Mimastra cyanura ( Hope, 1831 )

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 : 33-35

Mimastra cyanura ( Hope, 1831)

( Figs 3, 12–13, 21, 29, 37, 45)

Auchenia cyanura Hope, 1831: 29 (original description).

Zeugophora cyanura: von Harold, 1875: 106 .

Aulacophora cyanura: Gemminger & von Harold, 1876: 3558 (catalogue).

Haplosoma cyanura: Allard, 1888: 330 (as synonym of lunata ).

Mimastra cyanura: Allard, 1890: 83 (key); Duvivier, 1891: 46; Winkler, 1930: 311 (catalogue); Maulik, 1936: 525 (key), 529; Ogloblin, 1936: 178 (key), 179, 400; Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963: 536 (key), 537; Chûjô, 1966: 21; Wilcox, 1973: 482 (catalogue); Kimoto, 1982: 12; Kimoto & Takizawa, 1983: 87; Takizawa, 1985: 100; Takizawa, 1988a: 538; Takizawa, 1988b: 8; Kimoto, 1989: 84 (key); Medvedev, 1990: 18 (partim); Sprecher-Uebersax, 1997: 153; Medvedev & Sprecher-Uebersax, 1999: 311 (catalogue); Sprecher-Uebersax, 2000: 145; Kimoto, 2001: 41; Kimoto, 2005: 61 (catalogue); Medvedev, 2009: 259 (key), 265.

Mimastra cyanea [sic]: Kimoto, 1970: 170.

Mimastra (Mimastra) cyanura: Weise, 1924: 124 (catalogue).

(see also M. lunata , M. soreli and M. oblonga )

Type locality. “ Nepaul ” [= Nepal, by the title] .

Type material. Lectotype ♀ ( BMNH), designated here, labelled: “Type [white round label with red border] // cyanura Hope. / 4154. [white label with red horizontal stripe in the middle] // Hardwicke / Bequest. [white label with black margin]”. Paralectotypes: 1 ♀ ( BMNH), labelled: “Hardwicke / Bequest. [white label with black margin]”; 1 ♀ ( UMO), labelled: “cyanura / mihi [w, h] // Type [green label, h] // Mimastra / cyanura Hope / named by M. Jacoby [w, h] // Named 1900 / by M. Jacoby. [w, p] // Type [p] Col [h]: [p] 2043 / Auchenia / cyanura / Hope [h] / Hope Dept. Oxford [w, p]”. The specimens are provided with one red printed label: “ LECTOTYPUS, [or PARA- LECTOTYPUS,] / Auchenia cyanura / Hope, 1831, / des. J. Bezděk 2009 ”.

Additional material studied. 53 specimens — NEPAL : 1♀, Kathmandu distr., Kathmandu-Baneshwar , 1350 m, 18.iv.1995, J. Martens & W. Schawaller leg. ( SMNS) ; 1♀, near Kathmandu , 29.iv.1996 ( FKCC) ; 1♀, Kathmandu city, 1400 m, 17.–18.vi.1988, Lebish & Probst leg. ( MDAG) ; 1♂, Kathmandu , 20.v.1988, S. Bíl leg. ( NHMB) ; 1♂, Kathmandu, Burhanilkanth , 1450 m, 19.v.1989, M. Brancucci leg. ( NHMB) ; 5♀♀, Kathmandu, Gorkhana Park , Bagmati river, 2743´N 8522´E, 1300 m, 28.v.1997, M. Hartmann leg. ( NMEG) ; 2♂♂, Kathmandu, Gorkhana Park , Bagmati, 2743´N 8522´E, 1400 m, 28.v.1997, A. Weigel leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♀, Kathmandu, Bagmati river near Gorkhana Park , 2743´N 8522´E, 1350 m, 15.vi.2001, A. Weigel leg. ( NMEG) ; 2♀♀, Kathmandu , Bagmati river, 1300 m, 6.vi.1995, M. Hartmann leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♀, Kathmandu , Bagmati river, 2742´N 8571´E, 1400 m, 29.v.1997, M. Hartmann leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♀, Kathmandu, Gorkhana Park, Bagmati ( Mauer ), 2743´N 8520´E, 1350 m, 17.vi.1999, A. Weigel leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♀, Kathmandu, Safaripark, Mauer , 6.vi.1995, A. Weigel leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♂, Kathmandu, Bagmati river, Pashaputinath , 1300 m, 27.iv.1995, A. Weigel leg. ( NMEG) ; 2♀♀, Kathmandu, Balaju , 1400 m, 18.v.1989, M. Brancucci leg. ( NHMB) ; 1♀, Kathmandu, Burhanilkanth , 1450 m, 19.v.1989, M. Brancucci leg. ( NHMB) ; 1♂ 1♀, Kathmandu valley , 1978, D. Pachico & J. Ashby leg. ( USNM) ; 1♀, Phalchoki Mt., Kathmandu env., 2734.65N 8524.04E, 2300–2730 m, sweepeing in forest, 14.v.2000, Konstantinov, Lingafelter, Volkovitsh leg. ( USNM) ; 2♀♀, Banepa env., E of Kathmandu, 2737.84N 8530.34E, 1474 m, beating vegetation, 8.v.2000, Konstantinov, Lingafelter, Volkovitsh leg. ( USNM) ; 1♀, Bonipa, Kathmandu env., 2740.00N 8525.00E, 2300–2730 m, agricultural fields, 8.v.2000, Konstantinov, Lingafelter, Volkovitsh leg. ( USNM) ; 2♂♂, Bagmati Zone, Rasuwa distr. , Langtang N. P., Dhunche Bharkhu-Syabru, 2000–2800 m, 6.–15.v.1996, M. Pejcha leg ( JBCB) ; 1♀, Bagmati, Kathmandu valley, Nagarjun Forest Reserve , 1400–2100 m, 16.v.2007, R. & H. Fouqu leg. ( JBCB) ; 1♂, Modi Khola, Gandrung-Banthanti , 2000–2500 m, 9.v.1984, B. Bhakta leg. ( NHMB) ; 1♂ 1♀, Janakpur, Dolakha, Tama Koshi valley, Gonga Khola to Suri Doban , 1000–1300 m, 4.vi.2000, J. Schmidt leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♂, Rowailing Dolakha, Tama Koshi valley, Jagat to Chet Chet , 1000–1300 m, 15.v.2000, J. Schmidt leg. ( NMEG) ; 1♂, Buri Gandaki, Labubesi-Arket , 1400–1650 m, 6.vi.1990, Probst leg. ( JVJC) ; 1♂, Buri Gandaki, Sudi-Labubesi , 1300–1650 m, 27.v.1990, Probst leg. ( JVJC) ; 1♀, Godawari env., 16.–17.v.1992, I. Jeni leg. ( JVJC) ; 1♂ 3♀♀, Gorkha distr., Gorkha-Khanckok , 1700–2300 m, 22.v.1990, Probst leg. ( JVJC) ; 1♂, Parbat distr., Balakot , 2.vii.1962, without the name of collector leg. ( USNM) . INDIA: HIMACHAL PRADESH: 3♂♂ 1♀, Kangra district, Bajaura , vii.1914, G. B. leg. ( ZMUH) . NO PRECISE LOCALITY DATA: 2♂♂ 2♀♀, Himalaya , Coll. Plason ( NMW) ; 1♂ 1♀, India ( BMNH) .

