Cheiloxena tuberosa Reid, 1992

Reid, C. A. M. & Beatson, M., 2018, Revision of the Australian leaf beetle genus Cheiloxena Baly, 1860 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Spilopyrinae), Zootaxa 4497 (4), pp. 501-534 : 527-529

Cheiloxena tuberosa Reid, 1992

( Figs 10 , 19 , 28 , 38, 41 , 49 , 67 , 74, 77 )

Cheiloxena tuberosa Reid, 1992: 104 (type locality: Lamington National Park, Queensland)

Material examined. Types: Holotype: Ƌ*/ Lamington NP, xi.1983 M Lowman/ no. 15/ Holotype Cheiloxena tuberosa Reid / (ANIC); Paratypes (3): New South Wales: ♂/ Dorrigo W Heron/ paratype Cheiloxena tuberosa Reid / (ANIC); ♀*/ Mt Warning in rainforest, 11.xi.1974 G Williams/ paratype Cheiloxena tuberosa Reid / (ANIC); Queensland: Ƌ*/ Mt Glorious St. For., Qld, xi–xii.1985 Y. Bassett coll. ex Argyrodendron actinophyllum r/f/ ANIC coleoptera voucher no 87-0134/ CO ANT 10/ Argyrodendron actinophyllum Edlin subtropical rainforest Mt Glorious SF IT1 (MT), 19–26.xi.1987, Y Bassett/ paratype Cheiloxena tuberosa Reid / (ANIC).

Non-types (17): New South Wales: 1Ƌ/ Bielsdown SF, jn Bielsdown / Coramba Rds , 30:17S 152:44E dry rf by rd, 7.xi.2013, Reid & Tan (AMS); 1/ eastern section Border Ranges NP, NSW , 14.xii.1996, S. Watkins coll./ (ANIC); ♀/ Dorrigo NP, 2500’, 18.xi.1973, A&M Walford-Huggins/ WH 7745/ (QMB); ♂, ♀ / The Glade picnic area, Dorrigo NP, 16–17.xii.2009, R de Keyzer, at MV light (AMS); 1/ Whian Whian State Forest , on E. grandis ( DPIO) ; Queensland: ♀ / no further data, Deane ( QMB) ; ♂/ Lamington NP, canopy light trap 2, 13.i.1995 R Kitching (AMS); ♂ 2♀/ [Lamington] NP xi.1920 H Hacker (QMB); ♀ / ditto except 5.xii.1970 FT Fricke (AMS) ; ♀/ Mt Glorious 22k NW Brisbane, rainforest, 635m, 13.xii.1983 A Hiller (QMB); ♀/ Mt Glorious, 21.i.1983 J Sedlacek (QMB); ♀ / ditto except 17.i.1978 ( QMB) ; ♂ / ditto except 15.ii.1972 GB Monteith ( QMB) ; ♀ / Upper Dalrymple Ck , via Goomburra, 21–22.xi.1987 GB Monteith ( QMB) .

Diagnosis. Cheiloxena tuberosa is distinguished by: anterior margin of clypeus deeply excavate; pronotum without dorsal ridges but with 1–2 lateral tubercles; each elytron with four large conical tubercles.

Description. Length: male 9.5–11.5 mm, female 8.5–11.5 mm; body convex in profile, length about 2.7x height; colour entirely black, except apex last maxillary palp and labial palpi reddish-brown, with ashy grey or golden scale-like setae; scale-like setae adpressed except semi-erect on largest elytral tubercles, variable in proportion (length 3–10x width), thinner and sparser on depressed areas of pronotum and elytra, and apical ventrites, distributed as follows: almost evenly on head but golden behind eyes and white anteriorly; variegated on pronotum with band of dense golden setae on anterior ridge and posterior margin and white setae in five irregular broad stripes following elevated areas, almost glabrous between; scutellum clothed with elongate golden setae; elytra with irregular mosaic of adpressed white setae except tubercles with elongate semi-erect golden setae and golden adpressed setae posterior to tubercles, ventral surfaces with dense white adpressed setae except thin and sparse on apical ventrite, setae of appendages thin but dense, except antennomeres 8–11 minutely setose; surface sculpture: head pronotum, elytra and venter dull, punctate and densely microsculptured, except shining apices of tubercles.

