Paraneolepta, Hazmi & Wagner, 2013

Hazmi, Izfa Riza & Wagner, Thomas, 2013, Revision Of Neolepta Jacoby, 1884 And Related Galerucines From The Oriental Region, Including Descriptions Of Two New Genera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 61 (1), pp. 73-95 : 81-82

Paraneolepta , new genus

Type species. — Ochralea marginata Jacoby, 1884: 55–56 ; herein designated.

Etymology. — Combination of para (latin: next to) and Neolepta ; gender: feminine.

Total length. — 6.65–10.10 mm (mean: 7.43 mm)

Head. — Pale yellow to reddish-brown. Impunctate, with significant transverse impression between posterior third of eyes. Eyes large, convex. Labial palpi and maxillary palpi slender ( Fig. 16a ). Labrum yellow to brown and black at apex. Mandibulae brownish.Antennae slender, entirely black and only the first basal antennomeres contrasting reddishbrown, extended to the apical third of the elytra ( Figs. 17 , 25 , 31 ). Third to terminal antennomere with very dense and rough cover of partly bristle-like setae. First antennomere club shaped; second antennomere a bit shorter than third antennomere; ratio length of second to third antennomere 0.75–0.86 (mean: 0.81); ratio length of third to fourth antennomere 0.40–0.50 (mean: 0.45; Figs. 18 , 26 , 32 ).

Thorax. — Pronotum transverse, lateral and posterior margin evenly rounded, the anterior angles slightly thickened ( Figs. 17 , 25 , 31 ), often with transverse depression beyond the middle of the base. Pronotum pale yellow to reddishbrown. Pronotal width 1.65–2.70 mm (mean: 2.14 mm), ratio length to width 0.60–0.63 (mean: 0.62). Scutellum triangular, impunctate, yellow to black. Procoxal cavities nearly closed ( Fig. 16b ). Meso- and metathorax yellowish to blackish. Mesosternum broad ( Fig. 16c ). Elytra strongly punctuated, punctuation slightly coarser and denser than that of pronotum, entirely yellow to brown, sutural and lateral margin narrowly black. Elytral length 4.60–8.10 mm (mean: 5.90 mm), maximal width of both elytra together 3.20–5.40 mm (mean: 4.14 mm), ratio of maximal width of both elytra together to length of elytra 0.65–0.74 (mean: 0.71). Alae fully developed ( Fig. 16d ). Legs long and slender, basi-metatarsus elongated ( Fig. 16 e–g), yellow to brown, tibiae and tarsi blackish. In particular tibia with dense and fine setae.

Abdomen. — Pale yellow to brown. Last visible sternite in females rounded at apex ( Fig. 16h ) and in males with two deep, parallel sided incisions ( Fig. 16i ).

Male genitalia. — The median lobe symmetrical and usually insignificantly narrowed towards apex, not incised apically. Tectum broad at base, vary from long to short and became lanceolate at apex ( Fig. 19a ). The endophallus consist of a bundle of laterally arranged long, slender and straight median spiculae. At the bottom of median spiculae, with distinct endophallus structure. Sacculus clearly visible ( Figs. 19 , 27 , 33 ).

Female genitalia. — Spermatheca with slender and elongated nodulus. Middle part long and slightly curved, cornu long, curved, arrow-like widened beyond apex ( Figs. 20 , 28 , 34 ), with a pair of sclerotized bursa sclerites ( Figs. 21 , 29 , 35 ).

Distribution. — The genus is restricted to South-East Asia and up to now only recorded from Brunei, Malaysia (Peninsular) and Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra), southwards to Java ( Fig. 22 ).

Diagnosis. — Paraneolepta , new genus are relatively large galerucines with a strongly elongated basi-metatarsus, pale yellow to reddish-brown head and pronotum and usually contrasting black antennae with slender antennomeres. The pronotum is coarsely punctuated and a transverse depression beyond the middle of the base occurred. The dorsal colouration is without spots and bands, entirely yellow to brown, but the elytral suture and the elytral lateral margin are often narrowly black lined ( Figs. 17 , 25 , 31 ).

