: 327 (key), 330 (catalogue). Mimastra lunata: Allard, 1890: 83 (key, as synonym of cyanura ); Jacoby, 1894: 198; Jacoby, 1896: 271; Medvedev, 2009: 265

(as syn. of cyanura ). Mimastra (Mimastra) cyanura ab. lunata: Weise, 1924: 124 (catalogue). Mimastra cyanura ab. lunata: Winkler, 1930: 311 (catalogue). Mimastra cyanura: Laboissière, 1940b: 6 (drawing of male protarsus); Pajni & Bansal, 1977: 56; Tara & Sharma, 1981: 6;

Medvedev, 1990: 18 (partim); Sprecher-Uebersax, 1997: 153 (partim); Tara & Sharma, 2003: 173–176 (bionomy). Mimastra apicalis Baly, 1886: 28 (original description); Allard, 1890: 83 (key); Maulik, 1936: 529 (= cyanura ). syn. nov. Mimastra (Mimastra) apicalis: Weise, 1924: 124 (catalogue).

Type locality. Phyllobrotica lunata : “Caschmir” (= Kashmir). Mimastra apicalis : “ India ”.

Type material. Phyllobrotica lunata : Lectotype ♂ ( NMW), designated here, labelled: “Alte Sammlg. [p] / Kaschmir [h, w]” . Paralectotypes: 1 ♀ ( NMW), same label data as lectotype ; 1 ♀ ( NMW), labelled: “Alte Sammlg. [p] / Kaschmir [w, h] // Hügel. [p] / 654 [w, h] // Lunata / Redtb. / Kaschm. [w, h]”. The specimens are provided with one red printed label: “ LECTOTYPUS, [or PARALECTOTYPUS,] / Phyllobrotica lunata / Kollar & Redtenbacher, 1848, / des. J. Bezděk 2006” .

Mimastra apicalis : Lectotype ♂ ( BMNH), designated here, labelled: “Type [white round label with red collar, p] // E. / India [w, h] // Type [w, h] // Baly coll. [w, p] // Mimastra / apicalis / Baly / India [w, p]”. Paralectotype: 1 ♀ ( BMNH), labelled: “E. / Indies [w, h] // Baly coll. [w, p]”. Each specimen is provided with one red printed label: “ LECTOTYPUS [or PARALECTOTYPUS,], / Mimastra apicalis / Baly, 1886 / des. J. Bezděk 2007 ”.

Additional material studied. 128 specimens — NEPAL : 1♂, Gandaki distr., Gorkha , 800–1100 m, 23.– 28.v.2001, P. Kresl leg ( FKCC) ; 1♂ 1♀, Trisuli , 570 m, 21.iv.1973, J. Martens leg. ( SMNS) ; 2♂♂ 2♀♀, Phewa Tal near Pokhara , 2 500 ft, 10.v.1954, J. Quinlan leg. ( BMNH) ; 1♂, Janakpur, Tamba-Koshi-Khola, SE of Charicot , 900–1200 m, 6.vi.1987, Sherpa Pasang leg. ( FKCC) ; 1♀, Janakpur, Tamba-Koshi-Khola, SE of Charicot , 900– 1200 m, 16–25.vi.1987 ( MDAG) ; 3♂♂ 2♀♀, Janakpur, W of Jiri, Hanumante , 2500–3100 m, 20.vi.1988, Lebish & Probst leg. ( FKCC, MDAG, JVJC) ; 2♂♂ 1♀, Mahakali / Darchula Ghamna, Chamliya Khola , 294125´´N 804104´´E, 830 m, at light, 30.v.2005, A. Weigel leg. ( NMEG) ; 6♂♂, Janakpur, Tamba-Koshi-K., SE of Charikot , 900–1200 m, 5.–10.vi.1987, B. Bhakta leg. ( NHMB) ; 27♂♂ 6♀♀, Janakpur, Tamba Koshi, Dolakha , 850–1100 m, 24.–29.v.1989, M. Brancucci leg. ( NHMB) ; 2♀♀, Mahakali / Darchula env., Panshera , 293955´´N 803302´´E, 80 m, 30.v.2005, A. Weigel leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♀, Mahakali, Darchula Ghamna, Chamliya Khola , 294125´´N 804104´´E, 830 m, riverside and fields, 14.vi.2005, M. Hartmann leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♂, Mahakali, Darchula Latinath, Chamliya Khola , 294401´´N 804600´´E, 1030 m, riverside and fields, 1.vi.2005, M. Hartmann leg. ( NMEG) ; 2♂♂ 1♀, Bheri prov., Dailekh distr., Dailekh, Katia-Khola , 800 m, 31.v.2005, M. Hartmann leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♂, Dhaulagiri Mts. , 5 km W of Baglung, 1000 m, 7.v.2004, J. Schmidt leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♂, Annapurna Mts., Dana bis Tatopani , 1200– 1400 m, 13.vi.1993, J. Schmidt leg. ( NMEG) ; 2♂♂ 2♀♀, Gorkha, Khanckok-Aruget Bazar , 1300–1700 m, 23.v.1990, Probst leg. ( JVJC) ; 2♂♂ 3♀♀, Buri Gandaki, Sudi-Labubesi , 1300–1650 m, 27.v.1990, Probst leg. ( JVJC) ; 2♀♀, Buri Gandaki, Arughat Bazar-Sudi , 1300 m, 24.–26.v.1990, Probst leg. ( JVJC) ; 3♂♂ 2♀♀, Doti , 2.v.1967, N. Ecker-Racz leg. ( USNM) ; 5♀♀, Jiri-Kathmandu Rd. ( Mudee ), high pass between Sikri and Kabre, 2742.07N 8556.24E, 2632 m, sweepeing/on ground, Konstantinov, Lingafelter, Volkovitsh leg. ( USNM) . INDIA: UTTARAKHAND: 5♂♂ 6♀♀, Dehra Dun, 1906, G. Rogers leg. ( BMNH) ; 1♂, Uttarakhand, Mussoorie , without additional data ( BMNH) ; 4♂♂ 1♀, Uttarakhand, W Almora, v–viii.1916, H. G. Champion leg. ( BMNH) ; 11♂♂ 2♀♀, Uttarakhand, Kumaon , H. G. Champion leg. ( BMNH) . JAMMU AND KASHMIR: 1♂ 1♀, Jammu , 15.vi.1980, J. S. Tara leg. ( BMNH) ; 1♂, Kashmir, Jammu , viii.1986, Werner leg. ( MDAG) . PUNJAB: 1♂ 2♀♀, Punjab, Kangra valley , 4 500 ft, viii.1899, Dudgeon leg. ( BMNH) ; 1♀, Punjab, Kangra valley , 4 500 ft, v.1899, Dudgeon leg. ( BMNH) ; 1♂ 3♀♀, Punjab, Kangra valley , 4 500 ft, vii.1899, Dudgeon leg. ( BMNH) . NO PRE- CISE LOCALITY DATA: 1♂, Ind [= India] ( BMNH) .

