Sinosphaera Konstantinov & Ruan

Ruan, Yongying, Konstantinov, Alexander S., Prathapan, K. D. & Yang, Xingke, 2017, Contributions to the knowledge of Chinese flea beetle fauna (II): Baoshanaltica new genus and Sinosphaera new genus (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini), ZooKeys 720, pp. 103-120 : 109-110

Sinosphaera Konstantinov & Ruan gen. n. Figs 4, 5, 6

Type species.

Sinosphaera aptera Konstantinov & Ruan, new species.

Etymology.

The new genus is named for its spherical body outline. The name is feminine.

Distribution.

China.

Host plant.

Unknown.

Description.

Body color and proportions. Dorsal surface without hair, glabrous, metallic bluish or greenish, shiny, pronotum very slightly darker than elytra. Ventral surface dark brown. Body spherical in dorsal view, moderately and evenly convex in lateral view. Body length: 2.60-2.80 mm (n=2). Body width (widest point of elytra): 1.80-2.00 mm. Body length to width, ratio 1.35-1.45. Pronotum width to length, ratio 1.90-2.00. Pronotum width at base to width at apex, ratio 1.25-1.35. Elytron length (measured along suture) to width of both, ratio 0.95-1.05. Elytron and abdomen length to height of body (in lateral view), ratio 1.50-1.55. Length of elytron to length of pronotum, ratio 2.60-2.70. Width of elytra at base (measured across middle of humeral calli) to width of pronotum at base, ratio 1.05-1.10.

Head. Vertex metallic blue, shiny, with extremely minute and distantly placed punctures. Vertex with small indentation or transverse impression above frontal ridge. Frontal ridge short, as wide between antennal sockets as near anterofrontal ridge, entering between antennal calli. Top of frontal ridge meet and merge with vertex. Width of frontal ridge to antennal sockets (counting surrounding ridges), ratio 2.30-2.35. Frontal ridge in lateral view moderately convex. Frontal ridge and anterofrontal ridge in frontal view gradually merge into each other. Frontal ridge and vertex in lateral view form convex line. Anterofrontal ridge lower near frontal ridge, higher laterally, concave in middle.

Antennal calli more or less triangular, at same level as surface of vertex, separated from each other by tip of frontal ridge, entering interantennal space. Width to length of antennal callus, ratio 1.40-1.45. Length of antennal calli smaller than length of frontal ridge. Supracallinal sulcus slightly and evenly curved, poorly developed. Suprafrontal sulcus straight, poorly developed. Supraorbital and orbital sulci very short and deep. Supraantennal sulcus long, stronger than supracallinal, but not as deep as orbital sulcus. Frontolateral sulcus poorly developed.

Orbit normally wide, as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Supraorbital pore poorly developed, unrecognized. Inner margin of eye straight to very slightly concave in middle. Distance between eyes (just above antennal sockets) to transverse diameter of eye in frontal view, ratio 4.20-4.30. Longitudinal diameter of eye to transverse diameter of eye in lateral view, ratio 2.00-2.10. Sides of head below eyes converging ventrally. Labrum flat, without projections in middle. Anterior margin of labrum entire and straight. Number of labral setae: 3 pairs. Apical maxillary palpomere conical, length to width, ratio 1.70-1.80. Preapical maxillary palpomere proximally narrower than distally. Length to width, of preapical maxillary palpomere, ratio 1.00-1.05. Length of apical to preapical maxillary palpomeres, ratio 1.55-1.60. Clypeus band like. Antennal sockets situated nearly at middle level of eye. Distance between antennal sockets to transverse diameter of one antennal socket, ratio 2.70-2.80.

Antennae. Antennae filiform, stretching over pronotum but not reaching half of elytron. Number of antennomeres 11. Length of antennomere 1 slightly greater than next two antennomeres combined. Antennomere 2 robust, longer and wider than 3. Antennomere 5 slightly longer than antennomere 4 and slightly shorter than 6 separately. Distal antennomeres slightly wider than middle ones. Length to width of antennomere 9, ratio 1.40-1.45. Length to width of antennomere 10, ratio 1.15-1.20. Length to width of antennomere 11, ratio 2.40-2.45.

Prothorax. Pronotal surface glabrous, with 2 antebasal, barely visible longitudinal impressions, laterally. Anterolateral corners of pronotum projected prominently forward. Anterolateral callosity of pronotum strongly developed, ovoid, without angulation, facing anteriorly. Anterior setiferous pore of pronotum situated close to anterior margin. Sides of pronotum weakly convex, strongly converging anteriorly. Pronotal base evenly convex. Lateral margin of pronotum complete and narrowly explanate. Posterolateral setiferous pore of pronotum not protruding laterally beyond lateral margin.

