Charaea pseudoakkoae (Medvedev, 1998)

Bezděk, Jan & Lee, Chi-Feng, 2014, Revision of Charaea (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae) from Taiwan, Zootaxa 3861 (1), pp. 1-39 : 18-19

Charaea pseudoakkoae (Medvedev, 1998)

( Figs 28 , 43 , 58–63 , 89 , 93–94 )

Exosoma pseudoakkoae Medvedev, 1998: 172 (original description).

Taphinellina pseudoakkoae: Beenen 2010: 489 (catalogue).

Charaea pseudoakkoae: Beenen & Warchałowski (2010): 62 (catalogue).

Exosoma akkoae: Kimoto (1969): 45 (faunistics, Taiwan); Kimoto (1989b): 254 (faunistics, Taiwan); Kimoto & Chu (1996): 77 (catalogue, Taiwan); Kimoto & Takizawa (1997): 305 (key), 381 ( Taiwan) (all misidentifications).

Type locality. “ Taiwan, Taitung prov., Hsiangyang”.

Type material examined. Holotype: ♂ ( HNHM), “ TAIWAN, Taitung Prov. / Hsiangyang / 2200m, 13.–14.VI.1997, / B. Herczig & L. Ronkay [w, p] // HOLOTYPUS [p] / Exosoma m. / pseudoaccoae [sic!] [h] / L. N. Medvedev det. 9 [p] 8 [r, h]”. Paratype: ♀ ( HNHM), “ TAIWAN, Taitung Prov. / Hsiangyang / 2200m, 13.–14.VI.1997, / B. Herczig & L. Ronkay [w, p] // PARATYPUS / L. N. Medvedev det. 95 [r, p]”.

Additional material examined. 36 specimens — TAIWAN: Chiayi County: 1 ♂, Alishan, 2300 m, 6.vii.1965, Y. Kurosawa leg. ( KMNH); 1 ♀, Alishan, 17.–26.vi.1995, P. Moravec leg. ( RBCN). Hsinchu County: 7 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Kuanwu, 7.vi.2010, L.-H. Sun leg. ( TARI, 1 ♂ in NMPC, 1 ♂ in JBCB). Hualien County: 1 ♂, Kuanyuan, 2.vii.2008, M.-H. Tsao leg. ( TARI); 1 ♂ 5 ♀♀, Pilu, 22.vi.2009, U. Ong leg. ( TARI). Nantou County: 3 ♀♀, Meifeng, 2130 m, 17.–22.vi.1979, without the name of collector ( TARI); 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀, Meifeng, 2150 m, 24.–26.vi.1981, K. S. Lin & W. S. Tang leg. ( TARI); 2 ♀♀, Tatachia, 27.iv.2010, C.-F. Lee leg. ( TARI); 3 ♀♀, Tatachia, 17.v.2010, C.-F. Lee leg. ( TARI, 1 ♀ in JBCB); 1 ♀, Tatachia, 17.v.2010, M.-H. Tsou leg. ( TARI); 1 ♂, Yu Shih, 1900 m, 4.vii.1986, K. Baba leg. ( KMNH); 1 ♂, Sungkan, 2000 m—Tsifen, 2300 m, 19.vi.1965, Y. Kurosawa leg. ( KMNH); 1 ♀, Tongpo, 16.–18.vii.1995, H. Takizawa leg. ( HTCH); 1 ♀, Sungkang, 1.viii.1985, H. Takizawa leg. ( HTCH). Taitung County: 1 ♀, Motien, 23.vi.2010, M.-H. Tsou leg. ( TARI). Yilan County: 2 ♀♀, Ssuyuan, 9.vi.2009, S.-F. Yu leg. ( TARI).

Comparative material examined of Charaea akkoae ( Figs 27 , 42 , 52–57 , 88 ). 12 specimens — JAPAN: Ehime Pref.: 1 ♂, Kumakougen–cho, Mt. Ishizuchi, 25.vii.2010, H. Suenaga leg. ( HTCH). Ibaraki Pref.: 1 ♀, Mt. Tsukuba, 800 m, pan traps, 14.–25.vii.1989, M. J. Sharkey leg. ( JBCB); 2 ♀♀, Mt. Tsukuba, 800 m, 25.–31.vii.1989, M. J. Sharkey leg. ( JBCB). Okayama Pref.: 1 ♂, Maniwa–shi Hiruzen, Yamanori–yama Mt., 12.vi.2005, H. Suenaga leg. ( HTCH); 1 ♂, Hijiya, Maniwa–shi, 7.vii.2007, S. Seijima leg. ( HTCH). Tokushima Pref.: 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Waki–son Natsuko, Mt. Ohtaki–yama, 23.vi.1997, S. Mano leg. ( HTCH). Tottori Pref.: 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Mizoguchi–cho, Dai–se Mt., Masumizu–kogen, 4.vii.2004, H. Suenaga leg. ( HTCH).

