Paleosepharia trunctata, LABOISSIERE, 1936

Rizki, Alia, Hazmi, I. R., Wagner, TH. & Idris, A. B., 2016, Redescription ofPaleosepharia trunctataLaboissiére, 1936, Type Species of the GenusPaleosephariaLaboissiére, 1936 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (2), pp. 395-398 : 395-398

REDESCRIPTION OF PALEOSEPHARIA TRUNCTATA LABOISSIÉRE, 1936 , TYPE SPECIES OF THE GENUS PALEOSEPHARIA LABOISSIÉRE, 1936 ( COLEOPTERA : CHRYSOMELIDAE : GALERUCINAE)

ALIA RIZKI Centre for Insects Systematic, Faculty of Science and Technology , Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, MALAYSIA Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences , Syiah Kuala University , Darussalam 23111, Banda Aceh, INDONESIA [e-mail]

I. R. HAZMI Centre for Insects Systematic, School of Environmental and Natural Resources Science Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, MALAYSIA [e-mail]

TH. WAGNER University of Koblenz-Landau, Department of Integrated Natural Sciences – Biologie Universitätsstr.1, D-56070 Koblenz, GERMANY [e-mail]

AND

A. B. IDRIS Centre for Insects Systematic, School of Environmental and Natural Resources Science Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, MALAYSIA [e-mail]

Paleosepharia was established by Laboissière (1936) for Paleosepharia truncata Laboissiere, 1936 from Cochinchina, Vietnam. Additional 53 species of Paleosepharia have been described up to now ( Wilcox 1973; Kimoto 1989; Mohamedsaid 2004; Medvedev 2004a, b, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013), but the allocation of species to this genus is incongruently used by the different authors. Some species of Monolepta Chevrolat, 1836 resemble those of Paleosepharia , and Mohamedsaid (1996) differentiated both genera on specific structures of the epipleuron. The epipleuron is abbreviated or suddenly narrowed before the middle in Monolepta , whereas in Paleosepharia the epipleuron continues towards apex. The apical margin of the elytra of Monolepta are rounded, whilst in Paleosepharia they are truncate. Also, a few species traditionally described in or subsequently transferred to Candezea Chapuis, 1876 resemble some Paleosepharia . The genus-type of Candezea is from Africa, and the Afrotropical species of this group have been recently revised (Wagner and Kurtscheid 2005). An initial check of some Oriental species of Candezea showed that most of them need to be transferred to other genera due to phylogenetic principles. A detailed work on this subject is in preparation.

Genital characters have not been published for most species of Paleosepharia and in particular for the type species of the genus. As shown in several other galerucine genera (e.g., Hazmi and Wagner 2010a–c, 2013 for some Oriental genera), the male median lobe with its endophallic structures and the female spermatheca reveal these structures are very important for species identification and their allocation to a certain genus. We had the opportunity to examine the type specimens of Paleosepharia truncata Laboissière, 1936 , which are all males, and dissected the genitalia of them. Herein, we redescribe P. truncata and illustrate the male genital characters for the first time. The goal of this study is to give the necessary important basic information to present a taxonomic revision for all species of Paleosepharia and become a reference in an upcoming publication.

The type specimens of P. trunctata was borrowed from the Museum d’ Histoire Naturelle ( MNHN) and Zoologisches Institut und Museum, University of Hamburg ( ZMUH). Measurements were made for external characters. Absolute measurements are: total length from the clypeus to apex of the elytron; elytral length; maximum width of both elytra (usually in the middle or posterior third of the elytra); and pronotal width. Relative measurements are: length to width of the pronotum; maximum width of both elytra to elytral length; length of antennomere 2 to antennomere 3; and length of antennomere 3 to antennomere 4. All measurements and drawings were made using an Image Analyzer Carl Zeiss Stereo Discovery V20 with AxioCam Erc5c. The male genitalia were dissected. Dorsal, ventral, and lateral views of the median lobe, including the endophallic structures, are figured. The terminology used in the description follows Wagner (2007) and Hazmi and Wagner (2010a–c, 2013) .