Aphthona yercaudensis Prathapan and Konstantinov, 2011

Prathapan, K. D. & Konstantinov, A. S., 2011, A New Species-Group inAphthonaChevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with a Description of a New Species from Southern India, The Coleopterists Bulletin 65 (4), pp. 329-334 : 329-334

Aphthona yercaudensis Prathapan and Konstantinov , new species

( Figs. 10–15 )

Description. Length 1.22–1.44 mm; width

0.67–0.84 mm. Color yellow brown, distal 2 or

3 antennomeres and metathoracic sternite darker in some specimens. Head moderately flat in lateral view. Vertex smooth and shiny with extremely minute punctures and shallow transverse impression behind antennal calli. Frontal ridge narrow, narrower than socket, sharply narrowing towards anterofrontal ridge, lower towards anterofrontal ridge; sides convex. Antennal calli flat, indistinctly raised. Supraantennal sulcus well-developed; midfrontal, suprafrontal sulci evident; postcallinal sulcus poorly developed. Supraorbital sulcus welldeveloped; orbital sulcus evident but short. Anterofrontal ridge narrow, further narrowing laterally, slightly curved, medially much lower than frontal ridge, frontoclypeal suture with irregular row of sparse long and short setae. Clypeus long. Labrum with 3 pairs of setiferous pores.

Pronotum shiny, moderately convex in lateral view. Posteriorly slightly wider than anteriorly. Lateral margin moderately narrowly explanate, anteriorly wider than posteriorly. Anterolateral callosity moderately long with obtuse denticle, straight. Posterolateral setiferous pore well-developed. Punctation extremely fine, apparently stronger posteriorly than anteriorly. Prosternum short. Prosternal inter- coxal process narrow between coxal cavities, wider apically with flat apex.

Scutellum about as wide as long with narrow apex. Elytron with well-developed humeral callus. Lateral side of elytron convex at basal three-fourths. Maximum width almost at middle. Apical margin convex, apex narrowly rounded. Punctures forming regular striae on disc, more or less half as large as interspaces at middle of elytron. Interstices flat, shiny, extremely minutely punctured. Metasternum mostly convex behind middle in lateral view, slightly short. Metatibia short, straight, widening apically, flat dorsally in apical two-fifths. Apex of first metatarsomere slightly wider than its base from dorsal view, narrower than third male metatarsomere.

Median lobe of aedeagus moderately long, nearly straight in lateral view ( Fig. 11 ), ventrally with furrow on distal half, slightly narrowed behind distal one-third, with narrowly rounded apex ( Fig. 10 ); dorsal side deeply concave ( Fig. 12 ). Tegmen with stem slightly shorter than or subequal to arm.

Spermatheca ( Fig. 13 ) with receptacle nearly as long as pump. External side of receptacle convex, internal side convex with slight concavity near middle. Receptacle nearly ovoid, longer than wide with maximum width between middle and pump. Pump rounded at apex, with horizontal part longer and wider than vertical part. Duct making loop away from receptacle. Vaginal palpus ( Fig. 14 ) with membranous part in middle shorter than sclerotized parts anteriorly and posteriorly; lateral margin not parallel to medial, not forming well-developed angle to apex. Tignum ( Fig. 15 ) anteriorly curved, wide, unsclerotized; posterior sclerotization wide, without well-developed arms.

Distribution. India (Tamil Nadu).

Host plants. Unknown.

Remarks. Aphthona yercaudensis can be separated easily from A. bombayensis by: its light yellow-brown color (general color of A. bombayensis is dark brown); a sharp frontal ridge (the frontal ridge is comparatively broader in A. bombayensis ); three pairs of well-developed labral setae (only two pairs of labral setae are well-developed in A. bombayensis ); the median lobe of aedeagus widest near middle in ventral view (median lobe of aedeagus widest proximal to middle in ventral view in A. bombayensis ; Fig. 1 ); and the shape of the spermatheca. Adults were collected while flying and landing on broad leaves of a shrub, performing a characteristic display in bright daylight.

Etymology. Named after the locality from which the types were collected.

Types. Holotype ♂. Labels: 1) South India Eastern Ghats Tamil Nadu env. Yerkaud (=Yercaud) 2.XII.2003, 1250m. forest N 11°47′38″ E 78°12′06″ leg. Konstantinov, Prathapan, Saluk 2 ) HOLOTYPE Aphthona yercaudensis n. sp. des. Prathapan and Konstantinov ( USNM) . Paratypes. Same data as holotype. 16♂, 18♀, 12 unsexed card mounted specimens (22 NPC, 10 UASB, 6 BMNH, 6 USNM, 2 PKDC) .

Figures

Figs. 10–15. Aphthona yercaudensis. 10) Median lobe of aedeagus, ventral view; 11) Median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view; 12) Median lobe of aedeagus, dorsal view; 13) Spermatheca; 14) Vaginal palpi; 15) Tignum.

Figs. 1–6. Aphthona bombayensis. 1) Median lobe of aedeagus, ventral view; 2) Median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view; 3) Median lobe of aedeagus, dorsal view; 4) Spermatheca; 5) Vaginal palpi; 6) Tignum.