Description. Measurements. Males: 3.6–4.1 mm (holotype 3.6 mm), females: 3.7–4.5 mm. Dorsal side glabrous, oval, relatively flat. Dorsum metallic green-black, mouthparts dark brown to black, legs and antennae black, knees paler, abdomen yellow with infuscate ventrite I or I and II (rarely in some females abdomen completely yellow).

Male ( Fig. 28 ). Lateral sides of nasal keel with distinct punctures bearing short pale setae, vertex with distinct puncures. Interantennal space 1.2 times as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Interocular space 3.15 times as wide as transverse diameter of eye. Antennae filiform, 0.65 times as long as body, length ratio of antennomeres equals 9-6-6-9-9-9-9- 9-9-9-13.

Pronotum lustrous, 1.35 times as broad as long, widest in anterior third, covered with two kinds of punctures: small fine punctures on whole surface and slightly larger punctures missing in wide longitudinal stripes along lateral margins and in middle of disc. Anterior margin slightly concave, lateral margins rounded, posterior margin straight in middle, lateral parts moderately rounded. Anterior margin finely but distinctly bordered, lateral margins with broad border, posterior margin moderately bordered. Anterior angles obtusangulate, swollen, with setigerous pore, posterior angles obtusangulate with small pointed tip with setigerous pore, all pores bearing long pale seta, additional short setae visible on lateral margins of pronotum.

Elytra 1.5 times as long as wide and 0.70 times as long as body.

Length ratio of protarsomeres I, II, III and V equals 8-6-4-7, of metatarsomeres I, II, III and V equals 12-6-5- 10.

Prosternum visible between procoxae but not elevated. Posterior margin of last ventrite with very shallow incisions ( Fig. 61 ).

Aedeagus symmetrical, subparallel, apex triangular, laterally with small angulation projecting lateral outline of aedeagus, in ventral view apical quarter between lateral angulations slightly concave ( Fig. 58 ).

Female. Interantennal space 1.4 times as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Interocular space, 2.6 time as wide as transverse diameter of eye. Last ventrite with widely rounded apex ( Fig. 63 ). Pygidium with widely rounded apex ( Fig. 62 ). Sternite VIII subtriangular with anterior margin widely rounded and in middle with deep incision, with row of long setae along anterior margin, tignum slender, three times longer than sternite VIII ( Fig. 60 ). Spermatheca C-shaped, nodulus not separated from cornu, proximal spermathecal duct slightly bent ( Fig. 59 ).

Distribution. Taiwan.

Biology. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Charaea pseudoakkoae is similar to Ch. akkoae (Chûjô, 1954) from Japan. Dorsal side of Ch. akkoae is metallic blue while all specimens of Ch. pseudoakkoae have dorsum metallic green ( Figs 26, 27 ). Legs and antennae of Ch. akkoae vary from brown to brownish black with femora always darker, but legs of Ch. pseudoakkoae are always black with brownish knees and the antennae are black with brownish antennomeres II and III. The surface of the pronotum is covered with fine punctures in Ch. akkoae but punctures are slightly more pronounced in Ch. pseudoakkoae . The aedeagi of both species are also similar ( Figs 52, 58 ), including the internal sacs ( Figs 88, 89 ), although the dorsal brush of setae is more elongate in the aedeagus of Ch. pseudoakkoae . The differencies can be found in the shape of pair of flat sclerites: in Ch. akkoae the apical third is extended and has rounded lateral margins and shorter apical processes. In Ch. pseudoakkoae , the lateral margins are angulate and the apical processes are longer ( Figs 88, 89 ). Sternite VIII is narrower, with a deeper apical incision and the anterior margin possesses a row of setae in Ch. pseudoakkoae . In Ch. akkoae , this structure is wider, with shallower apical incision and anterior margin lacking setae ( Figs 54, 60 ). The spermatheca of Ch. akkoae possesses a distinct nodulus, slightly wider than cornu, but in Ch. pseudoakkoae the nodulus is indistinct, and the cornu regularly rounded ( Figs 53, 59 ). Although the differencies between both species are minor, they seem to be constant and we consider Taiwanese population as a valid species.