Description. Body length—males: 8.1–8.6 mm, females: 9.0– 9.9 mm.

Male: Head yellow, base of vertex with metallic black irregular collar – laterally extended and almost touching eyes, narrow median stripe almost reaching frontal tubercles, apices of mandibles black. Antennomeres 1–4 yellow, rest darkened. Pronotum with 5 more or less distinct dark spots forming shape of alphabet ‘M’: two large spots laterally near posterior angles and three small spots in middle of disc (often indistinct). Scutellum yellow. Elytra yellow with narrow longitudinal apical spot touching elytral margin only in apex ( Fig. 4). Pro- and mesosternum yellow. Metasternum and abdomen black with blue metallic tint. Legs yellow, all femora and protibiae with black stripe on outer margin, meso- and metatibiae gradually darkened apically. Tarsi pale brown to black.

Labrum transverse, with several long pale setae, anterior margin shallowly incised. Anterior part of head semiopaque, finely microsculptured, glabrous, with several pale setae ventral to antennal sockets and on anterior part of clypeus. Interocular space 1.7 times as wide as transverse diameter of eye. Frontal tubercles subtriangular, usually shiny, distinctly elevated, separated from each other by a thin furrow. Interantennal space as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Vertex shiny (in some specimens semiopaque), with feebly impressed median line. Antennae filiform, 0.95 times as long as body, length ratio of antennomeres 1–11 equals 34-11-22-41-34-35-35-35- 32-28-31.

Pronotum transverse, 1.40–1.45 times as broad as long, widest at first quarter, slightly convergent posteriorly. Surface lustrous to semiopaque, covered with very fine punctures, glabrous, with two distinct transverse lateral depressions. Anterior margin nearly straight, posterior margin moderately rounded, shallowly incised in middle, lateral margins nearly straight. All margins thinly bordered. Anterior angles moderately swollen, slightly produced anteriorly, posterior angles obtusely angulate. All angles with setigerous pore bearing one long pale seta. Scutellum triangular with rounded apex, shiny to semiopaque, glabrous.

Elytra shiny, slightly divergent posteriorly, covered with small dense confused punctures, glabrous (only with several pale hairs on apical slopes). Humeral calli well developed. Epipleura narrow, gradually disappearing before apex. Macropterous.

Ventral surface shiny, finely punctate, densely covered with pale hairs. Last ventrite impressed in middle, posterior margin almost straight with two feebly indicated incisions. Cavity of first protarsomere (in inner lateral view) flat, covers almost whole profile ( Fig. 30). Protibia slender ( Fig. 38). Basimetatarsomere as long as two following tarsomeres combined.

Median lobe of aedeagus widest at basal third, gradually convergent anteriorly, distinctly regularly curved in lateral view ( Fig. 22).

Female: First protarsomere not enlarged. Abdomen robust, convex, last ventrite with regularly rounded posterior margin. Spermathecal cornu regularly rounded, slightly wider than nodulus, nodulus slightly extended apically, proximal spermathecal duct shorter than nodulus (Fig. 46).

Differential diagnosis. Mimastra lunata , in having elytral spots, resembles M. soreli , M. cyanura , M. anicka sp. nov., and spotted forms of M. oblonga . Mimastra lunata can be easily distinguished by the longitudinal, narrow elytral spot touching elytral margin only at the apex ( Fig. 4) and in the flat cavity of first protarsomere (in the inner lateral view) covering almost whole profile ( Fig. 30).

Distribution. Nepal ( Medvedev 1990, Sprecher-Uebersax 1997, present paper), India: Jammu and Kashmir ( Kollar & Redtenbacher 1844, Tara & Sharma 1981, 2003, present paper), Uttarakhand, Punjab (present paper).

Host plants and economic importance. Probably all the previous records of the host plants of M. cyanura refer to M. lunata . Known as a pest of mulberry ( Morus sp. , Moraceae ) in nortwestern India ( Tara & Sharma, 1981). Other host records include Celtis australis Linnaeus , C. tetrandra Roxb. , Trema spp. (Ulmaceae) , Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. (Fabaceae) , Grewia asiatica Linnaeus (Tiliaceae) , Prunus spp. and Pyrus spp. (Rosaceae) (see Pajni & Bansal 1977, Tara & Sharma 1981, 2003).