Head ( Figs 10 , 19 , 28 , 38 ): distinctly narrower than pronotum in both sexes; densely and slightly confluently punctured, punctures small, intervals dull and microsculptured; narrow impunctate smooth area around antennal cavities; flat between eyes, slightly concave between antennae; eyes small, slightly laterally prominent, separated by about 4 eye widths (male) or about 4.5 eye widths (female); gena at shortest point about 0.6x eye length (male) or about 0.4x eye length (female); genal lobe 0.75x shortest length of gena; antennae 3–3.5x socket diameters apart; antennae about 0.65x body length (male), or about 0.55x body length (female); antennomeres 1–7 dull with shining apices, 8–11 duller; antennomeres 1 and 3–11 elongate, 2 transverse 0.5–0.7x length of 1, 0.25–0.3x length of 3, relative lengths of antennomeres, with 3 longest and 11 next, and middle segments generally similar in length: male: 2, <1, <4=5=6, <9=10, <8, <7, <11, <3; female: 2, <1, <6, <4=5=8=9=10, <7, <11, <3; clypeus with 2–3 pairs of long subapical setae; clypeal anterior margin deeply concave, usually less so in female; male apical maxillary palpomere broadly ovoid with truncate apex.

Thorax ( Figs 10 , 19 , 28 , 41 ): sides almost vertical, no clear distinction between dorsal and ventral (hypomeral) areas of pronotum; pronotal puncturation similar to head, except depressed parts of disc sparsely punctured; interspaces dull; pronotum slightly longer than wide, width 0.95x length, greatest width at anterior third and sides weakly sinuate; anterior angles prominent but tips blunt, 45°; anterior margin produced, truncate at middle; lateral sides with 1–2 small tubercles in apical half; basal margin weakly convex; pronotum with transverse preapical low ridge of shining tubercles, notched at middle; disc unevenly surfaced, with concave sides and middle and small postmedian swelling; hypomeron and prosternum densely punctured and pubescent, as pronotum, except hypomeral lobe rugose and glabrous; scutellum punctured and setose, as pronotum; elytra irregularly scaled and glabrous, the scales generally sparse except for small white patch near elytral apex on lateral margin; elytron conspicuously tuberculate, with variably sized shiny tipped tubercles arranged in approximately 4 irregular longitudinal rows, as follows: first (innermost) with 3 similar sized massive conical tubercles; second with 2 small conical tubercles at elytral base, one massive conical tubercle beside apical tubercle of inner row, and small tubercle on apical elytral slope; third starting on inner surface of humerus, with elongate ridge at base and 3 small tubercles posteriorly; fourth starting on outer surface of humerus, with 6–9 small tubercles; elytral disc shallowly arcuately depressed in basal half, posterior to humerus, and concave at sides of middle; elytral punctures large, 1.5– 2x pronotal puncture diameters, and sparse, separated by 1–1.5x diameters, interspaces dull, microsculptured; discal elytral punctures with two small shining tubercles laterally on rim; elytral apex narrowly truncate; epipleuron finely and shallowly punctured, with scale-like pubescence; mesoventrite punctured as prosternum; metepisternum and metaventrite dull and microsculptured, closely punctured and scaled, except midline impunctate and shining; metatibiae with shallow irregular lateral longitudinal grooves, short and robust; bases of tarsomeres 1–3 depressed; protarsomeres 1–3 slightly broader at base in male than female.

Abdomen ( Figs 49 , 59 , 67 , 74): ventrite I shinier than thoracic ventrites but closely and strongly punctured and microreticulate; II–V impunctate and shining at apices, but densely punctured, shining at middle but shallowly microreticulate, dull at sides; ventrite pubescence recumbent, scale-like, but much narrower on ventrite V, erect setae only present on apical margin ventrite V; apex of ventrite V narrowly truncate in both sexes; apex of penis contracted to elongate mucronate tip in dorsal view, short and thick in lateral view, strongly reflexed by about 90°; tegminal keel deep and slightly sinuate in lateral view; female sternite VIII apodeme short and narrow, apical sclerotised area roughly triangular but expanded at sides, longer than wide, apex concave; apex of gonocoxite without conspicuous setae; stylus only slightly elongate; median ventral sclerite elongate; spermatheca falcate, acutely tipped, with coiled duct.

