Fleutiauxia chinensis ( Maulik, 1933 )

Bezděk, Jan, 2019, Taumacera revisited, with new synonyms, new combinations and a revised catalogue of the species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 59 (1), pp. 23-52 : 46

Fleutiauxia chinensis ( Maulik, 1933)

( Figs 105–106 )

Platyxantha chinensis Maulik, 1933: 564 (original description)

Fleutiauxia mutifrons Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963: 528 (original description), syn. nov.

Type material examined. Platyxantha chinensis : SYNTYPES: 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀, ‘ CHINA: / Hangchow. / 25.iv.1933. / P. H. Tsai. [w, p] // SYNTYPUS, / Platyxantha chinensis / Maulik, 1933 / J. Bezděk des., 2018 [r, p]’ ( BMNH).

Fleutiauxia mutifrons : PARATYPE: ♂, ‘Chekiang *4 / China, Apr. 22 / 1931. Chen Coll. [w, h] // US [w, p] // ALLOTYPE [p] / Fleutiauxia / mutifrons / S. Kimoto & [h] / J. L. Gressitt [r, p] // Fleutiauxia / mutifrons / ♀ [sic!] Gress. & Kim. [h] / Gressitt & Kimoto det. 196[p] 2 [w, h]’ ( USNM).

Comments. Platyxantha chinensis was included in the review of the genus Fleutiauxia Laboissière, 1933 by YANG (1993). However, REID (1999) transferred it to Taumacera which was followed by BEENEN (2010) in the Palaearctic catalogue. YANG et al (2015) included this species in Fleutiauxia again.

Based on the original description, MAULIK (1933) described Platyxantha chinensis from 30 specimens and the type was supposed to be in the BMNH. There is a series of four specimens in the BMNH placed in the genus Fleutiauxia , however, none of the specimens bear Maulikʼs original identification label. Because the label data and habitus of the specimens agree with the original description, I consider them as the original type series of Platyxantha chinensis ( Fig. 105 ) and all must have status of syntype as no specimen is labelled as the type. The only discrepancy is between the collecting date on the labels (25.iv.1933) and the one given in the original description (23.iv.1933). In my opinion this inconsistency can be easily explained by the pin hollows as each label was punctured in the position of the number 5 and at first glance the number could be easily misinterpretad as 3.

Based on the open posterior margin of the procoxae I confirm that YANG (1993) and YANG et al. (2015) correctly placed Platyxantha chinensis in Fleutiauxia . Moreover, study of a paratype of Fleutiauxia mutifrons Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 ( Fig. 106 ) clearly showed that both taxa are conspecific (both were described also from the same type locality: Hangchow). Thus, I synonymize Fleutiauxia mutifrons with F. chinensis .

Figures

Figs 105–112. Habitus of species excluded from Taumacera. 105 – Fleutiauxia chinensis (Maulik, 1933) (male, syntype); 106 – F. chinensis (female, syntype of F. mutifrons Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963); 107 – Hoplosaenidea abdominalis (Jacoby, 1884) (male, holotype of Platyxantha wallacei Jacoby, 1895); 108 – Hoplosaenidea dohertyi (Jacoby, 1894) (female, syntype); 109 – Hyphaenia balyi (Jacoby, 1895) (female, lectotype); 110 – Pseudoscelida nigrolimbata (Jacoby, 1899) (male, syntype); 111 – Metrioidea grandis (Allard, 1889) (male, syntype of Platyxantha robusta Jacoby, 1895); 112 – Theopella bodjoensis (Duvivier, 1885) (female, syntype of Platyxantha quadraticollis Jacoby, 1896).