Lilioceris theana (Reitter, 1898)

Figs 8, 9, 16, 22, 28, 34, 42, 51-54

Lilioceris theana Reitter, 1898: 22 (Russia, Sibiria, holotype, gender?). ( Crioceris). Chûjô 1941: 453 ( Lilioceris).

Type material examined.

Holotype (HNHM, photo), Sibirien, Reitter Leder / Siberia Chabarowba, leg. Graeser / Cr. Lilioceris theana m. 1897 / Holotypus, 1898, Crioceris theama [mis-spelling of Lilioceris theana], Reitter / Coll. Reitter.

Other material examined.

Total 92 specimens. China: Heilongjiang: 1♀ Harbin / 1931.IX.30 ; 1♀ Mao’er Shan / 1962, Comprehensive Investigation Department, Ministry of Forestry coll.; 1♀ Dailing / 1971.V.22; Liaoning : 2♀ Qian Shan / 1987.VI.2, Jinke Li coll. ; 1♀ Qingyuan / 1934.5.12 ; 2♂ 2♀, Shenyang, Qipan Shan, 2020.VII.11, Haicheng Shan coll. ; 1♀, Shenyang, Qipan Shan, 2020.VII.13, Haicheng Shan coll. ; 2♂, Shenyang, Qipan Shan, 2020.VII.23, Haicheng Shan coll. ; 1♂ 1♀, Shenyang, Qipan Shan, 2020.VIII.2, Haicheng Shan coll. ; 60 (♂, ♀), Shenyang, Qipan Shan, 2021.V.10-VI.13, Haicheng Shan coll. ; Hebei: 1♂ Wuling Shan, 800 m, 1981.VI.1, Peiyu Yu coll.; 5♀ Wuling Shan, Liushuigou, 1400 m, 1981.VI.4, Peiyu Yu coll.; Beijing: 1♀ Xiaolongmen, Forestry Farm, elevation 1140 m, 2003.V.18, Dakang Zhou coll.; 1♀ Yanqing, Song Shan, elevation 800 m, 2003.VI.4-7, Dakang Zhou coll.; 1♀ Wuling Shan, Western Gate, host unknown / 2006.V.4, Ye Liu coll. ; Zhejiang: 1♀ Tianmu Shan, 1936.VI.9 ; 2♂ Tianmu Shan, 1936.VII.23; Fujian : 2♀ Wuyi Shan, Nature Reserve, 670-1420 m, 2004.IV.24 -5.13, Dakang Zhou coll. Russia: 1♂, Primorsky Krai 12 km. Chernigovka, Gribnoe / Punza / 1974.V.16 Ler. South Korea: 1 (NIBR), Korea (GB) Bonghwa-gun, Chunyang- myeon, Seobyeok-ri. Joong Youb Kim, 2018.V.23 / Lilioceris sinica (Heyden, 1887b), Det: Jong Eun Lee, 2018.IX.19 / NIBR 0000921396 .

Diagnosis.

Femora bicolored, black with brownish red middle; pronotum disc with fine punctures; elytral punctures strong, not diminishing posteriorly, intervals convex at apical 1/4; lateral side of metasternite with a wide strip of pubescence; abdominal transverse impressions absent on sternites 2-5, sternite wholly pubescent.

Redescription.

BL = 7.2-8.0 mm, BW = 3.5-3.8 mm. The front part of the head, antennae, ventral surface black; occiput, pronotum, scutellum and elytra brownish red, femora bicolored, brownish red with apex black.

Head (Fig. 8). HL/HW = 1.1-1.3; vertex with a deep groove in the middle, punctate and setose laterally; frontoclypeal area triangular, disc with dense punctures and setae; labrum transverse, with sparse setae; antennomeres 5-10 slightly longer than wide (Fig. 34).

Pronotum (Fig. 16A). PW / HW = 0.9-1.1, PL / PW = 1.0-1.2; anterior angle slightly protruding; posterior angle not protruding; sides slightly constricted in the middle; middle of disc with fine and scattered punctures; anterior and posterior transverse impression indistinct, basal transverse groove shallow.

Elytra (Fig. 16D). EL/EW = 1.4-1.5; sutural angle rounded; humeri protruding, humeral groove shallow, basal transverse impression indistinct; scutellary striole composed of 6-8 punctures; strial punctures large, not diminishing posteriorly, intervals convex at apical 1/4; epipleura raised, with a row of fine punctures laterally.

Mesosternite pubescent. Lateral side of metasternite with wide strip of pubescence, extending from anterior to posterior margin, 1/4 near metepisternum sparsely pubescent (Fig. 16B); metepisternum densely pubescent.

Lateral transverse impressions absent on abdominal sternites 2-5, all sternites densely pubescent (Fig. 16C).

Legs slender; tibiae with dense punctures pubescence; femora with dense pubescence on dorsal surface, with sparse pubescence on ventral surface.

Male genitalia (Fig. 22A-D). Median foramen occupying 1/4 length of median lobe (Fig. 22A); apex rounded (Fig. 22B); basal piece of tegmen triangular, relatively broad, lateral lobes strongly sclerotized; posterior part of dorsal sclerite in dorsal view in dorsal view widely rounded, directed laterally (Fig. 22C, D).

Female reproductive organs (Fig. 28A-C). Spiculum gastrale long, Y-shaped, distal part slightly widened, apical margin rounded; ovipositor with dense setae, distal part of the ovipositor cylindrical, long, with small protuberance; spermatheca simply convoluted.

Host plant.

This species feeds on Dioscorea nipponica in Liaoning Province (Fig. 54). Adults appeared on host plants from May to September.

Distribution.

China (Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Hebei, Beijing, Zhejiang, Fujian); Russia; Korea.

Remarks.

Lilioceris theana was described by Reitter (1898) from Siberia, Russia. Chûjô (1941: 453) synonymized it with L. rugata, and Gressitt and Kimoto (1961: 58) synonymized it with L. sinica . Subsequent researchers have followed Chûjô’s treatment (e.g., Warchałowski 2011; Bezděk and Schmitt 2017). According to our study of the types (Figs 8, 9), L. theana is a distinct species, and it clearly differs from L. rugata by having a wide strip of pubescence on the lateral side of the metasternite and abdominal sternites with dense pubescence (sides of metasternite and abdominal sternites nearly smooth in L. rugata). Lilioceris theana differs from L. sinica in the transverse impressions on abdominal sternites 2-5 absent (having clear transverse impressions on abdominal sternites 2-5 in L. sinica). In addition, the spiculum gastrale and spermatheca of the three species are distinctly different (Figs 25A-C, 27A-C, 28A-C).