Procoxal cavities closed. Lateral sides of intercoxal prosternal process concave in middle, with apex much wider than middle. Posterior end of intercoxal prosternal process nearly straight. Intercoxal prosternal process normally wide, convex along its length, without ridge, slightly extends beyond procoxae. Width of intercoxal prosternal process between procoxae to length of procoxa, ratio 0.70-0.75.

Elytra. Elytra without humeral calli. Hind wings absent. Elytra at base wider than base of pronotum. Impressions or ridges on elytron absent. Elytron with punctures minute and confused. Scutellum present, small. Elytron with apex rounded, covering entire abdomen. Elytra with strongly and evenly convex sides. Epipleura oblique outwardly. Epipleura gradually narrowing from base to apex. Width of epipleura about equal to that of profemur. Epipleura basally much wider than apically. Epipleura reaches end of elytron.

Venter. Metasternum projecting forward, covers and conceals mesosternum. Metasternum without elevated projection in middle. Abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 not fused. Abdominal ventrite 1 longer than ventrites 2, 3, and 4 together. Abdominal ventrite 5 as long as ventrites 4 and 3 together. First abdominal ventrite between coxae without longitudinal ridges. Anterior end of first abdominal ventrite extremely wide and slightly convex.

Legs. Pro- and mesotibia without apical spur. Apical spur of metatibia tiny, slightly larger than other bristles. Metafemoral spring present. Claw appendiculate. Apical part of hind and middle tibia without excavation. Length (not counting trochanter) to maximum width of metafemur, ratio 2.50-2.55. Length to width of metatibia in lateral view, ratio 7.00-7.10. Width of metatibia at base to width at apex in dorsal view, ratio 0.60-0.65. Length of metatibia to length of first metatarsomere, ratio 4.65-4.70. Metatibia generally straight. Metatibia in cross section around its middle more or less cylindrical, flattens only very close to apex and also abruptly widens near apex in dorsal view. Dorsal side of metatibia without sharp edge or small denticles. Metatarsomere 1 attached to apex of metatibia. Length of metafemur to metatibia, ratio 1.10-1.20. First protarsomere of male, length to width, ratio (in dorsal view) 1.20-1.30. Length of first protarsomere to length of second protarsomere, ratio 1.70-1.75. Width of first protarsomere to width of second protarsomere, ratio 1.05-1.10. Incision of tarsomere 3 as long as wide. Tarsomere 3 subtriangular. First metatarsomere of male, length to width, ratio (in dorsal view) 1.90-2.00. Length of first metatarsomere much less than half of metatibial length. First and rest three metatarsomeres make more or less straight line. Length of first metatarsomere to length of second metatarsomere, ratio 1.50-1.55. Width of first metatarsomere to width of second metatarsomere, ratio 0.95-1.00. Length of fourth metatarsomere to length of third metatarsomere, ratio 0.95-1.00.

Genitalia. Aedeagus robust and short, slightly flattened in cross section, evenly and moderately curved, with apex gradually narrowed.

Remarks.

Sinosphaera resembles Omeisphaera Chen & Zia and Sphaeroderma Stephens in having ovate body shape and similar, forward facing, anterolateral callosities of the pronotum. Sinosphaera can be easily differentiated from these genera by the short antebasal, lateral impression on the pronotum and closed procoxal cavities. They are open in Omeisphaera and Sphaeroderma , which are also lacking antebasal, lateral impression on the pronotum. In Sinosphaera , antennal calli are separated from each other by the top of the frontal ridge. They are connected in Omeisphaera and Sphaeroderma . Sinosphaera resembles Kamala in having ovate body shape, absence of humeral calli and closed procoxal cavities. However, they can be easily separated by the lack of antebasal impressions on pronotum (short longitudinal antebasal impressions present in Kamala ), confused elytral punctation (elytral punctures form rows in Kamala ) and the distal antennomeres only slightly wider than the middle ones (distal antennomeres form a dilated club in Kamala ). Jacobyana superficially resembles Sinosphaera in being rounded, convex and posteriorly narrowed. Minutely punctate vertex and frons (vertex and frons coarsely punctate in Jacobyana ), evenly convex posterior margin of pronotum (posterior margin of pronotum bisinuate in Jacobyana ), closed procoxal cavities (procoxal cavities open in Jacobyana ), confused elytral punctation (elytral punctures regularly arranged in Jacobyana ) and absence of hindwings and humeral calli (both present in Jacobyana ) will separate these two genera.