Cycadophila (Cycadophila) debaonica Xu, Tang & Skelley

Skelley, Paul, Xu, Guang, Tang, William, Lindström, Anders J., Marler, Thomas, Khuraijam, Jibankumar Singh, Singh, Rita & Rich, Stephen, 2017, Review of Cycadophila Xu, Tang & Skelley (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting Cycas (Cycadaceae) in Asia, with descriptions of a new subgenus and thirteen new species, Zootaxa 4267 (1), pp. 1-63 : 18

Cycadophila (Cycadophila) debaonica Xu, Tang & Skelley

Figs. 2 E, 2H–I, 2L, 2P, 3C, 3D, 3I

Cycadophila debaonica Xu, Tang & Skelley in Xu et al. 2015: 7 –12.

Adult diagnosis. A member of the C. ( Cycadophila ) lata species group as discussed above, distinguished most readily by the long supraocular striae, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio <3.5; width of elytra greatest at middle, with fine actute projection at posterior pronotal hind angle, and major males with mesofemora gradually narrowing to the apex. Most similar morphologically to C. collina which has an indistinct obtuse projection at posterior pronotal hind angle and major males with mesofemora parallel-sided nearly to apex. Most confidently distinguishable from C. (C.) collina by analysis of the 16S rRNA gene (GenBank Accession numbers KR005715 – KR00717, KY365239 , KY365249 , KY365251 ), as discussed earlier. Full descriptions and images of adults and larvae are presented in Xu et al. (2015).

Type locality. China, Guangxi Province, Debao County, Fuping village , 23°29.624'N, 106°12.980'E.

Range. Known from Debao and Napo counties of Guangxi Province, China. The range of the host, C. debaoensis , extends to Banshui, Baise City , Guangxi Province and Funing County , Yunnan Province with 16 known natural populations ( Xie et al. 2005; Fang 2009).

Material examined. Holotype, allotype and paratypes as discussed in Xu et al. (2015). Others examined: VIETNAM, Hoa Binh Province, Lac Thuy Distr. , Phu Lao Comm., 20°33'19″N, 105°45'42″E, 50–100m, 25-IV- 2015, N. S. Khang ex ♂ Cycas hoabinhensis (1; deposited at the FSCA).

Remarks. Xu et al. (2015) demonstrated that adults and larvae of this species occur together in male cones of Cycas debaoensis in Guangxi, China, where they appear to feed and reproduce . DNA analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicates that a population of Cycadophila debaonica in Vietnam south of Hanoi on Cycas hoabinhensis display DNA sequences similar to those type populations in Guangxi Province , China . Populations in northern Vietnam west of Hanoi, in northern Laos and in southern Yunnan Province, China on Cycas tanqingii and the C. collina species complex exhibit enough genetic differences to warrant recognition as a species distinct from Cycadophila debaonica and is named above as Cycadophila collina . Morphologically, many specimens of these two species are difficult to distinguish and form part of a cryptic species complex. They are both, however, morphologically distinguishable from the closely related Cycadophila lata (discussed below), which also occurs in Vietnam .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Key characters of adults: photographs of lateral head and pronotal margin: A) Cycadophila (C.) fupingensis; B) C. (Strobilophila) tansachai; C) C. (C.) yunnanensis; SEM of protibia, ventral view: D) C. (C.) fupingensis; E) C. (C.) debaonica; F) C. (S.) tansachai; G) C. (S.) yangi; photographs of mesotibia, ventral view: H) C. (C.) debaonica female; I) C. (C.) debaonica male; J) C. (C.) lata male; photographs of left half of pronotum: K) C. (C.) collina; L) C. (C.) debaonica; M) C. (S.) kwaiensis; N) C. (S.) tansachai; photographs of mesofemur of major male: O) C. (C.) collina ex Vietnam; P) C. (C.) debaonica.