Liroetis elongatus ( Kimoto, 1977 ) 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 : 566-567

Liroetis elongatus ( Kimoto, 1977) comb. nov.

( Figs 164–171 , 186 )

Pseudoliroetis elongata Kimoto, 1977: 359 (original description).

Siemssenius elongatus : Kංආඈඍඈ (2005): 72 (catalogue); ZIJൺඇǤ et al. (2008b): 127 (key); Bൾൾඇൾඇ (2010): 488 (catalogue).

Type locality. ‘[ Bhutan:] Gidaphu’.

Type material examined. Hඈඅඈඍඒඉൾ: ♀ ( Figs 164–167 , only photographs examined), ‘Gidaphu 2300 m / 2.6.1972 [w, p] // Nat.-Hist. Museum / Basel – Bhutan / Expedition 1972 [w, p] // HOLOTYPE [r, p] // Pseudoliroetis / elongata / Kimoto, n. sp. [w, h]’ ( NHMB). Pൺඋൺඍඒඉൾ:1 J ( Figs 168–171 ), ‘Dorjula [p] 26 [h] 00 m [p] / 6.6 [w, h] // Nat.-Hist. Museum / Basel – Bhutan / Expedition1972 [w, p] // PARATYPE [w, p] // Pseudoliroetis / elongata / Kimoto, n. sp. [w, h]’ ( NHMB).

Diagnosis. Colouration. Dorsal side, antennae and legs yellow. Pro- and mesoventrite yellow, metaventrite brownish black, abdomen dark with pale last abdominal ventrite. Body length. J: 6.8 mm (J ♀: 6.5–7.0 mm based on the original description).

Male ( Figs 164–166 ). Antennae 0.67 times as long as body. Pronotum 1.37 times as wide as long, lustrous, covered with very fine, almost indistinct punctures, anterior margin without visible border. Middle part of posterior margin of abdominal ventrite IV obliquely impressed, with small semicircular median incision. Last abdominal ventrite with wide longitudinal impression only in posterior half. Pro- and mesotarsomeres I large, triangular, metatibial spur short, flat, with cut apex.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 186 ). Median lobe of aedeagus 4.08 times as long as wide; slightly convergent anteriorly with slight emarginations in anterior and posterior thirds, apex narrow, parallel. Lateral view: ventral side almost straight in basal two thirds, moderately bent in apical third; lateral elevation forming isosceles triangle, placed in anterior quarter of median lobe length. Dorsal process 5.72 times as long as wide, 0.70 times as long as median lobe; subparallel, subapically narrowed. Lateral view: dorsal process with straight ventral side, moderately bent apically and basally, base narrow, gradually widened apically, apex sharp. Female ( Figs 168–170 ). Metatibial spur present. Genitalia not examined.

Differential diagnosis. Liroetis elongatus differs from other species of L. fulvipennis species-group in pronotum only 1.37 times as wide as long, while other species of this group have pronotum more transverse, 1.60–2.00 times as wide as long. In habitus, L. elongatus seems to be very similar to L. latispinus (currently unassigned to any group as only a photograph of the holotype was examined). Aedeagi of both species in lateral view are very similar, they differ more or less only in ventral side of median lobe bisinuate ( Fig. 348 ) in L. latispinus or regularly rounded ( Fig. 186 ) in L. elongatus . There is a possibility that these characters are only subject of intraspecific variability and the two taxa might prove to be conspecific.

Distribution. Bhutan (Kංආඈඍඈ 1977).

Comments. Liroetis elongatus is included in L. fulvipennis species-group with some doubts. All species of L. fulvipennis species-group have strongly transverse pronotum and body relatively robust, while pronotum of L. elongatus is only 1.37 times as wide as long and body is less robust. On the other hand, anterior margin of pronotum is not bordered, both males and females have metatibial spur and aedeagus resembles aedeagi of other species of L. fulvipennis species-group.

Figures

Figs 164–171. Liroetis elongatus (Kimoto, 1977). 164–167 – Female, holotype (8.4 mm). 164 – dorsal view; 165 – lateral view; 166 – head and pronotum; 167 – labels. 168–171 – Male, paratype (7.8 mm). 168 – dorsal view; 169 – lateral view; 170 – head and pronotum; 171 – labels.

Figs 185–188.Aedeagus of Liroetis, dorsal and lateral views.185 – L. cheni (Lee, 2016); 186 – L. elongatus (Kimoto, 1977); 187 – L. fulvipennis Jacoby, 1890; 188 – L. jeanvoinei (Laboissière, 1929). Scale 0.5 mm.

Figs 347–351. Aedeagus of Liroetis, dorsal and lateral views, apex of dorsal process in frontal view. 347 – L. apicicornis Jacoby, 1896; 348 – L. latispinus (Chen, 1976); 349 – L. pallidulus (Jiang, 1990); 350 – L. reitteri (Pic, 1934); 351 – L. violaceipennis Zhang, Li & Yang, 2008. Fig. 348 reproduced from JංൺඇǤ (1990). Scale 0.5 mm.