Paraneolepta , new genus resembles Neolepta and Orthoneolepta , new genus. Among these three groups, Paraneolepta , new genus is largest in term of the body length (6.65–10.10 mm; Neolepta 4.85–5.75 mm; Orthoneolepta , new genus 4.50–5.75 mm). The antennomeres of Paraneolepta , new genus are slender while in Neolepta , the median antennomeres are insignificantly widened, and they are strongly widened in Orthoneolepta , new genus. The second antennomere of Paraneolepta , new genus is somewhat shorter than third antennomere (ratio length of second to third antennomere: 0.75–0.86; Figs. 18 , 26 , 32 ), similar to Neolepta (0.75–0.80; Figs. 3 , 11 ) while in Orthoneolepta , new genus varied from short to more or less the same length (0.60–1.00; Figs. 39 , 46 ). Third to terminal antennomere densely covered by bristle-like setae and extended to the apical third of elytra in these three groups.

The pronotum of Paraneolepta , new genus is transverse and comparatively less broad (0.60–0.63), like in Orthoneolepta , new genus (0.59–0.65) compared to Neolepta (0.52–0.60). The depression beyond the middle of the base occurrs in these three groups, but the punctuation is coarsest in Paraneolepta , new genus.

Besides many similarities among these three groups, they can be clearly distinguished by the genital characters in both sexes. The median lobe of Paraneolepta , new genus are without apical incision ( Figs. 19 , 27 , 33 ) as in Neolepta , but the latter is with stronger sclerotized ventral spur and carinated ventrally ( Figs. 4 , 12 ). In comparison with Orthoneolepta , new genus, the median lobe has a deep incision apically ( Figs. 40 , 47 ). The endophallus consist of a bundle of laterally arranged long, slender and straight median spiculae in these three groups. The median lobe of Paraneolepta , new genus is bigger and longer than in Neolepta , and narrower towards the apex.

The spermatheca is the same shape for Paraneolepta , new genus ( Figs. 20 , 28 , 34 ) and Orthoneolepta , new genus ( Figs. 41 , 48 ). Spermatheca with small, slender and elongated nodulus and middle part slightly curved. For Neolepta , the nodulus is rounded and usually possess a strongly curved cornu ( Figs. 5 , 13 ). Bursa sclerites showed a different shape ( Figs. 6 , 14 , 21 , 29 , 35 , 42 , 49 ).

Figures

Fig. 16. Paraneolepta marginata (Jacoby, 1884): a, head; b, prothorax; c, meso- and metathorax, ventral view; d, hindwing, right, dorsal view; e, prothoracic leg; f, mesothoracic leg; g, metathoracic leg; h, female abdomen; i, male abdomen.

Figs. 17–21. Paraneolepta marginata (Jacoby, 1884). 17, dorsal colour pattern. 18, antennae: a, male; b, female. 19, median lobe: a, dorsal; b, lateral; c, ventral. 20, three different spermathecae. 21, two pairs of bursa sclerites.

Figs. 25–29. Paraneolepta limbella (Baly, 1886). 25, dorsal colour pattern. 26, antennae: a, male; b, female. 27, median lobe: a, dorsal; b, lateral; c, ventral. 28, three different spermathecae. 29, one pair of bursa sclerites.

Figs. 31–35. Paraneolepta imitans (Jacoby, 1894). 31, dorsal colour pattern. 32, antennae: a, female; b, male. 33, median lobe: a, dorsal; b, lateral; c, ventral. 34, three different spermathecae. 35, two pairs of bursa sclerites.

Fig. 22. Distribution of P. marginata (Jacoby, 1884), P. limbella (Baly, 1886), and P. imitans (Jacoby, 1894).

Figs. 2–6. Neolepta sumatrensis (Jacoby, 1884). 2, dorsal colour pattern. 3, antennae: a, male; b, female. 4, Median lobe: a, dorsal; b, lateral; c, ventral. 5, three different spermathecae. 6, two pairs of bursa sclerites. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figs. 10–14. Neolepta quadriplagiata Jacoby, 1886. 10, dorsal colour pattern. 11, antennae: a, male; b, female; 12, median lobe: a, dorsal; b, lateral; c, ventral. 13, three different spermathecae. 14, two pairs of bursa sclerites.

Figs. 38–42. Orthoneolepta fulvipennis (Jacoby, 1884). 38, dorsal colour pattern. 39, antennae: a, male; b, female. 40, median lobe: a, dorsal; b, lateral; c, ventral. 41, three different spermathecae. 42, two pair of bursa sclerites.

Figs. 45–49. Orthoneolepta banggiensis (Mohamedsaid, 1997). 45, dorsal colour pattern. 46, antennae: a, male; b, female. 47, median lobe: a, dorsal; b, lateral; c, ventral. 48, three different spermathecae. 49, two pair of bursa sclerites.