Description. Body length—males: 7.7–9.2 mm, females: 8.5–10.2 mm.

Male: Head yellow, base of vertex with metallic black irregular collar – laterally extended and touching eyes, narrow median stripe reaching frontal tubercles, apices of mandibles black. Antennomeres 1–4 yellow, rest darkened. Pronotum with 5 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 large round apical spots in apical third widely touching apical margin ( Fig. 3). Pro- and mesosternum yellow. Metasternum and abdomen black with blue metallic tint. Legs yellow, all femora and protibiae with black stripe on outer margin, profemora often darkened basally, metafemora sometimes darkened apically, meso- and metatibiae usually gradually darkened apically (metatibiae rarely completely black). Tarsi pale brown to black.

Labrum transverse, with several long pale setae, anterior margin moderately incised in middle. Head lustrous, anterior part of head very finely microsculptured, glabrous, with several pale setae ventral to antennal sockets and on anterior part of clypeus. Interocular space 1.75 times as wide as transverse diameter of eye. Frontal tubercles subtriangular, distinctly elevated, separated from each other by a thin furrow. Interantennal space as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Vertex impressed behind frontal tubercles. Antennae filiform, 0.95 times as long as body, length ratio of antennomeres 1–11 equals 32-14-21-40-37-37-37-37-35-31-31.

Pronotum transverse, 1.50-1.55 times as broad as long, widest at anterior quarter, slightly convergent posteriorly. Surface lustrous, covered with very fine punctures, glabrous, with two distinct transverse lateral depressions. Anterior margin shallowly concave, 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, covered with very fine microsculpture, 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 on first protarsomere half heart-shaped in profile ( Fig. 29). Protibia robust, clavate ( Fig. 37). Basimetatarsomere as long as two following tarsomeres combined.

Median lobe of aedeagus relatively slender, with long median ventral groove ( Fig. 21).

Female: First protarsomere not enlarged. Abdomen robust, convex, last ventrite with regularly rounded posterior margin. Spermathecal cornu regularly rounded, as wide as nodulus, nodulus almost circular, proximal spermathecal duct shorter than nodulus (Fig. 45).

Differential diagnosis. Mimastra cyanura resembles M. soreli , M. anicka sp. nov., and spotted forms of M. oblonga . M. cyanura can be identified by the cavity on the first protarsomere half heart-shaped in profile ( Fig. 29), while the cavity is arched and semicircular covering almost the whole profile in M. anicka sp. nov. ( Fig. 34) and relatively flat in M. soreli . Rare spotted form of M. oblonga differs in smaller elytral spots covering not more than apical quarter and in having slender protibia (protibia robust and clavate in M. cyanura ) ( Figs 36, 37).

Distribution. Nepal. New report from India: Himachal Pradesh. Most previous records from Nepal refer to M. lunata or to a mixture of M. cyanura and M. lunata .

Comments. Anthraxantha davidis Fairmaire, 1878 and Mimastra limbata Baly, 1879 , sometimes treated as synonyms of M. cyanura (e. g. Gressitt & Kimoto 1963, Medvedev 2009), belong to the group of Mimastra species with hook-like protarsomere and their status will be resolved in a forthcoming paper.