Neocrepidodera sublaevis ( Motschulsky, 1859 )

Baselga, Andrés, 2006, The Northeastern Palaearctic light coloured Neocrepidodera Heikertinger, 1911 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), with description of a new species, Zootaxa 1246, pp. 55-68 : 64-66

Neocrepidodera sublaevis ( Motschulsky, 1859)

( Figs. 5 , 11 , 17 )

Crepidodera sublaevis Motschulsky, 1859: 498

Asiorestia sublaevis: Gressit & Kimoto, 1963: 770 Description of the neotype

Length = 3.0 mm. Body convex, about two times longer than wide. Colour yellowish brown. Head: slightly convex. Frontal ridge between antennal calli wide and flat. Frontal tubercles not distinctly delimited posteriad, supracallinal sulcus effaced. Vertex smooth and shiny, with a strong deep seta­bearing puncture near each eye. First antennomere distinctly shorter than second and third together. Third antennomere about 1.5 times longer than second, slightly longer than fourth and slightly shorter than fifth. Pronotum: 1.3 times broader than long, widest at middle, constricted basally, narrowly margined, provided with an antebasal transverse furrow delimited laterally by two longitudinal impressions. Anterolateral callosity rounded, well developed and almost symmetrical. Surface covered with punctures variable in size, minute on disc, minute on basal region, with slightly greater punctures in the antebasal transverse groove ( Fig. 5 ). Elytra: moderately convex, about 1.4 times longer than broad, widest at middle. Humeral callus well developed, macropterous. Lateral margins explanate, apex rounded. Surface shiny. Punctation arranged in 10 distinct striae, scutellar stria short. Punctures large and deep. Interstriae slightly convex and slightly wider than striae. Base of sixth elytral stria strongly impressed, deeper than the other striae, delimiting interiorly the humeral callus. Aedeagus: apex subtriangular shaped in ventral view, with denticle poorly developed, feebly deflexed ventrad in lateral view ( Fig. 11 ).

Remarks on the designation of the neotype

Motschulsky (1859) described this species based on material from the river Amur, between Shilka and Nikolayevsk. The species was considered a Eurosiberian taxon widely distributed from northern Europe to the Far East until the description of N. motschulskii ( Konstantinov, 1991) . In the cited paper the distribution of N. sublaevis is restricted to the far East and a lectotype is designated, including a figure of its aedeagus ( Konstantinov 1991). Among the material studied for this paper were some specimens ( N. konstantinovi sp. nov., see above) from the distribution area of N. sublaevis , but with an aedeagus clearly different from that figured by Konstantinov. Thus, I tried to study the lectotype, deposited in the Zoological Museum of Moscow University. The type was kindly sent me by N. Nikitsky via British Museum of Natural History but, unfortunately, the parcel was stolen from the British Museum postage area on the 4th July 2005 (M. Barclay, personal communication). Therefore, the lectotype must be considered lost and no other syntypes are available in the Motschulsky collection (N. Nikitsky, personal communication). Considering the taxonomic problem of the separation of N. konstantinovi and N. sublaevis , the designation of a neotype becomes necessary. Despite the study of material from the USNM and from European colleagues (e.g. BERC, DOBC) I found no specimens from the Far East attributable to N. sublaevis following Konstantinov’s description and figure. Therefore I selected the available specimen collected closer to the original type locality, following the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (recommendation 75B) and the advice of A. Konstantinov.

Other material examined

KAZAKHSTAN: Narynkol, 1906, 1 ex. (Almásy leg.); KYRGIZSTAN: Austan, Alay, 1 ex.; Narynskiy Khrebet, Naryn river, 16 July 1966, 2 ex.; Przewalsk, Karakol, 1906, 1 ex. (Almásy leg.); Talass [Talass­Thal], 2 ex.; Tien Shan, 7 July 1962, 1 ex.; Tien Shan, Kyungey­Ala­Too, 18 July 1981, 1 ex. (I. Lopatin leg.); TAJIKISTAN: Turkestanskiy Khrebet, Kshemish, 27 June 1963, 5 ex. (I. Lopatin leg.); 4 July 1964, 3 ex. (I. Lopatin leg); UZBEKISTAN: Chatkal, Sari­Chelek Lake, 17 July 1957, 1 ex.; Chatkalskiy Khrebet, Sari­Chelek Lake, 26 July 1962 (V. Palii leg.); Karzhantau Khrebet, Su­Cingan, 3 July 1938, 1 ex.; 25 July 1939, 1 ex.; Kokand, Nurlou River, 26 June 1908, 2 ex. (Zarudnii leg.); Ravat, 1892, 1 ex. (Glasunov leg.); Zaravshan [Seravschan], 1892, 1 ex. (Glasunov leg.).

Diagnosis

Length = 2.5­3.6 mm. Head: frontal tubercles not distinctly delimited posteriad, supracallinal sulcus effaced. First antennomere distinctly shorter than second and third together. Pronotum: constricted basally, narrowly margined. Anterolateral callosity rounded, well developed and almost symmetrical. Surface covered with punctures variable in size, minute on disc (moderately large in some specimens), minute on basal region, with slightly greater punctures in the antebasal transverse groove ( Fig. 5 ). Elytra: punctation completely seriate, or sometimes with some striae partially irregular because some punctures are duplicated or slightly disordered (especially in females). Punctures large and deep. Interstriae slightly convex and slightly wider than striae. Base of sixth elytral stria strongly impressed, deeper than the other striae. Aedeagus: apex subtriangular shaped in ventral view, with denticle poorly developed ( Fig. 11 ), feebly deflexed ventrad in lateral view. Vaginal palpus: long, slightly curved and slightly tapering to the apex, basal membranous region long ( Fig. 17 a). Spermatheca: as in Fig. 17 b.

Distribution

Central Asia, Far East, Japan.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Pronota of Neocrepidodera spp. Circle and oval represent schematic samples of discal and antebasal punctation, respectively. (1) N. sibirica. (2) N. obscuritarsis. (3) N. interpunctata. (4) N. konstantinovi, paratype. (5) N. sublaevis, neotype. (6) N. motschulskii. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Median lobe of aedeagi of Neocrepidodera spp., ventral and lateral view. (7) N. sibirica. (8) N. obscuritarsis. (9) N. interpunctata. (10) N. konstantinovi, paratype. (11) N. sublaevis, neotype. (12) N. motschulskii. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Female genitalia of Neocrepidodera spp.: (a) vaginal palpi, (b) spermatheca. (13) N. sibirica. (14) N. obscuritarsis. (15) N. interpunctata. (16) N. konstantinovi, paratype. (17) N. sublaevis. (18) N. motschulskii. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.