In comparison with the Taiwanese species Charaea pseudoakkoae is characterised by a relatively flat, subparallel, metallic green body, and the pronotum is covered with fine punctures. The male abdomen is yellow with ventrite I black and the structure of the aedeagus is different. Charaea miyamotoi differs in possessing robust antennae and having the pronotum with double punctuation. The males of Ch. sasajii are smaller and have completely yellow abdomina. The males of Ch. haruoi sp. nov. have similarly bicoloured abdomina, but the dorsum is metallic blue. All species can be also easily recognized by the structure of the aedeagus ( Figs 17 , 58 , 64 , 119 ).

Figures

FIGURES 23 – 28. Habitus of Charaea. 23 — Ch. costatum (female, 5.1 mm); 24 — Ch. kelloggi (male, 5.1 mm); 25 — Ch. mimicum (male, 5.3 mm); 26 — Ch. miyamotoi (male, 4.2 mm); 27 — Ch. akkoae (male, Japan, 3.3 mm); 28 — Ch. pseudoakkoae (male, 3.7 mm).

FIGURES 40 – 51. Elucidated aedeagus in dorsal view with internal sac not everted. 40 — Charaea kelloggi; 41 — Ch. mimicum; 42 — Ch. akkoae (from Japan); 43 — Ch. pseudoakkoae; 44 — Ch. sasajii; 45 — Ch. miyamotoi; 46 — Ch. shirozui; 47 — Ch. taiwanum; 48 — Ch. maxbarclayi sp. nov.; 49 — Ch. chujoi (from Japan); 50 — Ch. houjayi sp. nov.; 51 — Ch. haruoi sp. nov. Not to scale.

FIGURES 52 – 63. Details of Charaea akkoae and Ch. pseudoaakkoae. 52 – 57 — Ch. akkoae; 58 – 63 — Ch. pseudoaakkoae. 52, 58: aedeagus (dorsal, lateral and ventral views); 53, 59: spermatheca; 54, 60: sternite VIII; 55, 61: last ventrite of male; 56, 62: female pygidium; 57, 63: last ventrite of female. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for Figs 52, 55 – 58 and 61 – 63, 0.25 mm for Figs 53 – 54 and 59 – 60.

FIGURES 88 – 92. Everted internal sac of aedeagus. 88 — Charaea akkoae (Japan, dorsal view); 89 — Ch. pseudoakkoae (dorsal and lateral views); 90 — Ch. sasajii (dorsal view); 91 — Ch. shirozui (lateral view); 92 — Ch. taiwanum (dorsal view). Not to scale.

FIGURES 93 – 100. Type specimens of Charaea and their labels. 93 – 94 — Exosoma pseudoakkoae (holotype, male, 3.6 mm); 95 – 96 — Exosoma sasajii (paratype, male, 3.1 mm); 97 – 98 — Calomicrus shirozui (paratype, male, 3.6 mm); 99 – 100 — Exosoma taiwanum (paratype, male, 4.6 mm).

FIGURES 17 – 22. Details of Charaea miyamotoi. 17 — aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views); 18 — spermatheca; 19 — sternite VIII; 20 — male last ventrite; 21 — female pygidium; 22 — female last ventrite. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for Figs 17 and 20 – 22, 0.25 mm for Figs 18 – 19.

FIGURES 64 – 69. Details of Charaea sasajii. 64 — aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views); 65 — spermatheca; 66 — sternite VIII; 67 — male last ventrite; 68 — female pygidium; 69 — female last ventrite. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for Figs 64 and 67 – 69, 0.25 mm for Figs 65 – 66.

FIGURES 119 – 124. Details of Charaea haruoi sp. nov. 119 — aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views); 120 — spermatheca; 121 — sternite VIII; 122 — male last ventrite; 123 — female pygidium; 124 — female last ventrite. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for Figs 119 and 122 – 124, 0.25 mm for Figs 120 – 121.