Ivalia excavata ( Wang, 1993 )

Damaška, Albert F. & Aston, Paul, 2019, Leaf litter and moss-inhabiting flea beetles of Hong Kong (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 59 (1), pp. 151-161 : 159

Ivalia excavata ( Wang, 1993)

( Fig. 6 A–G)

Taizonia excavata Wang, 1993 in WANG & YU (1993: 321, 329) (original description).

Ivalia excavata: DUCKETT et al. (2006: 51) (new combination)

Material examined. China: Hong Kong – New Territories, Shing Mun, moss, night time, 1.v.2009, 1 ♀, Paul Aston lgt. ( NMPC).

Remarks. Specimen identified as Ivalia excavata is the only member of the genus Ivalia collected in Hong Kong. It can be distinguished from similar Cangshanaltica by having the anterolateral pronotal setiferous pore placed near to the pronotal apex and by lacking any protrusion on antennomere VII. The specimen is also very easily distinguishable from C. sprynari sp. nov. by their light orange color with black spots on elytra and greater size.

The species Ivalia excavata is known from Hunan Province, China. We compared the specimen with pictures of the holotype deposited in Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing. Another two species of Ivalia have been described from mainland China (KIMOTO & GRESSIT 1973). The specimen collected in Hong Kong is, also very similar to one of those species – I. maculata (Kimoto & Gressitt, 1973) based on the comparison with the original description. The identity of the specimen should be considered carefully because of the high endemism of Ivalia species and also the identity of the species needs to be revised (we were unable to study the holotype of I. maculata deposited in Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii). However, the specimen from Hong Kong differs from the original description of I. maculata in size ( I. maculata is about 1.8 mm long, Hong Kong specimen is about 2.3 mm long) and coloration ( I. maculata seem to have dorsal surfaces and legs darker than specimen from Hong Kong). Genitalia were not illustrated in the original descriptions and cannot be compared. In this paper, we provide detailed pictures of Ivalia excavata specimen from Hong Kong for the first time, including pictures of female genitalia ( Figs 6 A–G). Further revision should reveal the correct status of this specimen.

Figures

Fig. 6. Morphology of Ivalia excavata (Wang, 1993) specimen from Hong Kong. A – habitus in dorsal view; B – habitus in lateral view; C – habitus in ventral view; D – habitus in frontal view; E – spermatheca; F – vaginal palpi; G – tignum.