Notes. The maxillary palpi of C. tuberosa were illustrated by Reid (1992; Fig. 19 ) under C. insignis .

Cheiloxena tuberosa is a relatively frequently collected species in the subtropical forests of northeastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland ( Fig. 77 ), from Dorrigo to Bellthorpe. The northernmost record is based on a photograph of this distinctive species posted on the internet ( Walter 2016). The distributions of C. tuberosa and its closest relative and most similar species, C. westwoodii ( Reid 1992) , broadly overlap but the two species are not found together as the latter is restricted to eucalypt woodland.

The host is unknown. It has once been collected in an intercept trap hung on a tree of Argyrodendron (Malvaceae) , which occurs throughout the range of C. tuberosa , but this seems to be a casual association. A single specimen has been collected on leaves of Eucalyptus grandis (Myrtaceae) , but without indication of feeding. Cheiloxena tuberosa has also been collected at MV light.

Figures

FIGURE 77. Eastern Australia showing distribution of Cheiloxena species.

FIGURES 7–10. Habitus of Cheiloxena species: 7, C. insignis Baly (Launching Place, Victoria); 8, C. insignis (Lake Mountain, Victoria); 9, C. monga Reid & Beatson (holotype); 10, C. tuberosa Reid; Not to scale.

FIGURES 13–21. Lateral of Cheiloxena species: 13, C. aitori Reid & Beatson, male (holotype); 14, C. blackburni Reid; 15, C. conani Reid & Beatson; 16, C. frenchae Blackburn, (holotype); 17, C. insignis Blackburn; 18, C. monga Reid & Beatson (holotype); 19, C. tuberosa Reid; 20, C. westwoodii Baly (northern form, Dorrigo); 21, C. westwoodii Baly (southern form, Victoria). Not to scale.

FIGURES 22–30. Anterior view, Cheiloxena species: 22, C. aitori Reid & Beatson, male (holotype); 23, C. blackburni Reid; 24, C. conani Reid & Beatson; 25, C. frenchae Blackburn; 26, C. insignis Baly; 27, C. monga Reid & Beatson; 28, C. tuberosa Reid; 29, C. westwoodii Baly (northern form, Dorrigo); 30, C. westwoodii Baly (southern form, Victoria).

FIGURES 38–42. Cheiloxena species: 38, C. tuberosa Reid, male antenna; 39, C. insignis Blackburn, male antenna; 40, C. insignis, metafemur; 41, C. tuberosa, pro- (left) and meta- (right) tarsi; 42, C. frenchae Blackburn, apex of tarsus.

FIGURES 43–51. Cheiloxena species, male genitalia lateral and dorsal: 43, C. aitori Reid & Beatson; 44, C. blackburni Reid; 45, C. conani Reid & Beatson; 46, C. frenchae Blackburn; 47, C. insignis Blackburn; 48, C. monga Reid & Beatson; 49, C. tuberosa Reid; 50, C. westwoodii Baly (northern form, Dorrigo); 51, C. westwoodii (southern form, Victoria). All images to scale, scale bar = 2mm.

FIGURES 62–68. Cheiloxena species, female genitalia: 62, C. aitori Reid & Beatson; 63, C. blackburni Reid; 64, C. conani Reid & Beatson; 65, C. frenchae Blackburn; 66, C. insignis Blackburn; 67, C. tuberosa Reid; 68, C. westwoodii Baly (northern form, Dorrigo).

FIGURES 52–61. Cheiloxena species, apex of penis: 52, C. aitori Reid & Beatson; 53, C. blackburni Reid; 54, C. conani Reid & Beatson; 55, C. frenchae Blackburn; 56, C. insignis Blackburn (Launching Place, Victoria); 57, C. insignis Blackburn (Lake Mountain, Victoria); 58, C. monga Reid & Beatson; 59, C. tuberosa Reid; 60, C. westwoodii Baly (northern form, Dorrigo); 61, C. westwoodii (southern form, Victoria). All images to same scale.