Liroetis nigropictus ( Fairmaire, 1889 ) Bezděk, 2021

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 : 592

Liroetis nigropictus ( Fairmaire, 1889) comb. nov.

( Figs 282–286 , 293 )

Leptarthra nigropicta Fairmaire, 1889: 76 (original description).

Leptarthra nigropicta : Gඋൾඌඌංඍඍ & Kංආඈඍඈ (1963): 655 (misidentification, = L. reitteri ); Wංඅർඈඑ (1971): 212 (catalogue); Bൾൾඇൾඇ (2010): 461 (catalogue); YൺඇǤ et al. (2015): 183 (noted).

Type locality. ‘Moupin’. [= China, Sichuan Province: Baoxing].

Type material examined. Sඒඇඍඒඉൾ: 1 J ( Figs 282–286 ), ‘700 [w, h] //

MUS.HIST.NAT./ A. David / Moupin (Thibet.) / 1871 [w, p] // Leptarthra

/ nigropicta / Fairm [w, h] // TYPE [r, p]’ ( MNHN).

Diagnosis. Colouration. Head black with paler anterior part of vertex. Pronotum black with paler angles and anterior parts of lateral margins. Scutellum black. Elytra yellow with black markings as follows: large black spot on humeral callus, transverse median black band pronounced anteriorly around elytral suture to scutellum, and three large, partly connected black spots in transverse preapical row on each elytron.Antennae (except for brownish base on antennomere I) and legs black. Ventral side black, except for paler extreme posterior margins of abdominal ventrites and lateral margins of median impression on last abdominal ventrite.

Body length. J: 8.8 mm (syntype).

Male ( Figs 282–285 ). Pronotum 1.53 times as wide as long, lustrous, covered with fine punctures, anterior margin with complete fine border, lateral margins subparallel in posterior half, rounded in anterior half, pronotum widest in anterior third. Middle part of posterior margin of abdominal ventrite IV vertically impressed, with short parallel incision in middle. Longitudinal impression on last abdominal ventrite slightly constricted before base, at base wider and shallower. Metatibial spur absent.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 293 ). Median lobe of aedeagus 4.25 times as long as wide; apical third narrower, parallel, with distinct very narrow median furrow, apex rounded, folded down; basal two thirds moderately rounded laterally, wider than apical third. Lateral view: median lobe straight in apical third, moderately rounded in basal two thirds; lateral elevation moderately rounded, placed in anterior third of aedeagus length. Dorsal process narrow, 7.45 times as long as wide, 0.65 times as long as median lobe; parallel, moderately constricted in apical quarter; apex rounded. Lateral view: dorsal process moderately regularly rounded, ventral side with indistinct tooth subapically and on ventral apical angle. Apex in frontal view with small incision.

Female unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Liroetis nigropictus has, besides black humerus and three black preapical spots on each elytron, also wide median transverse black band prolonged anteriorly along elytral suture towards scutellum, and black pronotum ( Fig. 282 ). It can be confused only with L. obliquevirgatus which has pronotum pale brown with three black spots and each elytron with wide oblique black stripe, not connected at elytral suture ( Fig. 287 ). All other representatives of L. grandis species-group differ in pronotum completely or predominantly pale and each elytron only with black spot on humerus and three black preapical spots.

Distribution. China: Sichuan (Fൺංඋආൺංඋൾ 1889).

Comments. Based on the accompanying figure, the record of Leptarthra nigropicta from Sikang (Gඋൾඌඌංඍඍ & Kංආඈඍඈ 1963) refers to L. reitteri .

Figures

Figs 282–286. Liroetis nigropictus (Fairmaire, 1889), male, syntype (8.8 mm). 282 – dorsal view; 283 – ventral view; 284 – lateral view; 285 – head and pronotum; 286 – labels.

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 287–290. Liroetis obliquevirgatus Lopatin, 2013, male, holotype (8.9 mm). 287 – dorsal view; 288 – ventral view; 289 – lateral view; 290 – labels.