Paranota Monrós and Viana, 1949

Simões, Marianna V. P., 2014, Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Paranota Monrós and Viana, 1949 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Dorynotini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 68 (4), pp. 631-655 : 632-638

Paranota Monrós and Viana, 1949

Paranota Monrós and Viana 1949: 396 . Hincks 1952: 334; Seeno and Wilcox 1982: 173; Borowiec 1999: 166.

Type Species. Batonota ensifera Boheman, 1854 (by original designation).

Diagnosis. Paranota is distinguished from other Dorynotini genera by the following combination of

features: pronotum pentagonal, completely covering the head, with rounded lateral angles and posterior margin slightly inserted in the anterior margin of the elytra; prosternum with antennal sulcus present; elytra densely punctate, with crenulate basal margin; scutellum diamond-shaped; antennal sulcus present, poorly developed; prosternal collar slightly projecting, followed by a short, deep depression; prosternal process with subparallel lateral margins and expanded apically; epipleural ridge with denticular expansion projecting over the metepisternum; claws subparallel and asymmetrical. Plus, although only three species had the female genitalia dissected, it was possible to observe a pattern of a U-shaped spermatheca within the genus.

Redescription. Body subquadrangular or elongate in dorsal view, with greatest width at humeral angle; short and dense setae on dorsum, except glabrous median longitudinal line on pronotum. Head: Entirely concealed by pronotum. Coronal suture deep, extending to mid-frontal sulcus. Vertex depressed anteriorly, with coarse, dense punctation and sparse setae, with tumid region followed by antennal sockets. Frontoclypeus ( Fig. 2 ) triangular. Eyes ( Figs. 1–2 ) oval, 1.7–1.8 times longer than wide, surrounded by long, dense setae. Antennal sockets tangent to the eye margin. Antennae ( Fig. 9 ) telescoped, not extending beyond the elytral length; shiny, with sparse, long setae from scape to antennomere V; antennomeres VI–XI with short, dense setae and antennomere XI with sparse, long setae near and at the apex. Scape globose, 2.5–2.7 times longer than pedicel; antennomere III shortest; antennomere XI longest, 1.5 times the length of X, slightly wider medially, tapered towards apex. Thorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 10 ) ellipsoidal, 1.5–1.8 times wider than long, widest in middle; surface finely, densely punctate; anterior margin with integument anastomosed, medially emarginated or rounded; lateral angles rounded and convergent posteriorly; posterior margin bisinuate with W-shaped posterior angle. Prosternum ( Fig. 11 ) with antennal sulcus present; collar slightly protruding anteriorly with rounded edges, not covering mouthparts, followed by deep, short depression medially; process 1.5 times longer than wide, shiny, flat; lateral margins convex; apex obtuse and expanded laterally. Mesosternum ( Fig. 13 ) glabrous; mesosternal process as wide as apex of prosternal process; notched medially, with truncate posterior angle; mesepimeron with exposed portion rectangular. Metasternum ( Fig. 13 ) smooth and glabrous, 3.5–5.0 times longer than mesosternal process, with strong protuberance close to posterior margin. Metepisternum and metepimeron continuous; metepisternum rectangular, approximately ¼ length of mesepimeron; metepimeron narrow medially, widening towards the base. Scutellum ( Fig. 18 ) diamond-shaped with smooth surface. Elytra ( Figs. 18–21 ) ca. 3 times longer than prothorax; basal margin crenulate; anterior angle projecting, reaching largest width of pronotum, laterally obtuse or rounded; humeral angle slightly projected anteriorly; disc with edge well-marked by coarse punctures and transverse grooves, and at the anterior third next to suture spinose projection shorter than body height, flattened and ridged antero-posteriorly; lateral margins 1/3 width of disc, with reflexed edges; apical margin subacuminate or rounded. In ventral view, epipleural ridge ( Fig. 19 ) with denticular expansion projecting over the metepisternum. Legs ( Figs. 23–25, 27–29, 31–33 ) long, slender, shiny, sparsely and finely setose at tibial apex; trochanters triangular, with sparse, short setae; femur fusiform, with smooth surface, grooved anteriorly, with sparse, short setae, more concentrated at the ventral region; tibia long and slender, slightly longer than femur, wider close to rounded apex, apical third densely setose and with ventral distal surface broadly notched. Tarsomeres ( Figs. 26, 30, 34 , 37 , 61 ) with sparse, long setae; I with subparallel lateral margins, II–III bilobed, with long, sparse setae; IV with parallel margins. Claws ( Fig. 38 ) subparallel and asymmetrical, with same width, external claw distinctly longer than internal claw, directed ventrally. Abdomen: Completely covered by elytra, shiny. Ventrite I ca. 2 times length of II; III–IV subequal in size, ca. 1.5 shorter than II; V slightly longer than IV, with flat posterior margin ( Fig. 42 ). Male terminalia ( Figs. 39–41 , 52–56 , 62–64 , 72–77 ): Tergite VIII convex, well-sclerotized, apical margin rounded and basal margin with lateral apodemes; with long, dense setae. Tegmen ( Figs. 40–41 , 53–54 , 63–64 , 73–74 ) Y-shaped, sclerotized, with muscles completing the connection near base; manubrium with truncate apex and in lateral view with sinuous base. Ejaculatory duct long, strongly coiled. Flagellum feebly sclerotized, with a short distal hook. Seminal vesicle slightly shorter than aedeagus. Median lobe ( Figs. 32 , 52 , 62 , 72 ) in a 90° angle with neck constricted dorsally; apex flat, subrounded with small projection medially, not arched ventrally or dorsally; basal orifice oval. Female terminalia: Sternite VIII ( Figs. 43 , 65 , 78 ) with apodeme as long as width of sternite, narrow at base. Spermatheca ( Figs. 44 , 67 , 80 ) U-shaped, strongly sclerotized and falcate, rounded at base, tapered continuously towards apex. Spermathecal duct long and strongly coiled.

