Cleoporus variabilis ( Baly, 1874 )

Shigetoh, Hiroaki, 2025, The Loranthaceae-feeding leaf beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) from Japan, with a description of new species, Zootaxa 5723 (4), pp. 577-586 : 582-583

Cleoporus variabilis ( Baly, 1874)

[Japanese name: Sakura-saru-hamushi]

( Figures 2C, D, E, F, G , 3B, E )

Pagria variabilis Baly, 1874: 166 [ type locality: Japan].

Cleoporus lateralis Motschulsky, 1866 ; Medvedev, 2006: 413 [synonymized C. variabilis with C. lateralis ]; Moseyko, 2020: 854 (restate C. lateralis as a distinct species).

Cleoporus variabilis : Takizawa, 1980: 4 [S. Korea]; Moseyko, 2020: 854 [ China, Japan, Russia, N. Korea & Taiwan].

Materials examined. Japan. [ Miyazaki Pref.] 5 exs., Saito-shi, Minamikata, 16. IX .2023, Y. Tsutsumiuchi leg. ( HIPC); 3 exs., Kunitomi-chô, Fukadoshi, 27. VI .2025, H. Shigetoh leg. ( HIPC).

Distribution. China, Japan, N. Korea, Russia, S. Korea & Taiwan ( Takizawa, 1980; Moseyko, 2020, 2024).

Food plants. Acer palmatum Thunb. ( Aceraceae ), Hedera rhombea (Miq.) Bean ( Araliaceae ), Artemisia keiskeana Miq. , A. vulgaris L., Dendranthema indicum (L.) Des Moulins ( Asteraceae ), Alnus hirsuta (Spach) Fisch. ex Rupr. , A. japonica (Thunb.) Steud. ( Betulaceae ), Viburnum sp. ( Caprifoliaceae ), Coriaria sp. ( Coriariaceae ), Benthamidia japonica (Siebold et Zucc.) H.Hara ( Cornaceae ), Rhododendron sp. ( Ericaceae ), Glochidion sp. , Mallotus sp. , M. japonicus (L. f.) Müll. Arg., Phyllanthus sp. ( Euphorbiaceae ), Lycopus maackianus (Maxim. ex Herder) Makino (Labiatae) , Lespedeza sp. , L. bicolor Turcz. , L. cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don , L. cyrtobotrya Miq. ( Fabaceae ), Castanea sp. , C. crenata Siebold et Zucc. , Quercus sp. , Q. acutissima Carruth. , Q. oxyodon Miq. , Q. serrata Murray ( Fagaceae ), Hypericum erectum Thunb. , H. patulum Thunb. (Guttiferae) , Corylopsis pauciflora Siebold et Zucc. , Loropetalum sp. (Guttiferae), Corylopsis pauciflora Siebold et Zucc. , Loropetalum sp. ( Hamamelidaceae ), Lagerstroemia indica L. ( Lythraceae ), Hibiscus sp. ( Malvaceae ), Eucalyptus sp. , E. robusta Sm. , Eugenia sp. (Mytraceae), Fraxinus sieboldiana Blume ( Oleaceae ), Pinus armandii Franch. , P. massoniana Lamb. ( Pinaceae ), Zea sp. ( Poaceae ), Ziziphus sp. , Z. acidojujuba C.Y. Cheng et M.J. Liu , Z. jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chow ( Rhamnaceae ), Fragaria sp. , F. x ananassa (Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier, Malus sp. , M. asiatica Nakai , M. domestica Borkh. , M. halliana Koehne , M. micromalus Makino , M. prunifolia (Willd.) Borkh. , Potentilla sp. , P. chinensis Ser. , Prunus sp. , Pr. grayana , Pr. jamasakura Siebold ex Koidz. , Pr. mume Siebold et Zucc. , Pr. pendula Siebold et Zucc. 'Pendula', Pr. persica (L.) Batsch, Pr. salicina Lindl. , Pr. verecunda (Koidz.) Koehne, Pr. x yedoensis Matsum., Pyracantha sp. , Pyrus sp. , Py. pyrifolia (Burm. f.) Nakai , Rosa sp. , R. chinensis Jacq. , R. multiflora Thunb. , Rubus parvifolius L., Sanguisorba sp. , S. officinalis L., Sorbus commixta Hedl. , Spiraea japonica L. f. ( Rosaceae ), Salix sp. , S. dunnii C. K. Schneid. ( Salicaceae ), Cryptomeria japonica (L. f.) D. Don ( Taxodiaceae ), Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Makino , Celtis sinensis Pers. ( Ulmaceae ), Ampelopsis glandulosa (Wall.) Momiy. var. heterophylla (Thunb.) Momiy. ( Vitaceae ) ( Takakura, 1961; Takizawa, 2009; Suzuki et al., 2013): Taxillus yadoriki ( Loranthaceae )—this study.

Remarks. Cleoporus variabilis was collected in the same location as C. ( C.) tsutsumiuchii sp. nov. ( Figure 3C, F ). Also, T. yadoriki is newly recorded as a food plant for C. variabilis . The adult feeds on the leaves scraping the surface ( Figures 3B, E ).

This species has various color variations (cf. Kimoto, 1994; Warchałowski, 2010; Suzuki et al., 2013; Moseyko. 2020). Medvedev (2006) synonymized C. variabilis with C. lateralis in his study of type specimens described by Motschulsky, but Moseyko (2020) dedicated these two species are clearly separated by the shape of aedeagus.

In recent catalogue, South Korea is removed from the distribution ( Moseyko, 2024). An examination of the voucher specimens used by Takizawa (1980) which are deposited in SEHU, I confirmed that this species is certainly represented from South Korea.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Cryptocephalus (C.) perelegans and Cleoporus variabilis.—A, B. C. (C.) perelegans; C, D, E, F, G. Cl. variabilis.— A. dorsal habitus (male); B. ditto (female); C. dorsal habitus; D. ditto; E. ditto; F. aedeagus (en-face view); G. ditto (lateral view). Scale var = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 3. Cryptocephalus (C.) tsutsumiuchii sp. nov., Cleoporus variabilis, and their food plant, Taxillus yadoriki—A, D. C. (C.) tsutsumiuchii sp. nov.; B, E. Cl. variabilis; C, F. T. yadoriki—A. an adult feeding on the leaf; B. ditto; C. the leaves; D. adult feeding scars; E. ditto; F. collection site in Kyushu, Japan.