Sphenoraia micans ( Fairmaire, 1888 )

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 micans ( Fairmaire, 1888)

( Figs. 6–8 , 13–16 , 21–22 , 25–26 , 29 , 32 , 35–37 )

Eustetha micans Fairmaire, 1888: 42 (“Moupin”).

Sphenoraia (Sphenoraoides) micans: Laboissière 1934: 131 ( China: Tibet, Sichuan); Gressitt and Kimoto 1963: 657 ( China: Tibet, Guandong, Fujian, Zhejiang); Kimoto 1989: 177 (Indochina); Kimoto 1996: 41 (Taiwan).

Sphenoraia micans var. cyanella Laboissière, 1934: 132 (“Thibet: Moupin, Fo-Kien”).

Galerucida fulgida: Weise 1922: 90 (misidentification) ( China: Fujian).

Galerucida fulgida ab. coerulescens Weise, 1922: 91 ( China: Fujian). Unavailable name.

Diagnosis. See diagnosis of S. rutilans .

Redescription. Color generally purplish blue, some individuals with elytra golden green or bronzy golden green; abdomen yellowish brown ( Figs. 6–8 ). Head smooth, with traces of microreticulation, vertex impunctate. Pronotum transverse, about 1.9–2.1X wider than long, disc with microreticulation and scattered small and minute punctures; lateral margins rounded; anterior margin moderately concave, posterior margin widely rounded; anterior angles obtuse; posterior angles weakly angulate. Elytra 1.4X longer than wide, widened posteriad, widest at apical 1/3; disc with distinct punctures irregularly arranged into longitudinal rows; interstices between longitudinal rows with scattered minute punctures.

Male. Length 9.0– 9.7 mm, width 5.0– 5.4 mm. Antenna ( Fig. 13 ) 0.8X 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: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 1.2; ratio of length to width of antennomeres IV to XI about 2.2: 1.6: 1.6: 1.6: 1.5: 1.6: 1.6: 2.6. Posterior margin of last ventrite with 1 pair of shallow depressions near apex. Penis ( Fig. 21 ) slender and tubular, apex widely rounded; in lateral view almost straight, slightly curved at apex; ventral surface flat ( Fig. 22 ). Endophallic sclerites ( Fig. 25 ) composed of 1 median sclerite and 1 pair of lateral sclerites. Median sclerite longitudinal, in lateral view with cluster of short setae at apical 1/3, baso-dorsal apophysis much longer than baso-ventral apophysis; 1 pair of lateral sclerites as long as median one, slender and strongly curved near apices, apex hook-like, with small tooth near apex.

Female. Length 10.4–11.0 mm, width 5.6–5.9 mm. Antenna ( Fig. 14 ) comparatively narrower and shorter than in male, 0.6X as long as body, ratio of length of antennomeres IV to XI about 1.0: 0.9: 0.9: 0.9: 0.8: 0.8: 0.8: 1.2; ratio of length to width of antennomeres IV to XI about 2.8: 2.5: 2.2: 2.0: 1.8: 1.8: 1.8: 2.9. Posterior margin of last ventrite widely rounded. Gonocoxae ( Fig. 29 ) wide and straight, connected from middle to base; apex obliquely truncate, with more than 10 long setae; base widened and weakly sclerotized. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 32 ) with apex weakly sclerotized, apical margin visible and straight; disc with long setae surrounding outer margin; spiculum long. Spermathecal receptaculum ( Fig. 35 ) strongly swollen, pump narrow and strongly curved, spermathecal duct long and slender, shallowly projecting into receptaculum.

Variation. Males from Taiwan have lateral sclerites with shorter hook-like apices and a median sclerite with longer baso-ventral apophysis ( Fig. 26 ) than Chinese ones. Females from Taiwan have wider antennae (ratio of length to width of antennomeres IV to XI from northern Taiwan about 2.1: 1.6: 1.4: 1.3: 1.2: 1.2: 1.2: 2.1 ( Fig. 16 ); from southern Taiwan about 3.0: 2.2: 1.7: 1.5: 1.4: 1.4: 1.4: 2.4 ( Fig. 15 ))

Distribution. China, Indochina, Taiwan.