Composition. Paranota minima (Wagener, 1881) , P. rugosa (Wagener, 1881) , revised status and new combination, P. ensifera ( Boheman, 1854) ; P. spinosa ( Boheman, 1854) , and P. apiculata ( Boheman, 1854) , new combination.

Discussion. Monrós and Viana (1949) characterized Paranota as possessing a convex body, poorly developed humeral angle, antennae with five basal antennomeres glabrous and six apical antennomeres pubescent; claws not divergent and asymmetric, with the internal claw distinctly shorter than the external one, reaching past the tarsal pad.

Monrós and Viana (1949) compared Paranota to the genus Dorynota and distinguished Paranota as having a more convex body, elytra with coarser punctures, humeral angles not as developed, and spinose projection with a wider base. However, some species of Dorynota s. str. have the same body shape, punctation, and elytral spinose projection aspect as Paranota , such as is found in Dorynota aculeata ( Boheman, 1854) , while in Akantaka the body is more expanded laterally, with more sparse and fine punctation, humeral angles well-developed, almost as wide as elytra, and the later with the disc adorned with a tubercle instead of a spinose projection. Therefore, Monrós and Viana (1949) were probably referring to the subgenus Akantaka , and not Dorynota s. str.

The subgenera of Dorynota are conspicuously different from each other. Maulik (1916) differentiated Akantaka from Dorynota s. str. by a short spine and broadly explanate elytra with straight or convex lateral sides, whereas Dorynota s. str. has a long spine and lateral sides of the elytra concave behind the humeral angles. Due to the explanate elytra, Akantaka exhibits a flat body shape, while Dorynota s. str. has a convex body shape.

Therefore, to be more accurate, Paranota should be compared to Dorynota s. str. Both exhibit: convex body shape in lateral view; antennae with five basal antennomeres shiny and six apical pubescent; antennal sulcus present; mesoscutum might be diamond-shaped; elytral disc with spinose projection medially; and epipleura deeply excavated anteriorly and ridged with a denticular expansion projecting over the metepisternum. However, Paranota differs from Dorynota s. str. in that it has the pronotum slightly inserted in the internal margin of the anterior elytral angle; scutellum diamond-shaped; tarsomere IV slightly extending past III; claws asymmetrical and subparallel.

