Liroetis octopunctatus ( Weise, 1889 )

Bezděk, Jan, 2021, Redefinition of Liroetis, with descriptions of two new species and an annotated list of species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 61 (2), pp. 529-614 : 594-599

Liroetis octopunctatus ( Weise, 1889)

( Figs 295 , 301, 307 , 311–316 )

Mimastra 8-punctata Weise, 1889: 619 (original description).

Liroëtis octopunctata: OǤ අඈൻඅංඇ (1936): 208 (description), 405 (key).

Liroetis octopunctata : Gඋൾඌඌංඍඍ & Kංආඈඍඈ (1963): 532 (key), 534 (faunistics); Wංඅർඈඑ (1973): 476 (catalogue); CIJൾඇ & JංൺඇǤ (1981):480 (faunistics); JංൺඇǤ (1988): 194 (noted); JංൺඇǤ (1992): 658 (noted); WൺඇǤ & YൺඇǤ (2006): 165 (faunistics); Bൾൾඇൾඇ (2010): 478 (catalogue); YൺඇǤ et al. (2015): 248 (key), 249 (noted).

Type locality. ‘Sze-tschuan [= China, Sichuan Province]’.

Type material examined. Hඈඅඈඍඒඉൾ: ♀ ( Figs 311–313 ), ‘Sze-tchuan / 1885 / G.Patanin [w, p] // [small round gold label] // offen [w, h] // unicum [w, h] // Mimastra / 8-punctata / Ws. [w, h] // Liroëtis / octopunctata / Ws. [h] D. Ogloblin det. [w, p]’ ( ZIN).

Additional material examined. CHINA: Gൺඇඌඎ: Xiahe env., 35°11.5′N, 102°30.6′E, 2940 m, 19.–22.vi.2005, 1 J, J. Hájek, D. Král & J. Růžička leg. ( JBCB). SංർΗඎൺඇ: Ngan Yang Ba, W of Chetu pass, near Tatsienlu, 18.vii.1923, 1 ♀, D. C. Graham leg. ( USNM); Omei Shan, Shin Kai Si, near Kiating, viii.1921, 1 J, D. C. Graham leg. ( USNM).

Diagnosis. Colouration. Head black, vertex with two brown spots behind frontal tubercles. Pronotum yellowish brown with three black spots and two very small brownish spots laterally in transverse row; middle black spot heart- -shaped. Scutellum black. Elytra yellowish brown with large black spot on humeral callus and three smaller black spots in transverse row on each elytron in three quarters of elytral length. Antennae and legs black. Meso- and metaventrite black, abdomen yellow with more or less distinct dark triangular spots laterally on each abdominal ventrite. Both specimens deposited in USNM are extremely pale with almost completely pale brown head and legs and reduced black pattern on pronotum.

Body length. JJ: 7.3–7.4 mm, ♀: 8.8 mm.

Male ( Figs 314–316 ). Antennae 0.59 times as long as body. Pronotum 1.46 times as wide as long, lustrous, covered with distinct punctures, anterior margin slightly concave, with complete well visible border, lateral margins slightly rounded, posterior margin rounded, anterior angles prominent, posterior angles nearly rectangular. Middle part of posterior margin of abdominal ventrite IV obliquely impressed, with narrow median incision. Last abdominal ventrite with longitudinal median impression. Protarsomere I enlarged, subpentagonal, metatibial spur absent.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 295 ). Median lobe of aedeagus 5.72 times as long as wide; apical third narrower, subparallel, with distinct narrow median furrow, apex rounded, folded down; basal two thirds wider, parallel. Lateral view: median lobe slightly sinuate; lateral elevation low, widely rounded, placed in anterior two fifths of aedeagus length; apex with two small divergent denticles. Dorsal process 9.30 times as long as wide, 0.65 times as long as median lobe; very narrow, slightly wider basally and apically, apex with bent border. Lateral view: dorsal process narrow, regularly bent, subapically on ventral side with small angulation.

Female ( Figs 311–312 ). Sternite VIII heart-shaped, middle part with subtriangular impression, long setae accumulated on lateral parts of surface; tignum 0.50 times as long as sternite VIII, with slightly asymmetrical apex ( Fig. 307 ). Spermatheca with subsphaerical nodulus, cornu long and narrow, C-shaped, spermathecal duct twice constricted ( Fig. 301 ).

Differential diagnosis. Liroetis octopunctatus has black legs and black pattern on densely punctate pronotum. It can be distinguished from very similar L. yulongnis by smaller body (7.3–8.8 mm) and extremely narrow, 9.30 times as long as wide, dorsal process of aedeagus ( Fig. 295 ). Liroetis yulongnis is larger (8.5–11.0 mm) and has wider dorsal process of aedeagus, 6.68 times as long as wide ( Fig. 298 ). Similarly coloured L. alticola differs in lustrous pronotum covered with very fine punctures.

Host plants. Gentianaceae : Gentiana sp. , Asteraceae : Ligularia sp. (WൺඇǤ & YൺඇǤ 2006).

Distribution. China: Gansu (WൺඇǤ & YൺඇǤ 2006, present paper), Sichuan (Wൾංඌൾ 1889, Gඋൾඌඌංඍඍ & Kංආඈඍඈ 1963, present paper), Qinghai (OǤඅඈൻඅංඇ 1936), Xizang (CIJൾඇ & JංൺඇǤ 1981).

Figures

Figs 291–298. Aedeagus of Liroetis, dorsal and lateral views, apex of dorsal process in frontal view. 291 – L. alticola Jiang, 1988; 292 – L. apicalis Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963; 293 – L. nigropictus (Fairmaire, 1889); 294 – L. obliquevirgatus Lopatin, 2013; 295 – L. octopunctatus (Weise, 1889); 296 – L. paragrandis Jiang, 1988; 297 – L. suwai (Takizawa, 1988); 298 – L. yulongnis Jiang, 1988. Scale 0.5 mm.

Figs 299–310. Spermatheca (Figs 299–304) and sternite VII (Figs 305–310) of Liroetis. 299, 305 – L. alticola Jiang, 1988; 300, 306 – L. apicalis Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963; 301, 307 – L. octopunctatus (Weise, 1889); 302, 308 – L. paragrandis Jiang, 1988; 303, 309 – L. suwai (Takizawa, 1988); 304, 310 – L. yulongnis Jiang, 1988. Scales 0.25 mm for Figs 299–304, 0.5 mm for Figs 305–310.

Figs 311–316. Liroetis octopunctatus (Weise, 1889). 311–313 – Female, holotype. 311 – dorsal view; 312 – ventral view; 313 – labels. 314–316 – Male (7.4 mm): 314 – dorsal view; 315 – head and pronotum; 316 – abdomen.