Megatrachelus politus ( Gebler, 1832 )

Pan, Zhao & Ren, Guo-Dong, 2020, New synonyms, combinations and status in the Chinese species of the family Meloidae Gyllenhal, 1810 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) with additional faunistic records, Zootaxa 4820 (2), pp. 260-286 : 264

Megatrachelus politus ( Gebler, 1832)

Zonitis polita Gebler, 1832: 58 . Type locality: “Sibérie Orientale”. Type depository: ZIN.

Megatrachelus politus: Motschulsky 1845: 83 .

Schroetteria polita: Reitter 1911: 395 .

Schroetteria polita a. dilutipennis Reitter, 1911: 395 (unavailable name). Type locality: “ Shangai Geb.” (= Shanghai, China) . Type depository: HNHM .

Schroetteria subpolita Reitter, 1911: 395 . Type locality: “Mandschuria” (= “ Manchuria ”, China) . Type depository: HNHM. syn. nov .

Megatrachelus megacephalus Kôno, 1936b: 4 . Type locality: “ Fukuoka ”, Japan. Type depository: EIHU. Synonymized by Kôno 1940: 62.

Type material examined. Schroetteria polita a. dilutipennis: Holotype: ♀, “ Shangai Geb.”, “ Coll. Reitter ”, “ polita Gebl. Dilutipennis m 1910”, “Monotypus // 1911 // Schrötteria polita ab. dilutipennis Reitter” ( HNHM; Fig. 1 ).

Schroetteria subpolita : Holotype: ♂, “Mantschguria // Wombatai. 1904 // N. Starck ”, “ Coll. Reitter ”, “ Schrotteria m. subpolita m”, “ Holotypus // 1911 // Schrötteria subpolita Reitter ” ( HNHM; Fig. 2 ) . Paratypes: 1 ♂ 1 ♀, “Mantschguria // Wombatai. 1904 // N. Starck ”, “ Coll. Reitter ”, “ Paratypus // 1911 // Schrötteria subpolita Reitter ” ( HNHM) .

Other material examined from China. HEBEI: 1 ex., Laiyuan, Mt. Baishi , 1999.VIII.1–3, Shi Aimin et al. leg. ( NXU) ; 4 exx., Saihanba, Qiancengban (N42˚27.967’ E117˚07.382’, Elev. 1429 m), 2015.VII.22 ( MHBU) ; 31 exx., Saihanba, Qiancengban (N42˚26.599’ E117˚19.213’, Elev. 1617 m), 2015.VII.23 ( MHBU) . INNER MONGO-LIA: 1 ex., Ewenki , 1987.VIII.2, Ren leg. ( NXU) ; 33 exx., Chifeng, Ongniud, Qigan (N42°55.727’ E119°18.736’, Elev. 617 m), 2014.VII.27, Pan Zhao et al. leg. ( MHBU) .

Distribution. China: Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, Northeast Territory; Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia.

Remarks. This species is poorly known. We collected several specimens from Hebei and Inner Mongolia in recent years, and found that this species shows variation in elytral pattern, with four black spots in most specimens but only two spots or uniformly yellow-brown in a few cases.

Reitter (1911) described Schroetteria subpolita from Northeast China (old name “Mandschuria”) and distinguished it from M. polita mainly by the slightly bulging temples and the punctures on the body. However, according to our specimens, we think that these features correspond to intraspecific variation. Therefore, S. subpolita is considered a junior synonym of M. politus .

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Type specimens. 1. Schroetteria polita ab. dilutipennis Reitter (HNHM): a. habitus, dorsal view; b. labels. 2. Schroetteria subpolita Reitter (HNHM): a. habitus, dorsal view; b. labels. 3. Zonitomorpha cribripennis (Fairmaire) (MNHN): a. habitus, dorsal view; b. habitus, lateral view; c. labels. 4. Zonitomorpha davidis (Fairmaire) (MNHN): a. habitus, dorsal view; b. head and antennae; c. labels. 5. Zonitomorpha dollei (Fairmaire) (MNHN): a. habitus, dorsal view; b. habitus, lateral view; c. labels. 6. Zonitis fuscimembris Fairmaire (MNHN): a. habitus, dorsal view; b. labels. Scale bars (a): 5 mm.