Lagria (Ammocera) bhutanicola Merkl, 2019

Zhou, Yong & Chen, Bin, 2023, A study on the genus Lagria from China with one new species and new distributional records (Coleoptera: Lagriinae), Zootaxa 5254 (3), pp. 413-424 : 417

Lagria (Ammocera) bhutanicola Merkl, 2019 ṮƃḣųƤ

( Figs. 3A–B , 4A–B )

Lagria bhutanicola Merkl, 2019: 67 (type locality: Bhutan, Thimphu Districts ; description; illustrations of habitus and aedeagus).

Diagnosis. Body widening in posterior half; with the typical diagnostic feature of subgenus Ammocera , i.e., the presence of a small spine on the inner side of male antennomeres 5–10; antennomere 4 with angulation ( Merkl 2019).

Materials examined (2 JJ 6 ♀♀). China: Xizang: 1 J 3 ♀♀ ( CQNU), 1 st label: “ 2013-VII-19 / WBûḵƌ / AEH ” (Xizang, Yatung County / Yong Zhou leg.), 2 nd label: “ 27.36N / 88.96E / 2897 m ” ; 2♀♀ ( CQNU), labelled as the previous, but “ 27.36N / 88.97E / 2689 m ” ; ♀ ( CQNU), labelled as the previous, but “ 27.43N / 88.89E / 3535 m ”; J ( IZCAS), 1 st label [handwritten]: “ WBûḵƌ ” ( Xizang , Yatung County), 2 nd label: “ 1977.VI.11 / ẴOEħ ” (Jian-Yi Wu leg.) .

Distribution. China (new country record): Xizang; Bhutan.

Remarks. Merkl (2019) described three color patterns of this species: body unicolored black; body black but reddish pronotum; body black but elytra with an extensive yellow antero-lateral area. However, all specimens examined in this study have an entirely black body (sometimes with orange-brownish pronotum) and orangebrownish elytra with dark sutural band broadened around scutellum ( Figs. 3A–B ), and this color pattern is also typically present in Lagria (Ammocera) tibetana ( Merkl 2019) . The similarity of color patterns makes L. (Am.) bhutanicola easily able to be misidentified as L. (Am.) tibetana .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Dorsal view of habitus. A–B. Lagria (Ammocera) bhutanicola. A. Dorsal view of male; B. Dorsal view of female; C–D. Lagria (Lagria) indicola. C. Dorsal view of male (right middle leg missing); D. Dorsal view of female (hairs of dorsal surface missing; pronotum not symmetrical, probably caused by abnormal development).

FIGURE 4. Habitat of Lagria species. A–B. Habitat with blooming plants and living female adult of Lagria (Ammocera) bhutanicola (Xizang, Yatung County, WBûḵƌ); C–D. Field environment and living female adult of Lagria (Ammocera) unicolor, specimens were collected on grasses and bushes by sweeping method (Xizang, Mêdog county, WBḆṉƌ); E–F. General habitat and living male adultof Lagria (Lagria) indicola, specimens were collected in theopen grassyfield (photographed by Dr. Wenbo Yi; Xizang, Gyirong County, WBĠssƌ).