With the dissection of most of the species’ female genitalia, I observed consistency of this structure within Paranota . Hence, I add the U-shaped spermatheca, which is strongly sclerotized and falcate, rounded at base, and tapered continuously towards the apex, as a characteristic that can contribute to its differentiation from Dorynota s. str., which has a falcate spermatheca, with a truncate base and posterior third abruptly tapering towards the apex.

Figures

Figs. 1–9. Paranota ensifera, male. 1) Head, dorsal view; 2) Head, frontal view; 3) Labrum, dorsal view; 4) Labrum, anterior margin; 5) Mandibles, dorsal view; 6) Mandible, lateral view; 7) Labium, ventral view; 8) Maxillae, dorsal view; 9) Antenna. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs. 10–17. Paranota ensifera, male. 10) Prothorax, dorsal view; 11) Prothorax, ventral view; 12) Proendosternite; 13) Meso– and metasternum; 14) Mesendosternite, general aspect; 15) Mesendosternite, detailed aspect; 16) Metendosternite, dorsal view; 17) Metendosternite, ventral view. anla = anterior lamina; md = median depression; me = mesendosternite; pr = proendosternite; stk = stalk; vela = ventral lamina; vete = ventral tendon; vfl = median ventral flange. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs. 18–22. Paranota ensifera, male. 18) Mesoscutum and scutellum; 19) Elytra, ventral view; 20) Elytral spinose projection, left internal view; 21) Elytral spinose projection, right internal view; 22) Wing. ac = anal cell; AM = anterior media; axc = axillary cord; Cu = cubitus; lc = longitudinal carina; E = empusal; ep = epipleuron; PM = posterior media; P = plical; R = radius; rc = radial cell; r-m = radial-medial cross-vein; Sc = subcosta; s-m = subcostal-medial cross-vein; 1A = first anal vein; 2Aa = anterior branch of anal vein; 2Ab = posterior branch of anal vein. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs. 23–34. Paranota ensifera, male. 23) Procoxa; 24) Profemur; 25) Protibia; 26) Protarsomere; 27) Mesocoxa; 28) Mesofemur; 29) Mesotibia; 30) Mesotarsomere; 31) Metacoxa; 32) Metafemur; 33) Metatibia; 34) Metatarsomere. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs. 35–46. Paranota ensifera. Male: 35) Lectotype, dorsal view; 36) Lectotype, lateral view and labels; 37) Protarsomere; 38) Claws; 39) Median lobe, lateral view; 40) Tegmen, dorsal view; 41) Tegmen, lateral view; Female: 42) Abdomen; 43) Sternite VIII; 44) Spermatheca; 45) Tergite X; 46) Sternite IX. ma = manubrium. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs. 57–68. Paranota rugosa. Male: 57) Dorsal view; 58) Lateral view; 59) Holotype, dorsal view; 60) Holotype, lateral view and labels; 61) Protarsomere; 62) Median lobe, lateral view; 63) Tegmen, dorsal view; 64) Tegmen, lateral view; Female: 65) Sternite VIII; 66) Sternite IX; 67) Spermatheca; 68) Tergite X. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs. 47–56. Paranota minima, male. 47) Dorsal view; 48) Lateral view; 49) Holotype, dorsal view; 50) Holotype, lateral view; 51) Holotype labels; 52) Median lobe, lateral view; 53) Tegmen, dorsal view; 54) Tegmen, lateral view; 55) Apex of median lobe, dorsal view; 56) Apex of median lobe, ventral view. o = ostium. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs. 69–81. Paranota spinosa. Male: 69) Holotype, dorsal view; 70) Holotype, lateral view and labels; 71) Metepimeron; 72) Medium lobe, lateral view; 73) Tegmen, dorsal view; 74) Tegmen, lateral view; 75) Internal sac, dorsal view; 76) Internal sac, lateral view; 77) Internal sac, ventral view; Female: 78) Sternite VIII; 79) Sternite IX; 80) Spermatheca; 81) Tergite X. flg = flagellum; sclt = sclerite. Scale bars = 1 mm.