Type Material. Eustetha micans : Holotype ♀ ( MNHN), labeled: “ Chine / A. DAVID [p, w] // Eustetha / micans / Fm / Moupin [h, w] // Ex-Musaeo [p] / L. Fairmaire [p] / 1883 [vertically, p, w] // MUSÉUM PARIS / 1952 / COLL. R. OBERTHUR [p, w] // SYNTYPE / Eustetha / micans Fairmaire, 1888 [p, w] // SYNTYPE [p, red label] // MNHN / EC4078 [p, w]”.

Sphenoraia micans var. cyanella : Holotype (sex undetermined) ( ZMUH), labeled: “FOKIEN [p, w] // TYPE [red letters, p, w] // Sphenoraia [h] / micans [h] / v. cyanella m [h] / V. Labossière – Dét. [p, w] // Le Moult vend. / via Reinbek / Eing Nr 1, 1957 [p, w]”.

Specimens Examined. CHINA: 1♂, Fujian, Chungan, Kuatun , 13.V.1945, leg. T. Maa ; 1♀, Shaowu , 24.IX.1942, leg. T. Maa ; 1♂, Fujian, Shaowu, Aotow , 8.VI.1942, leg. T. Maa ; 1♂, Fujian, Shaowu, Tachulan , 16.V.1934, leg. T. Maa ; 5♂♂, 3♀♀, same locality, 7.V.1942, leg. T. Maa ; 1♂, same locality, 17.V.1942, leg. T. Maa ; 3♂♂, same locality, 21.V.1942, leg. T. Maa ; 1♂, same locality, 31.V.1942, leg. T. Maa ; 1♂, 10.VI.1942, leg. T. Maa; 1♂ , 25.IV.1943, leg. T. Maa ; 1♂, same locality, 1.V.1945, leg. K. S. Lin ; 1♂, same locality, 21.V.1945, leg. K. S. Lin ; 1♀, Hubei, Lichuan, Suisapa , 1000 m, 29.VIII.1948, leg. Gressitt & Djou; (all Chinese specimens in CAS) ; TAIWAN: 2♂♂, Kaoshiung, Wukungshan , 2.IV.2012, leg. Uika Ong ( TARI) ; 1♀, Kaoshiung, Tona logging trail, 5.IV.2010, leg. Uika Ong ( TARI) ; 1♀, Hsinchu, Chienshih , 26.IX.2009, leg. H.-J. Chen ( TARI) ; 1♀, Hsinchu, Litungshan , 3.V.2008, leg. Y.-L. Lin ( CAS) ; 1♀, same locality, 16.VI.2010, leg. Y.-L. Lin ( TARI) ; 1♂, Hsinchu, Mamei , 18.V.2008, leg. M.-H. Tsou ( TARI) ; 1♂, Hsinchu, Tahunshan , 31.III.2010, leg. S.-Y. Wu ( TARI) ; 1♀, Ilan, Mt. Taiheizan (= Taipingshan ), 9.V.1942, leg. A. Tanaka ( TARI) ; 1♂, Pingtung, Chenlishan , 22.VIII.2009, leg. J.-C. Chen ( TARI) ; 1♀, Pingtung, Shashi logging trail, 4.VII.2006, leg. S.-P. Wu ( TARI) ; 1♀, Pingtung, Tahanshan , 24.VI.2007, leg. C.-F. Lee ( TARI) ; 1♂, same locality, 18.VII.2007, leg. C.-F. Lee ( TARI) ; 2♂♂, same locality, 25.V.2008, leg. C.-F. Lee ( TARI) ; 1♂, same locality, 4.VII.2008, leg. S.-F. Yu ( TARI) ; 1♀, same locality, 28.VIII.2010, leg. Y.-L. Lin ( TARI) ; 1♀, Taichung, Wushihkeng , 13.VII.2008, leg. M.-H. Tsou (TARI).

Plant Associations. Rubiaceae : Paederia foetida L. ( Fig. 36 ); Polygonaceae : Fallopia multiflora var. hypoleucum (Ohwi) Yonek. et H. Ohash ( Fig. 37 ).

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.

Figs. 36–37. Field observations of Sphenoraia micans. 36) On a leaf of Paederia foetida; 37) On a leaf of Fallopia multiflora var. hypoleucum.