Meishania rufa Chen & Wang, 1980

Ruan, Yongying, Konstantinov, Alexander S., Prathapan, K. D., Zhang, Mengna, Jiang, Shihong & Yang, Xingke, 2018, New contributions to the knowledge of Chinese flea beetle fauna (III): revision of Meishania Chen & Wang with description of five new species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Zootaxa 4403 (1), pp. 186-200 : 188-190

1. Meishania rufa Chen & Wang, 1980

( Fig. 1 )

Meishania rufa Chen & Wang, 1980:13 , 24 (type Locality: Sichuan, E’meishan Mt., China. Holotype and paratype ( IZCAS) examined).

Distribution: China.

Description. Body length: 3.35–3.45 mm. Body width: 2.10–2.15 mm. Body length to width ratio: 1.55–1.65.

Pronotum width to length ratio: 2.00–2.05. Pronotum width at base to width at apex ratio: 1.65–1.70. Elytron length (measured along suture) to width of both ratio: 1.15–1.20. Length of elytron to length of pronotum ratio: 3.05–3.15. Width of elytra at base (measured across middle of humeral callus) to width of pronotum at base ratio: 1.15–1.20.

Elytron and pronotum red to deep red brown. Head brown to dark red brown. Legs brown. Body ovate in dorsal view, strongly convex dorsally in lateral view.

Vertex shiny, without punctures, except for one supraorbital pore on each side near eye. Antennal calli well delimited. Supracallinal, midfrontal, supraantennal and suprafrontal sulci shallow and weak. Supraorbital and orbital sulci deep. Width of frontal ridge to antennal sockets (excluding surrounding ridges) ratio: 0.65–0.75. Longitudinal diameter of eye to transverse diameter of eye in frontal view ratio: 1.65–1.75. Distance between eyes (just above antennal sockets) to transverse diameter of eye in frontal view ratio: about 2.00. Anterior margin of labrum weakly convex.

Pronotum with extremely minute, scattered, hardly visible punctures. Lateral margins of pronotum slightly curved, converging forward. Anterolateral callosity protruding forward. Posterolateral callosity poorly developed.

Elytra converging posteriorly with maximum width near base. Humeral calli well-developed. Elytral punctures confused at sides, arranged in regular rows in middle.

Length (excluding trochanter) to maximum width ratio of metafemur: 2.45–2.55. Length of first metatarsomere to length of second metatarsomere ratio: 1.25–1.35.

Spermatheca with receptacle convex on either side, about 1.8 times longer than wide, widest beyond middle towards pump. Spermathecal pump much shorter than receptacle, horizontal part longer than vertical, apex rounded. Spermathecal duct forms a single loop. Posterior part of tignum triangular, strongly expanded with posterior margin nearly straight. Vaginal palpi together 2.25 times wider than long, posterior ends widely separated.

Diagnosis: Meishania rufa is distinct among the species of Meishania Chen & Wang with red to red brown pronotum and elytra. It may be differentiated from all other species of the genus by its larger body size ( M. rufa is 3.35–3.45 mm long, while others are less than 2.70 mm).

Types examined: Holotype: ♀, labels (in Chinese): 1) Sichuan, E’meishan Mt., 2100–3100 m, 1955. vi.25, Leg. Xingchi Yang, 2) OPEN, 3) HOLOTYPE, 4) Meishania rufa , des. Shixiang Chen (IZCAS).

Paratype: 1♀, labels: 1) Sichuan, E’meishan Mt., 2100–3100m, 1955. vi.25, Leg. Zhonglin Ge, 2) Meishania rufa ( IZCAS).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Meishania rufa Chen & Wang. A: habitus (Holotype, female). B: prothorax, dorsal view (Holotype). C: head, frontal view (Holotype). D: Holotype, lateral view. E: vaginal palpi (Paratype). F: spermatheca (Paratype). G: tignum (Paratype).