Smaragdina zhangi, Wang, Feng-Yan & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2013

Wang, Feng-Yan & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2013, Four new species of the genus Smaragdina Chevrolat, 1836 from China (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae: Clytrini), Zootaxa 3737 (3), pp. 251-260 : 259

Smaragdina zhangi sp. nov.

( Figs. 4 A–I, 5D).

Type material. Holotype: CHINA: Sichuan: ♂, Wenchuan, Mujiangping, 1200m, 1983. VIII.2, leg. Xuezhong Zhang (IZ-CAS). Paratypes: CHINA: Sichuan: 2♀♀, same data as holotype; 2♀♀, Wenchuan, Mujiangping, 1150m, 1983. VIII.2, leg. Shuyong Wang; Yunnan: 1♂, 1♀, Lushui, 1900m, 1981. VI.8, leg. Shuyong Wang; 1♀, Lushui, 1900m, 1981. VI.8, leg. Subai Liao; 1♀, Laowo, 1670m, 1981. VI.25, leg. Shuyong Wang (IZ- CAS).

Measurement. Length: males: 4.2–4.3mm, females: 4.1–4.4mm. Width: males: 1.7–1.8mm, females: 1.8– 2.1mm.

Etymology. The specific epithet named after Xuezhong Zhang who collected the holotype.

Diagnosis. This new species could be recognized by the following characters: elytra almost bluish black, epipleura and basal margin reddish brown, lateral margin and apex more or less blackish red; aedeagus long and slender, median lobe apex shortly rounded; spermathecal duct spirally coiled about 50 times, with a much thicker end.

Remarks. The new species is close to Smaragdina laevicollis (Jacoby, 1890) and Smaragdina volkovitshi Lopatin, 2004 in dorsal patterns. But the new species has fulvous prosternum, black meso-, metasternum, and abdomen, while the underside of S. laevicollis (Jacoby) is completely fulvous, whereas the sternites of S. volkovitshi Lopatin are fulvous and has either brown or bluish-black abdomen. Moreover, this new species has a shortly rounded apex of the median lobe and a long and pale spermathecal duct, which is coiled up about 50 times.

Description. Coloration pattern: Head fulvous, mandibular tip black, basal four antennomeres yellow, while 5th–11th antennomeres brown. Pronotum fulvous. Scutellum fulvous, or reddish brown. Elytra lustrous, almost bluish black, epipleura and basal margin reddish brown, lateral margin and apex more or less blackish red. Underside of pro-, and mesothorax fulvous, while underside of metathorax and abdomen black, except for hind coxal cavity fulvous. Legs fulvous, claws blackish brown.

Body: cylindrical. Head: small, lustrous and impunctate. Mandibles short and protruding, anterior margin of labrum nearly straight, length ratio of maxillary palpomeres 0.2:0.5:0.5:1.1; while that of labial palpomeres 0.3:1.1:2.6; mentum U-shaped emarginate. Clypeus smooth, sides slightly depressed, anterior margin slightly arcuato-emarginate; frons with two shallow impressions in middle; inner sides of eyes covered with short pubescence; vertex slightly convex and lustrous. Antennae: extending to base of prothorax, pubescent, 1st antennomere oblong, 2nd nearly round, 3rd slenderest, 4th triangular, longer than third one, serrated from 5th segment onwards.

Prothorax: transverse, 1.8 times as wide as long, moderately convex; anterior margin slightly concave, lateral margins slightly rounded, convergent anteriad, posterior margin thickened in the scutellar area; anterior angles obtuse, posterior ones widely rounded, all margins except middle of anterior margin bordered; surface lustrous and impunctate. Scutellum triangular with round apex, lustrous and impuncate.

Elytra: cylindrical, 1.7 times as long as wide at humeral part, covered with confused punctation, interstices as wide as 1.5 to 5 times of a puncture in diameter in basal half, punctures becoming sparse posteriorly in apical half, and nearly disappearing in elytral slope.

Underside and legs: thickly clothed with golden pubescence; apex of pygidium arcuate. Tarsi robust, length ratio of protarsomeres 1.3:0.9:0.2:1.1.

Aedeagus: Median lobe long and slender, moderately bent ventrally, apex shortly rounded, bent ventrally, without pubescence, lateral arms of the aedeagus wide and sharply emarginated.

Female. Body robuster; Pygidium: apex of pygidium slightly emarginate; Spermatheca: hook-shaped, apical part more thinner, spermathecal duct long and pale, base thick, then becoming thinner, and spirally coiled up about 50 times, with uncoiled thicker end; Rectal apparatus: ventral sclerites of rectal apparatus large, with several wrinkles, dorsal central sclerite three-lobed; lateral ones with small teeth.

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the CAS Innovation Program (KSCX2-EW-Z-5), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC-J1210002), and a grant from the Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution of CAS (No. O 529YX5105). We are also grateful to two anonymous reviewers for many valuable comments on the manuscript.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Smaragdina zhangi sp. nov.: (A) habitus; (B) maxilla; (C) labium; (D) male genitalia in dorsal view; (E) male genitalia in lateral view; (F) male genitalia in ventral view; (G) spermatheca; (H) ventral rectal sclerites; (I) dorsal rectal sclerites. Scales = 0.5 mm.