Japonitata Strand, 1935

Lee, Chi-Feng, 2022, The genus Japonitata Strand (Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae) in Taiwan: a redefinition of the genus and descriptions of two new species, ZooKeys 1125, pp. 171-192 : 171

Japonitata Strand, 1935

Japonia Weise, 1922: 70 (Type species: Phyllobrotica nigrita Jacoby, 1885).

Japonitata Strand, 1935: 294 (replacement name for Japonia Weise, 1922 nec Gould, 1859).

Diagnosis.

Japonitata can be separated from Paraplotes by the presence of posteriorly open anterior coxal cavities (closed in Paraplotes ); pronotum longer, 1.5-1.7 × wider than long (pronotum short, 2.4-2.9 × wider than long in Paraplotes ), basal border immarginate (basal border margined in Paraplotes ); disc with lateral depressions (disc with transverse depressions in Paraplotes ); disc of elytra with reduced punctures (disc of elytra with fine or coarse punctures in Paraplotes ), with one more longitudinal ridge in addition to lateral ridge. Other characters proposed by Zhang et al. (2008) are not diagnostic. Antennae are variable among Paraplotes species. For example, ratios of length to width from antennomeres I-XI of males of P. taiwana Chûjô, 1963: 3.2: 1.6: 2.4: 2.8: 2.8: 2.1: 2.3: 2.2: 2.9: 3.1: 4.6; antennomeres VI-VIII much shorter than those of J. jungchani sp. nov., but much narrower in those of P. cheni Lee, 2015 (sympatric with P. taiwana ), ratios of length to width from antennomeres I-XI of males 3.3: 1.6: 3.1: 3.3: 3.5: 3.1: 3.4: 3.7: 3.6: 3.9: 5.0. These characters are not diagnostic for either genus. The rugose or pubescent disc of the elytra occurs in some species of Paraplotes . Thus, it is not diagnostic. Appendiculate tarsal claws occur in both genera, with no difference between them. Some genitalic characters are diagnostic. Aedeagi of adults of Japonitata have a well sclerotized, elongate tectum (variable tectum with one pair of apico-lateral sclerites in Paraplotes ), lacking endophallic spicula (with one long median spiculum, and one or two additional pairs of lateral spicula in Paraplotes ); spermathecal receptaculum as wide as pump (spermathecal receptaculum swollen, wider than pump in Paraplotes ).

Japonitata species are also similar to those of Shairella with the lateral borders of pronotum marginate but apical and basal borders unmargined. However, Japonitata differs from Shairella by the posteriorly open anterior coxal cavities (closed in Shairella ); robust antennae, antennomeres IV-X less than 3.5 × longer than wide (antenna slender, antennomeres IV-X more than 3.5 × longer than wide in Shairella ), with distinct lateral ridges and an additional longitudinal, distinct ridge on each elytron (with weak lateral ridge and no additional distinct ridge on each elytron in Shairella ). Aedeagi of adults of Japonitata have a well sclerotized, elongate tectum (membranous tectum in Shairella ); lack endophallic spicula (with one slender median speculum in Shairella ); spermathecal receptaculum short, wider than pump (spermathecal receptaculum long, as wide as pump in Shairella ). Diagnostic characters of Japonitata , Paraplotes , and Shairella can be summarized as follows (Table 1 ).

Remarks.

Japonitata quadricostata Kimoto, 1996 and J. caerulea Kimoto, 1996 are transferred to Shairella since both species fit the redefinition of the genus. They are characterized by normal elytra. Shortened elytra and reduced hindwings occur in all other species of Shairella ; however, reduced hindwings also occur in some populations of S. quadricostata .

Included species.

More than 30 species are distributed in Oriental and Palaearctic regions ( Nie et al. 2017) but their taxonomic status should be re-evaluated since two species are transferred to Shairella , and others may also require transfer.