Nisotra dohertyi (Maulik)

Figs 2 C, D, 3 D – F, 5

Podagrica dohertyi Maulik, 1926: 280 (Myanmar).

Nisotra dohertyi: Scherer 1969: 148; Medvedev 1992: 32 (Nepal); Zhang and Yang 2007: 842 (China: Yunnan).

Types.

Holotype ♂ (NHMUK, by original designation) (Fig. 2 C, D), labeled: “ Type [p, w, circle label with red border] // Doherty [p, w] // Birmah / RubyM es [p, w] // Fry Coll. / 1905. 100. [p, w] // Podagrica / dohertyi M. [h] / S. Mulik det. [p] / type 1926 [h, w] ” . Paratypes. 2 ♂ (NHMUK): “ Co- / type [p, w, circle label with yellow border] // Doherty [p, w] // Birmah / RubyM es [p, w] // Fry Coll. / 1905. 100. [p, w] // Podagrica / dohertyi M. [h] / S. Mulik det. [p] / type 1926 [h, w] ” .

Additional material examined.

China. Yunnan: 2 ♂ (TARI), Banggunjianshan (邦棍尖山), 15. IX. 2015, leg. Y. - T. Wang ; 1 ♂ (TARI), same but with “ 17. IX. 2015 ”; 1 ♀ (TARI), same but with “ 11. VI. 2017 ”; 1 ♀ (TARI), same but with “ 22. IX. 2018 ”; 1 ♂, 6 ♀ (TARI), Bulangshan (布朗山), 28. IX. 2017, leg. Y. - T. Wang ; 3 ♀ (TARI), Dingiazhai (丁家寨), 27. IV. 2018, leg. Y. - T. Wang ; 1 ♀ (TARI), Ruili (瑞麗), 5. IX. 2014, leg. Y. - T. Wang ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (TARI), Wuliangshan (無量山), 11. VII. 2017, leg. Y. - T. Wang ; Laos. 1 ♀ (NHMUK), Haut Mekong, Muong Sing, 18. IV. 1918, leg. R. V. de Salvaza ; 3 ♀ (NHMUK), Haut Mekong, Nam Long, 26. IV. 1918, leg. R. V. de Salvaza ; Hua Pan: 6 ♂, 20 ♀ (NHMUK), Ban Saleui, Phou Pan Mt., 3–30. VI. 2014, leg. C. Holzschuh ; 2 ♀ (NHMUK), same but with “ 27. IV. – 1. VI. 2011 ”; 1 ♂ (NHMUK), Phongsaly, Phu Fa, 26. VII. 2006, leg. M. Geiser ; Myanmar. 1 ♀ (NHMUK), Sadon, 28. VI. – 5. VII. 1939, leg. R. Malaise ; Vietnam. Lao Cai: 4 ♂, 3 ♀ (NHMUK), Cha Pa (= Sa Pa), 13–20. IV. 1962, leg. A. Warchalowski ; 1 ♀ (NHMUK), same locality, 24. IX. 2004, leg. M. Geiser .

Redescription.

Adults. Length 4.0– 4.4 mm, width 2.8–3.3 mm (n = 59). General color yellowish brown (Fig. 3 D – F); elytra, meso- and metathoracic, and abdominal ventrites metallic purple; four basal antennomeres I – IV yellowish brown, V dark brown, VI – XI black. Antennae (Fig. 5 A) filiform in males, ratios of lengths of antennomeres I to XI 1.0: 0.6: 0.6: 0.5: 0.6: 0.6: 0.7: 0.7: 0.8: 0.8: 1.1; ratios of length to width from antennomeres I to XI 2.4: 2.0: 2.3: 2.0: 2.2: 2.2: 2.3: 2.3: 2.5: 2.5: 3.5; similar in females, ratios of lengths of antennomeres I to XI (Fig. 5 B) 1.0: 0.6: 0.6: 0.5: 0.6: 0.6: 0.7: 0.7: 0.8: 0.7: 1.0; ratios of length to width from antennomeres I to XI 2.5: 2.4: 2.6: 2.5: 2.6: 2.1: 2.6: 2.3: 2.5: 2.4: 3.7. Pronotum 2.0–2.2 × wider than long; disc dull, with micro-reticulation, less convex; with sparse, fine punctures; longitudinal groove on each side of apical margin deep, with several coarse punctures along groove; longitudinal groove on basal margin short and shallow; lateral margins rounded; apical margins slightly concave; basal margin medially convex. Elytra 1.1 × longer than wide; disc with coarse, confused punctures, mixed with fine punctures; lateral margins rounded, narrowed behind middle. Aedeagus (Fig. 5 C – E) wide, ~ 3.7 × longer than wide; parallel sided, moderately narrowed at apical 1 / 10; apex truncate, but with one median rounded process; extremely strongly curved in lateral view; tectum membranous. Endophallic spiculae reduced. Gonocoxae (Fig. 5 U) longer than wide, and basally connected; apex of each gonocoxa widely rounded, curved inwards, with eight or nine long setae. Ventrite VIII (Fig. 5 F, G) well sclerotized, 2–4 pairs of setae arranged into transverse line along sides of apical margin, spiculum extremely long. Spermathecal receptaculum (Fig. 5 H) strongly swollen; pump long and curved, with long apical process; spermathecal duct sclerotized, moderately long after base of spermathecal gland.

Diagnosis.

Adults of Nisotra dohertyi are characterized by the confused punctures on the elytra (punctures arranged into paired longitudinal lines in other species), dull pronotum with micro-reticulation (shining pronota without micro-reticulation in others), and ovate elytra, 1.1 × longer than wide (oblong elytra, 1.2 × longer than wide in others), although this character is similar in a few adults of N. chrysomeloides and N. gemella with more ovate bodies. In males of N. dohertyi, the truncate apex and small process of the aedeagus (Fig. 5 C) differ from the acute apex in N. chrysomeloides (Fig. 4 C) and widely rounded apex and small medial process in N. nigripes (Fig. 14 C). The strongly curved aedeagus in lateral view (Fig. 5 E) differs from the moderately curved aedeagus in N. chrysomeloides (Fig. 4 E) and N. gemella (Fig. 7 D), and slightly curved aedeagus in N. nigripes (Fig. 14 D). The membranous tectum (Fig. 5 C) differs from the sclerotized tectum in N. chrysomeloides (Fig. 4 C). In females of N. dohertyi, the inwardly directed apices of the gonocoxae differ from the straight gonocoxae in N. gemella (Fig. 7 G), dorsally directed apices in N. chrysomeloides (Fig. 4 H), and laterally directed apices in N. nigripes (Fig. 14 G). Abdominal ventrite VIII with several pairs of long setae along apical margin (Fig. 5 F, G) differs from the presence of one transverse line of long setae inside the apical margin and dense short setae along the apical margin in others (Figs 4 F, 7 E, 14 E).

Distribution.

China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam. Records in Nepal need further confirmation.