Skip to main content

Jung-Chan Chen olive leaf beetle (Argopistes jungchani), Mei-Hua Tsou (A. tsoui) and Su-Fang Yu (A. yuae)

Jung-Chan Chen olive leaf beetle (Argopistes jungchani), Mei-Hua Tsou (A. tsoui) and Su-Fang Yu (A. yuae)

NEWS - Three species from Taiwan were described, Jung-Chan Chen olive leaf beetle (Argopistes jungchani sp. nov.), Mei-Hua Tsou olive leaf beetle (Argopistes tsoui sp. nov.) and Su-Fang Yu olive leaf beetle (Argopistes yuae sp. nov.) along with 4 species were redescribed: A. biplagiatus Motschulsky 1860, A. rufus Chen 1934, A. tsekooni Chen 1934 and A. unicolor Jacoby 1885.

This study proposes that A. rufus Chen 1934 stat. nov. be elevated to species status from variety of A. biplagiatus Motschulsky 1860. A. coccinelliformis Csiki 1940 syn. nov. and A. ryukyuensis Shigetoh & Suenaga 2022 syn. nov. as a junior synonym of A. rufus Chen 1934 Lectotypes assigned to A. undecimmaculata Jacoby 1885, A. unicolor Jacoby 1885 and A. biplagiatus var. Rufus Chen 1934.

A. jungchani is named after Jung-Chan Chen (陳榮章), the first person to collect specimens. Distribution is known only from the type locality. Adults are easily recognized by color pattern. Body black with yellowish brown lateral edges of pronotum and elytra.

Genital characters are diagnostic: apex of aedeagus tubular, but parallel-sided from near apex to middle (vs. narrowing apically from near apex to middle in A. tsekooni). Paired elongate tectum small, 0.76 of anterior aperture (vs. paired elongate tectum long, 0.85 of anterior aperture in A. tsekooni).

Anterior aperture from apex 1/13–2/5 (vs. anterior aperture from apex to apex 2/5 in A. tsekooni). Only two pairs of long setae on apical margin of VIII ventrite of abdomen in females (vs. more than two pairs of setae on apical margin of VIII ventrite in females of other species) and cylindrical gonocoxae.

A. tsoui hosts Osmanthus heterophyllus, O. kaoi, O. enervius and O. fragrans. The species appears to be univoltine. Larvae were only found in late March. Epithet after Mei-Hua Tsou (曹美華), the first person to collect specimens. Widespread distribution in lowland Taiwan.

Adults have reddish brown elytra with broad black lateral margins, but differ in reddish brown pronotum with broad black lateral margins (vs. entire pronotum black in A. biplagiatus). Diagnostic genital characters include pointed apex of aedeagus (vs. relatively narrower in lateral view in A. biplagiatus).

Longer, longitudinal paired sclerites of tectum (vs. short, curved paired sclerites of tectum in A. biplagiatus), anterior opening from apical 1/10 to midline (vs. anterior opening from apex to apical 3/10 in A. biplagiatus).

Gonocoxae triangular, but extend inward on basal 1/3 (vs. extend outward on basal 1/3 in A. rufus). Setae dense along apical edge of VIIIth ventrite of abdomen, but much denser and shorter (vs. less dense and longer setae on apical edge of VIIIth ventrite of abdomen in A. biplagiatus).

A. yuae hosts Chionanthus ramiflorus Roxb. This species appears to be univoltine. Larvae were found only in late March. Epithet after Su-Fang Yu (余素芳), the first person to collect the specimen. Distribution is endemic to Lanyu Island.

Adults are inseparable from A. rufus except by genital characters, including parallel-sided apex of the aedeagus with anterior opening very close to the apex of the aedeagus, from 1/12–3/5 apical (vs. apically narrowed aedeagus with anterior opening not so close to the apex of the aedeagus, from 1/8–3/5 apical in A. rufus).

The apical margin of the VIII ventrite of the abdomen is deeply notched in females (vs. the apical margin of the VIII ventrite of the abdomen is shallowly notched in females of A. rufus). The new species is restricted to Lanyu Island and is geographically isolated from other species. Larvae and adults feed on leaves of C. ramiflorus but not O. fragrans. Thus, both species are ecologically allopatric because O. fragrans is one of the host plants for A. rufus.

Original research

Lee C-F, Chiang M-Y, Suenaga H (2024). The genus Argopistes Motschulsky from Japan and Taiwan, with descriptions of three new species from Taiwan (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini). ZooKeys 1215: 151-183, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1215.134871

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Sea almond (Terminalia catappa)

Ketapang or tropical almond or beach almond or talisay tree or umbrella tree or sea almond ( Terminalia catappa ) is a species of plant in the Combretaceae, a shady tree, fast growing, forming a multilevel canopy, often used as a shade tree in gardens and on roadsides. T. catappa grows large, up to 40 meters in height and up to 1.5 meters in trunk, shady canopy with branches that grow flat and terraced, young trees often look like pagodas while old and large trees often have aerial roots up to 3 meters. The leaves are scattered, mostly at the end of the twig, rounded egg upside down, 8-38 cm long, 5-19 cm wide, the tip is wide, the base is narrow, the upper surface is smooth, green but turns red if to fall out and short stalks. The flowers are small, collected near the tips of the twigs, 8-25 cm long and green-yellow in color. The flowers are not crowned, the petals have five taju, are plate or bell shaped, 4-8 mm long and are white or cream in color. Stamens in two circles and arra...
Read more

Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus)

Teki or purple nutsedge ( Cyperus rotundus ) is a species of plant in the Cyperaceae, an erect annual growing to a height of up to 140 cm, the leaves sprout in rows of three from the base to a length of 5-20 cm, ribbon-shaped, pointed tip and green in color. The inflorescence has a stalk with a triangular cross section and is green. The inflorescence has three to eight unequal spikes. The flower is bisexual, has 3 stamina and the pistil has three stigmas. The fruit is achene and triangular. Teki prefers dry places, but will tolerate moist soil and often grows in wastelands and in crop fields. Tubers are an important source of nutrition for migratory cranes. Source of carbohydrates in the tropics in times of famine. The initial stage forms a white fleshy rhizome, 25 mm long and in chains. Some of the rhizomes grow upright above the ground, then form a tuber-like structure from which new shoots and roots grow, new roots and new rhizomes grow. Other rhizomes grow horizontally or down...
Read more

Asian foxtail (Uraria crinita)

Asian foxtail or cat's tail bean ( Uraria crinita ) is a species of plant in Fabaceae, a perennial, upright shrub with woody stems at least at the base, up to 2 meters high in forests, agricultural land, waterways, used as a medicinal herb, green manure and sometimes planted in the garden as an ornamental plant. U. crinita has elongated leaves, rounded base, pointed tip, a bone in the middle with several pinnate veins, rough surface, dark green with white spots. Petiole short or less than 0.5 cm and brownish red. Compound flower in spike shape, purple and white triangular crown. Long flower stalk, erect, 15-20 cm long and only at the end of the flower. The crown slowly falls off and leaves behind a stalk that is shaped like coir or light yellow pads. Asian foxtail grows in dry grasslands, open forests, trash cans, roadsides, sandy areas and sometimes in deciduous forests, elevations of 0-1500 meters and does not grow in waterlogged places. The different parts are often used in t...
Read more