Limonius eximius Lewis, 1894

Arimoto, Kôichi & Suzuki, Wataru, 2020, First record and two new species of the genus Limonius Eschscholtz (Coleoptera Elateridae, Dendrometrinae) from Taiwan, Zootaxa 4742 (1), pp. 89-104 : 100-101

Limonius eximius Lewis, 1894

( Figure 8 )

Limonius eximius Lewis, 1894: 318 (original description; type locality: Japan).

Kibunea eximius ( Lewis, 1894) ; Kishii, 1966: 46 (treated as type species of the genus Kibunea ).

Megapenthes purpureipennis Miwa, 1927: 20 (original description; type locality: Mt. Takao-san, Tokyo, Japan); Miwa, 1934: 105 (synonymized with Limonius eximius ).

Kishii (1999) stated that “ Megapenthes purpureipennis Miwa, 1927 …synonymize by Miwa, 1934: 166 ” on page 29; however, this citation is incorrect.

Material examined. 1 male, Yagyu-kaido , Mt. Kasuga-yama , Nara City, Nara Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, 20 IV 2001, Hisayuki Arimoto leg. ; 1 female, Mt. Kasuga-yama , Nara City, Nara Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, 6 V 2004, Hisayuki Arimoto leg. ; 1 male, Mt. Hakuba , Nagano Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, 28 VII 2005, Isao Matoba leg. ; 1 male, Utajuku , Minami-Alps Super Forest Road, Ina City, Nagano Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, 1,670m, 14 V 2016, Hisayuki Arimoto leg. ; 1 male, Mt. Shiratori-yama , Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, 4–6 V 2012, Reo Itô leg.

Diagnosis. Body surface with metallic luster; elytra interspaces between punctures larger than or as long as puncture diameter. Head and prothorax yellow tinged with pale red, rarely pale blue; elytra pale red; ventral surface yellow tinged with pale blue or pale red. Frons in profile weakly depressed apically; supra-antennal carina in dorsal view broadly rounded but almost transverse apically, in profile strongly prominent anteriad above clypeus. Antennae extending beyond posterior apices of pronotum by apical two antennomeres in male, not reaching posterior apices of pronotum by apical antennomere in female; antennomere III slightly longer than II; IV longer than wide, longer than II–III combined, longer than V. Prothorax widening posteriad; lateral carina strongly prominent just behind anterior angles. Anterior lobe of prosternum in profile strongly inclined (at 30–44 degrees against prosternal horizontal line). Mesial edge of hypomeron carinate anterolaterad. Prosternal spine without distinct subapical tooth; sides at ventral view roundly expanded. Scutellum 1.31–1.51 x as long as wide, weakly to strongly convex; posterior margin broadly rounded, but apex sometimes transverse or slightly emarginate. Mesepisternum not reaching mesocoxal cavity.

Measurements. Male (n=4). BL: 7.07–7.75, BW: 1.98–2.15, MIE: 0.78–0.83, MAE: 1.13–1.22, OI: 142–148, PL: 1.91–2.05, PML: 1.83–2.00, PW: 1.75–1.92, PI: 105–112, EL: 4.63–5.10, EW: 1.98–2.15, EI: 234–241, BI: 242–248. Female. BL: 8.10, BW: 2.23, MIE: 0.88, MAE: 1.23, OI: 140, PL: 2.22, PML: 2.16; PW: 2.04, PI: 109, EL: 5.33, EW: 2.23, EI: 239, BI: 240.

Distribution. Japan: Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu ( Kishii, 1999).

Bionomics. The examined specimens from Nagano and Kumamoto Prefectures were collected by sweeping the flowers of trees.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Limonius eximius Lewis, 1894. A, B, D–I: male; C: female. A: habitus, dorsal view; B, C: head and prothorax, dorsal view; D: head, dorsal view (arrow: lateral carina of prothorax strongly prominent behind anterior angle); E: basal antennomeres of right antenna; F: head and anterior half of prothorax, lateral view; G: prosternal spine and mesosternum, lateral view (arrow: scutellum strongly convex above); H: prosternal spine, ventral view; I: scutellum.