Sphenoraia chujoi Lee, 1865

Lee, Chi-Feng, 2014, The Genus Sphenoraia Clark, 1865 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae) in Taiwan, with Description of a New Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 68 (1), pp. 143-151 : 143-151

Sphenoraia chujoi Lee , new species

(Figs, 1, 9–10, 17, 23, 27, 30, 33)

Diagnosis. This new species has a pair of lateral transverse grooves on the pronotum like the similar S. rutilans , but only one row of distinct punctures arising from the humerus on the elytra (ten rows on the elytra in S. rutilans ), slender antennae (strongly serrate in S. rutilans ), yellowish brown abdomen (metallic blue or green in S. rutilans ), shorter lateral sclerites on the endophallus (longer in S. rutilans ), and basally wider gonocoxae (narrower in S. rutilans ).

Description. Color generally metallic purple ( Fig. 1 ) or green; abdomen yellowish brown. Head smooth, without microreticulation, vertex impunctate. Pronotum extremely transverse, about 2.1–2.3X wider than long, with scattered minute punctures and 1 pair of lateral transverse grooves; lateral margins basally narrowed; anterior margin moderately concave, posterior margin widely rounded; anterior angles anteriorly produced; posterior angles weakly angulate. Elytra 1.3–1.4X longer than wide, widened posteriad, widest at apical 1/3; disc with minute punctures randomly distributed, with 1 longitudinal row of distinct punctures extending from humerus, abbreviated near basal 1/3.

Male. Length 9.6 mm, width 5.4 mm. Antenna ( Fig. 9 ) 0.6X as long as body, antennomeres IV-XI flattened and laterally widened, ratio of length of antennomeres IV to XI about 1.0: 0.9: 0.9: 1.0: 0.9: 0.9: 0.8: 1.0; ratio of length to width of antennomeres IV to XI about 2.0: 1.9: 1.8: 2.0: 1.8: 2.1: 1.7: 2.7. Posterior margin of last ventrite with 1 pair of shallow depressions near apex. Penis ( Fig. 17 ) slender and tubular, apex widely rounded, apical half of dorsal surface membranous, in lateral view almost straight ( Fig. 18 ); ventral surface flat. Endophallic sclerites composed of 1 median sclerite and 1 pair of lateral sclerites. Median sclerite ( Fig. 23 ) longitudinal, with median ridge from apex to middle, apex hooklike, covered with dense hairs; 1 pair of lateral sclerites smaller than median one, asymmetric, longer lateral sclerite 0.6X as long as median one, slender and strongly curved near apices, apex slightly bifurcate; shorter lateral sclerite 0.5X as long as median sclerite, slender and slightly curved near apex, apex slightly bifurcate.

Female. Length 10.1–10.5 mm, width 5.5– 6.0 mm. Antenna smaller than in male ( Fig. 10 ), 0.5X as long as body, ratio of length of antennomeres IV to XI about 1.0: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.8: 1.2; ratio of length to width of antennomeres IV to XI about 2.5: 2.0: 2.0: 1.8: 1.8: 1.8: 1.9: 2.3. Posterior margin of last ventrite widely rounded. Gonocoxae ( Fig. 27 ) wide and straight, connected from basal 1/5 to 3/5; apex obliquely truncate, with more than 10 long setae; base wide and well-sclerotized. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 30 ) apically widened and weakly sclerotized, apical margin visible and straight; disc with long setae along outer margin; spiculum long. Spermathecal receptaculum ( Fig. 33 ) strongly swollen and comparatively longer than in S. rutilans , pump narrow and strongly curved, spermathecal duct long and slender, shallowly projecting into receptaculum.

Distribution. Taiwan.

Type Material. Holotype ♂: “ SÔZAN FORMOSA 25.X.1936 COL. M. CHUJO ” ( TARI) . Paratypes: 4♀♀, same data as holotype ( TARI, BMNH) .

Etymology. This new species is named for the late Dr. Michio Chûjô who made a great contribution to the taxonomy of Taiwanese chrysomelids.

Type Locality. Sôzan (present name: Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei city). Besides Yangmingshan National Park , Hsiaopaoshan in Hsinchu county was also called Sôzan at that time. Chûjô and Mitono (1939) indicated that they collected in Sôzan which was located at Tatunshan belonging to Yangmingshan National Park. Thus, there is no doubt that Sôzan is the same as Yangmingshan.

Notes. This new species may be extinct or very rare since no recent specimens have been collected.

Figures

Figs. 1–8. Dorsal habitus of Sphenoraia species. 1) S. chujoi; 2–5) S. rutilans; 6–8) S. micans.

Figs. 9–16. Antennae of Sphenoraia species. 9) S. chujoi, male; 10) S. chujoi, female; 11) S. rutilans, male; 12) S. rutilans, female; 13) S. micans, male, China; 14) S. micans, female, China; 15) S. micans, female, South Taiwan; 16) S. micans, female, North Taiwan. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 17–22. Penises of Sphenoraia species. 17) S. chujoi, dorsal view; 18) S. chujoi, lateral view; 19) S. rutilans, dorsal view; 20) S. rutilans, lateral view; 21) S. micans, dorsal view; 22) S. micans, lateral view. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 23–26. Endophallic sclerites of Sphenoraia species. 23) S. chujoi; 24) S. rutilans; 25) S. micans, China; 26) S. micans, Taiwan. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 27–29. Gonocoxae of Sphenoraia species. 27) S. chujoi; 28) S. rutilans; 29) S. micans.

Figs. 30–32. Sternite VIII of Sphenoraia species. 30) S. chujoi; 31) S. rutilans; 32) S. micans. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 33–35. Spermatheca of Sphenoraia species. 33) S. chujoi; 34) S. rutilans; 35) S. micans. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.