Papuaepilachna wiebesi (Bielawski)

Szawaryn, Karol & Tomaszewska, Wioletta, 2013, Two new genera of Epilachnini Mulsant from New Guinea and Aru Islands (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 47 (37 - 38), pp. 2427-2457 : 2453-2455

Papuaepilachna wiebesi (Bielawski)

( Figures 13A–J , 14A–K , 15A )

Afidentula wiebesi Bielawski, 1965: 52 .

Material

Paratypes. Papua New Guinea: “Museum Leiden Nieuw Guinea Exp. K.N.A.G. 1939 Araboebivak 13 October 1939 / Afidentula wiebesi sp. nov. det. R. Bielawski 1964 / Paratypus ” (1 male: MIZ) ; same but 16 October 1939 (1 male: MIZ) ; same but 5 November 1939 (1 male, 1 female: MIZ) .

Diagnosis

This species is most similar to P. tenmana and P. watalai sharing distinctly heartshaped body. Papuaepilachna wiebesi however can be separated from both these species in having the prothorax most often yellowish brown with only prosternal process between coxae black. Moreover, mandibular teeth without denticles and shallowly emarginate anterior margin of labrum distinguish it from P. tenmana while antenna length shorter than width of head with antennomeres 6–8 at most as long as wide, and male ventrite 5 truncate apically separate P. wiebesi from P. watalai .

Description

Length 7.0– 7.8 mm; TL / EW = 1.22–1.30; PL / PW = 0.42–0.44; EL / EW = 1.07–1.26; EW / PW = 1.71–1.87.

Body ( Figures 13E , 15A ) heart-shaped, convex; surfaces covered with white, short, appressed pubescence; body mostly black with mouthparts brown (except for terminal maxillary palpomere black); antennomere 1 dark brown and antennomeres 2–8, hypomeron and prosternum yellow with apex of prosternal process black. Pronotum often with infuscate disc and yellow lateral sides, sometimes entire pronotum yellow or black with only lateral and anterior margins yellow.

Antenna ( Figure 13A ) with antennomere 3 shorter than antennomeres 4 and 5 combined; antennomeres 4 and 5 elongate, antennomeres 6–8 subquadrate; antennomere 8 widening anteriorly. Mandibles with two apical and first subapical teeth large, subtriangular; second subapical teeth smaller, subtriangular; all teeth without additional denticles; outer surface below teeth serrate ( Figure 13F, G ). Labrum shallowly emarginate medially at apex ( Figure 13B ). Labium ( Figure 13C, D ) with palpomere 1 small, subquadrate, about 0.6 of the length of palpomere 2; terminal palpomere about twice as long as first palpomere. Terminal maxillary palpomere somewhat securiform, about as long as wide ( Figure 13I ).

Prosternal process ( Figure 13I ) rounded at apex; width of prosternal process about 1.6 times greater than length of prosternum in front of procoxae. Mesoventral process about 0.75 times as wide as coxal diameter at the same position ( Figure 13J ).

Legs with hind femora protruding from outer margin of elytral epipleuron ( Figure 13E ).

Abdominal postcoxal lines somewhat angulately curved ( Figure 14A, D ); male ventrite 5 about 1.5 times longer than ventrite 4; apical margin of ventrite 5 truncate ( Figure 14D ), ventrite 6 very shallowly emarginate ( Figure 14H ), tergite VIII arcuate ( Figure 14G ); apical margin of female ventrite 5 truncate ( Figure 14A ), sternite and tergite VIII arcuate ( Figure 14B, C ).

Male terminalia and genitalia ( Figure 14I–M ). Tergite IX not divided dorsally. Penis guide scarcely longer than parameres, curved outwardly at apex. Parameres narrowing towards apex in lateral view. Penis long and straight almost throughout its length; with sides parallel.

Female genitalia as in Figure 14E, F with coxites transversely oval.

Figures

Figure 13. Papuaepilachna wiebesi (Bielawski). (A) Antenna; (B) labrum; (C) prementum, anteroventral; (D) mentum; (E) habitus, ventral; (F) mandible, dorsal; (G) mandible, ventral; (H) head; (I) prosternal process; (J) mesoventral process.

Figure 14. Papuaepilachna wiebesi (Bielawski). (A) Abdomen, female; (B) tergite VIII, female; (C) sternite VIII, female; (D) abdomen, male; (E) female genitalia, vantral; (F) female genitalia, dorsal; (G) tergite VIII, male; (H) ventrite 6, male; (I) tegmen, inner; (J) tegmen, lateral; (K) penis, lateral; (L) male genital segment, ventral; (M) male genital segment, dorsal.

Figure 15. Habitus: (A) Papuaepilachna wiebesi (Bielawski); (B) Papuaepilachna tenmana (Bielawski); (C) Lalokia aruensis (Crotch); (D) Papuaepilachna watalai (Jadwiszczak); (E) Papuaepilachna kapuri (Bielawski); (F) Papuaepilachna nasti (Bielawski); (G) Papuaepilachna bivakana (Bielawski).