Liroetis lonicernis Jiang, 1988

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 : 552-555

Liroetis lonicernis Jiang, 1988

( Figs 87–94 , 110 )

Liroetis lonicernis Jiang, 1988: 190 , 197 (original description).

Liroetis lonicernis : JංൺඇǤ (1992): 658 (noted); Bൾൾඇൾඇ (2010): 478 (catalogue); YൺඇǤ et al. (2015): 247 (key), 249 (noted).

Type locality. ‘[ China:] Yunnan: Weixi Co.’.

Type material examined. Pൺඋൺඍඒඉൾඌ: 1 ♀ ( Figs 91–94 ), ‘[Yunnan, Weixi, Pantiange / 2900 m / Chinese Academy of Sciences ] [in Chinese , w, combined p and h] // [1981.VII.21. Collector Shu-Yong Wang] [in Chinese, w, combined p and h] // ALLOTYPE [g, p] // IOZ(E)1967847 [w, p] // L. lonicernis [w, h]’ ( IZAS); 1 J ( Figs 87–90 ), ‘[Yunnan, Weixi, Pantiange / 2980 m / Chinese Academy of Sciences ] [in Chinese,w,combined p and h] // [1981.VII.20. Collector Shu-Yong Wang] [in Chinese,

w, combined p and h] // PARATYPE [y, p] // IOZ(E)1967848 [w, p] // Liroetis / lonicernis Jiang 1988 / Det. Jiang Shengqiao [w, p]’ ( IZAS).

Diagnosis. Colouration. Head and pronotum brownish orange, scutellum, elytra and underside pale brown; antennae dark brown; legs pale brown with tibiae and tarsi black.

Body length. J: 9.4 mm, ♀: 9.2 mm (J ♀: 8.5–11.0 mm based on the original description).

Male ( Figs 87–89 ). Pronotum 1.59 times as wide as long, lustrous, impunctate, anterior margin slightly concave with complete well visible border, lateral margins parallel in basal two thirds, convergent in anterior third. Posterior margin of abdominal ventrite IV with small U-shaped incision, surface around incision impressed and oblique. Last abdominal ventrite with longitudinal impression constricted before base. Pygidium pronounced to distinct tringular process. Metatibial spur absent.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 110 ). Median lobe of aedeagus 3.44 times as long as wide; gradually convergent apically, apical fifth narrower, parallel, aedeagus gradually widened in second quarter, basal half wide, parallel. Lateral view: median lobe moderately bent; lateral elevation widely triangular, placed in anterior third of aedeagus length. Dorsal process 5.61 times as long as wide, 0.72 times as long as median lobe; subparallel, with slightly sinuate lateral sides, apex sharp, pronounced to long thin process. Lateral view: dorsal process robust and moderately bent, apical half wider, apex pronounced into finger-like process.

Female ( Figs 91–93 ). Metatibial spur absent. Genitalia not examined.

Differential diagnosis. Liroetis lonicernis is very similar to L. flavipennis including the presence of a sharp prolongation of the male pygidium. The two taxa differ only in slightly higher/lower position of the lateral elevation on median lobe of aedeagus and in the width of dorsal process (cf. Figs 108 and 110 ). These differences are, however, so minor that they might be just result of intraspecific variability. Nevertheless, at the moment I treat L. lonicernis as a valid species due to lack of additional material to fully evaluate its taxonomic status.

Host plant. Caprifoliaceae : Lonicera sp. (JංൺඇǤ 1988).

Distribution. China: Yunnan (JංൺඇǤ 1988).

Figures

Figs 87–94. Liroetis lonicernis Jiang, 1988. 87–90 – Male, paratype (9.4 mm). 87 – dorsal view; 88 – ventral view; 89 – head and pronotum; 90 – labels. 91–94 – Female, paratype (9.2 mm). 91 – dorsal view; 92 – ventral view; 93 – head and pronotum; 94 – labels.

Figs 108–117.Aedeagus of Liroetis, dorsal and lateral views. 108 – L. flavipennis Bryant, 1954; 109 – L. humeralis Jiang, 1988; 110 – L. lonicernis Jiang, 1988; 111 – L. medvedevi nom. nov.; 112 – L. nepalensis Chûjô, 1966; 113 – L. prominensis Jiang, 1988; 114 – L. sichuanensis Jiang, 1988; 115 – L. tibetanus Jiang, 1988; 116 – L. tibialis Jiang, 1988; 117 – L. zhongdianicus Jiang, 1988. Figs 116–117 reproduced from JංൺඇǤ (1988). Scale 0.5 mm.