Taiwanoshaira Lee & Beenen, 2020

Lee, Chi-Feng & Beenen, Ron, 2020, Taiwanoshaira Lee & Beenen, a new genus and first record of moss-inhabiting Galerucinae sensu stricto (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) from Taiwan, ZooKeys 944, pp. 129-146 : 129

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.944.53099
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F00B2CAF-5D95-48F5-9C58-0DD95AAC9B8B
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E2A13741-632C-4DB4-B304-C90BC5318FC8
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:E2A13741-632C-4DB4-B304-C90BC5318FC8
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Taiwanoshaira Lee & Beenen
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Taiwanoshaira Lee & Beenen gen. nov.

Type species.

Taiwanoshaira tsoui Lee & Beenen, sp. nov.

Description.

Coloration (Figs 3 View Figure 3 , 6 View Figure 6 ): dark brown or blackish-brown; margins of pronotum and elytra, including suture, yellowish-brown in T. tsoui sp. nov.; legs yellowish-brown, but apices of femora and bases of tibiae blackish-brown in T. chujoi comb.nov. and T. tsoui sp. nov. Body length 4.0-5.7 mm.

Head. Labrum trapezoidal, transverse, with about ten pairs of pores in a transverse row bearing pale, short or long setae, anterior margin medially depressed. Anterior part of head short, almost impunctate and glabrous, lined with setae along anterofrontal ridge. Compound eyes small, interantennal space 3.1-3.6 × as wide as diameter of antennal insertion. Frontal tubercles transverse, subtriangular, slightly elevated, glabrous. Vertex smooth and glabrous. Antennae filiform, covered with dense setae, antennomere II subequal or a slightly shorter than III; similar in both sexes.

Pronotum 1.61-1.68 times as broad as long, lateral margins slightly rounded, basally narrowed. Disc smooth, with dense, fine punctures bearing tiny setae in T. taipingshanensis sp. nov. and T. chujoi comb. nov.; setae reduced in T. tsoui sp. nov. Anterior, lateral and posterior margins with marginal bead, without setae along margin. Anterior and posterior angles moderately swollen, rectangular; all angles with setigerous pores bearing long pale setae. Two pairs of longitudinal furrows starting from base, one pair deeper and shorter near middle, the other pair longer but shallow near sides. Scutellum subtriangular, impunctate, glabrous, with rounded apex.

Elytra ca 1.10-1.26 times as long as wide, almost glabrous, lateral margins rounded, apically tapering in males of T. chujoi comb. nov. and T. tsoui sp. nov., or both sexes of T. taipingshanensis sp. nov. Humeral calli reduced. Epipleura broad at base (Fig. 2D View Figure 2 ), gradually narrowed from base to basal 1/3, strongly narrowed at basal 1/3, abbreviated at apical 1/3. Disc with dense, confused punctures in T. chujoi comb. nov. (Fig. 3A, C-D, F View Figure 3 ) and T. tsoui sp. nov. (Fig. 6D, F View Figure 6 ), or with longitudinal impunctate ridges in T. taipingshanensis sp. nov. (Fig. 6A, C View Figure 6 ). Wingless, hindwings absent.

Ventral surface glabrous except abdomen, which is covered with pale setae. Anterior coxal cavities widely open (Fig. 2B View Figure 2 ) in T. chujoi comb. nov. and T. tsoui sp. nov., or almost closed (Fig. 2A View Figure 2 ) in T. taipingshanensis sp. nov. Prosternal process wide between procoxae. Abdomen simple, posterior margin of last ventrite (V) with median lobe in males (Fig. 2C View Figure 2 ); base extending anteriorly and almost reaching base of ventrite IV, median ridges present from base to apex of ventrite IV.

Legs slender. Tibiae lacking apical spines. Protarsomeres I slightly swollen in males of T. taipingshanensis sp. nov., but unmodified in either sex of T. chujoi sp. nov. and T. tsoui sp. nov. Metatarsomeres I a little longer than pro- and mesotarsomeres I, subequal to II and III combined. Claws appendiculate.

Penis (Figs 4C-D View Figure 4 , 7C-G View Figure 7 , 8C-L View Figure 8 ) slender, apex rounded; tectum broad, apical margin truncate; strongly curved in lateral view; internal sac with one longitudinal sclerite and one pair of small sclerites at sides near base of longitudinal sclerite.

Gonocoxae (Figs 4E-F View Figure 4 , 7H-I View Figure 7 , 8M-N View Figure 8 ) wide, tightly conjunct from base to middle; each gonocoxa wide, with four to 13 setae from near apex to apical 1/6, apex truncate or widely rounded; base irregular in T. taipingshanensis sp. nov. or narrowed in basal 1/3 in T. chujoi comb. nov. and T. tsoui sp. nov. Ventrite VIII (Figs 4G View Figure 4 , 7J-K View Figure 7 , 8O-P View Figure 8 ) well sclerotized, with several short setae at apex, spiculum elongate. Spermathecal receptaculum (Figs 4H View Figure 4 , 7L View Figure 7 , 8Q View Figure 8 ) strongly swollen; pump slender and curved; sclerotized spermathecal duct short.

Diagnosis.

Adults of Taiwanoshaira gen. nov. lack metathoracic wings, but elytra present, which completely cover the abdomen. Furthermore, the morphology of the elytra differs from that of Shaira . In Shaira the elytra possess an elongate ridge from the humeral area to the apex, dividing the elytra into a horizontal part and a lateral inclined part. The narrow epipleura are situated below this vertically inclined part of the elytra. In Taiwanoshaira gen. nov. the elytra possess a margin that separates the horizontal elytral surface from the epipleura, which are inclined.

Remarks.

The genus Shaira was proposed by Maulik (1936) for brachelytrous Galerucinae with appendiculate claws and slender antennae. Beenen (2013) argued that Shaira should be classified in Luperini . Kimoto (1982) described S. chujoi from Taiwan and compared it with S. maculata Maulik, 1936 from Manipur (India). Shaira chujoi somewhat resembles this species, but differs in having the body shorter and more oval, pronotum transverse and with different coloration. In fact, S. chujoi should not have been included in the Shaira , because it differs in possessing entire elytra but the ridge is absent. We transfer it to the new genus Taiwanoshaira .

Taiwanoshaira gen. nov. is likely not closely related to Shaira , although also included in Luperini . It is unique and, although apterous, likely to be more closely related to the genus Sikkimia Duvivier, 1891 with all bordered pronotal margins, two pairs of longitudinal furrows starting from base, one pair deeper and shorter near middle, the other pair longer but shallow near sides. This new genus is easily separated from Sikkimia with the open procoxal cavities and uniform antennae in both sexes (the closed procoxal cavities and modified antennomeres X and XI in males of Sikkimia ).

Etymology.

The new genus name combines “Taiwan” and " Shaira " to indicate that this is a new genus endemic to Taiwan that is similar to Shaira . The gender is feminine.

Included species.

Taiwanoshaira chujoi (Kimoto), comb. nov., T. taipingshanensis sp. nov., and T. tsoui sp. nov.