Paraneolepta imitans ( Jacoby, 1894 ) 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 : 86-88

Paraneolepta imitans ( Jacoby, 1894) , new combination

( Figs. 31–36 )

Ochralea imitans Jacoby, 1894: 321

Monolepta aemula Weise, 1922: 107 ; new synonym

Remarks. — Monolepta aemula is a replacement name. Weise (1922) transferred the species to Monolepta and named it new to avoid the homonymy with Monolepta imitans Jacoby, 1888 from Central America.

Type material. — Lectotype, female, “Type H. T / Perak / Ochralea imitans Jac. / Jacoby coll. 1909-28a,” ( BMNH; Fig.36 ). Type locality: Malaysia, Perak, 4°48'N / 101°09'E. Jacoby gave no number on the specimens he studied, but there must be more than one concerning the original description, and we herein designate a lectotype to fix the name on single specimen.

Further material examined. — Indonesia. 1 ex., N. O. Sumatra, Tebing Tinggi , 3°19'N / 99°09'E, Dr. Schulteiss, coll. Kraatz ( MNHU) ; 1 ex., Dinding Island , 2°30'N / 107°35'E, H. N. Ridley, 1900–111 ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Sipora Island , West Sumatra, 2°13'S / 99°40'E, Oct.1924, C. B. K. and N. S. ( BMNH) ; 4 ex., North East Sumatra Deli, Kuala Simpang , Medang Ara Estate , lowland forest, 3°34'N / 98°40'E, Feb.–Mar.1954, A. Sollaart ( NNML) . – Malaysia. 6 ex., Malay Penin., Selangor, Bukit Kutu, Foot of hill, 3500 ft., 5500 ft., 3°33'N / 101°43'E, Apr.1915, 5–10 Sep.1929, H. M. Pendlebury ( BMNH) ; 6 ex., Malaya, Doherty , Perak, 4°48'N / 101°09'E, Fry coll. 1905–100 ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Malay Penin., Pahang, F. M. S, Batu Balai Jerantut , 3°56'N / 102°22'E, 19 Mar.1927 ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Sarawak, Bau , 1°25'N / 110°09'E, 27 Sep. – 15 Oct.1909, C. J. Brooks, B.M.1936–681 ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Perak, F. M. S. Larut Hills , 3700–4000 ft., 5°N / 100°53'E, 11 Feb.1932, H. M. Pendlebury ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Baly coll. ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Lundu, West Sarawak, 1°40'N / 109°48'E, Jan.1914, G. E. Bryant ( BMNH) ; 2 ex., Malay Penin., Pahang, F. M. S., Fraser Hill , 4200 ft., 5°N' 100°53'E, 22 Jul.1936 ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Sandakan, Borneo , 5°50'N / 118°03'E, Baker ( NHRS) ; 1 ex., Perak, Temenggor , 5°19'N / 101°22'E, Ekspedisi MNS-Belum, 29–30 Jan.1994, Salleh & Ismail ( UKM) ; 2 ex., Kelantan, Pasir Putih, J. Linang , 5°49'N / 102°22'E, 28 May 1994, Ismail & Zabidi ( UKM) ; 1 ex., N. Sembilan, K. Kelawang , 2°56'N / 102°05'E, 16 Jun.1987, Salleh & Ismail ( UKM) ; 1 ex., Kedah, Sik, Hutan Lipur Lata Mengkuang , 5°48'N / 100°44'E, 15 Jun.1994, Ismail, Ruslan, Yusof ( UKM) .

Total length. — 6.65–8.00 mm (mean: 7.03 mm; n = 10)

Head. — Reddish-brown, impunctate. Antennae entirely black and only the first basal antennomeres usually contrasting reddish-brown ( Fig. 31 ). Ratio length of second to third antennomere 0.80–0.83 (mean: 0.81); ratio length of third to fourth antennomere 0.42–0.46 (mean: 0.44; Fig. 32 ).

Thorax. — Pronotum reddish-brown, coarsely punctuated. Pronotal width 1.80–2.25 mm (mean: 1.98 mm), ratio length to width 0.60–0.63 (mean: 0.61). Scutellum black. Elytra entirely yellow to brown, sutural and lateral margin narrowly black. Elytral length 5.00– 6.25 mm (mean: 5.51 mm), maximal width of both elytra together 3.60–4.50 mm (mean: 3.95 mm), ratio of maximal width of both elytra together to length of elytra 0.69–0.74 (mean: 0.72). Legs yellow to brown, black line along dorsal part of femur, tibiae and tarsi blackish.

Abdomen. — Yellow to pale brown.

Male genitalia. — Median lobe insignificantly narrowed towards apex, where it is blunt ( Fig. 33a ). Tectum parallelsided, with short, pointed tip, much shorter than the ventral part ( Fig. 33b ).

Female genitalia. — Spermatheca like description of the genus ( Fig. 34 ), two pairs of bursa sclerites like Fig. 35 .

Distribution. — Recorded from Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra ( Fig. 22 ).

Diagnosis. — The body size and colouration of P. imitans is most similar to P. limbella . The differences on both species can be obtained clearly by median lobe and bursa sclerites. The tectum of median lobe of P. limbella is shorter and narrowed towards the pointed tip ( Fig. 27 ) while in P. imitans is broader at base, and pointed at the tip of it ( Fig. 33 ). Two pairs of bursa sclerites present in P. imitans ( Fig. 35 ) and only one pair of bursa sclerites in P. limbella ( Fig. 29 ).

Figures

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. 36. Lectotype of Ochralea imitans Jacoby, 1894: a, with labels; b, detail.

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

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.