Aulacophora frontalis Baly, 1888

Lee, Chi-Feng & Beenen, Ron, 2015, Revision of the genus Aulacophora from Taiwan (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Zootaxa 3949 (2), pp. 151-190 : 160-161

Aulacophora frontalis Baly, 1888

( Figs 35–36 , 44–51 , 111 )

Aulacophora frontalis Baly, 1888: 181 ( Malaysia: Sarawak); Jacoby, 1896: 126 ( Indonesia: Mentawai islands); Maulik, 1936: 183 ( India); Chen & Kung 1959: 375 ( China: Yunnan, Guandong); Chûjô, 1962: 96 ( Taiwan); Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963: 487 ( China: Guandong; Vietnam); Kimoto, 1989: 55 ( Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam); Mohamedsaid, 1994: 380 ( Malaysia); Barroga, 2001: 42 ( Indonesia: Bali); Barroga & Mohamedsaid, 2002: 97 ( Malaysia, Indonesia: Sumatra, Java); Mohamedsaid, 2000: 348 ( Malaysia); Mohamedsaid & Constant, 2007: 166 ( Thailand, Cambodia).

Aulacophora palliata: Allard, 1889: 308 ( Vietnam: Hué, Saigon = Ho Chi Minh City, Qui Nhon, Tourane; Cambodia: Phnom Penh); Allard, 1891: 230 ( Laos: Luang Prabang); Laboissière, 1935: 140 (listed as frontalis ).

Aulacophora (Ceratia) frontalis: Laboissière, 1929: 258 ( Vietnam) .

Type material. Lectotype ♂ ( BMNH), here designated, labeled: “SYN- / TYPE [w, p, round label with blue border] // Type [w, p, round label with red border] // SAR / 305 [w, h, round label] // Baly Coll. [w. p] // Aulacophora / frontalis / Baly / Type [w, h] // This specimen was found without name attached, in Baly’s coll. in close proximity to A. orientalis or A. palliata . It was the only specimen of this group of species having loc.

Sarawak. It is undoubtedly the type. [w, h] // holotype [w, p]”. Paralectotypes: 1♂ ( BMNH), labeled: “SYN- / TYPE [w, p, round label with blue border] // Type [w, p, round label with red border] // [blue round label] // Borneo [w, h] // Baly Coll. [w, p] // Aulacophora / frontalis / Baly (♂) [w, p] // not type [w, p]”. Although this specimen was labeled as nontype, it cannot be excluded from the type series by original description. 1♂ ( MCZC), labeled “SAR. [w, h, round label] // A. frontalis Baly [w, h] // 1st Jacoby / Coll. [w, p] // TYPE / F. C. B. Coll. [pink label, p] // Type [p] / 17571 [r, h]”; 1♂ ( MCZC), labeled: “ SUMAT [w, p] // Jacoby 2nd / Coll. [w, p] // dorhni / Jac [w, h] // Type [p] / 17572 [w, h]”.

Other specimens examined. CAMBODIA. 1♂, Siem Reap, 7–11.IX.2002, leg. P. Kočárek ( JBCB); INDIA. Kamataka: 1♂, Coorg distr., 10 km SE of Virajpet, leg. Z. Kejval and M. Trýzna ( JBCB); INDONESIA. Java: 2♂, 1♀, Batavia, Tanjong Priok, ( BMNH); 1♂, Noesa Kembangan, leg. Drescher ( MNHUB); Sumatra: 2♂, Soekaranda, leg. Dohrn ( MNHUB); 1♂, Nias island ( BMNH); LAOS. Borikhane: 1♂, Paksane, 28.VIII.1965, leg. native collector; 1♀, same locality, 1.XI.1965, leg. native collector ( BPBM); Hua Phan: 1♂, Phu Loei N. P., Ban Sakok, 23–26.V.2001, leg. J. Bezdĕk ( JBCB); Khammouane: 2♀, Phon Tiou, 21–22.IX.1965, leg. native collector ( BPBM); 1♂, Ban Khoun Ngeun env., 200 m, 19–31.V.2001, leg. C. L. Peša ( JBCB); Vientiane: 1♀, Ban Van Eue, 30.XI.1965, leg. native colletor ( BPBM); 1♂, Tha Ngone, 6.IX.1965, leg. native collector ( BPBM); MALAYSIA. Sabah: 1♂, Tenompok, 15.II.1959, leg. T. C. Maa ( BPBM); Sarawak: 1♂, Kapit Dist. Merirai,V., 1–6.VIII.1958, leg. T. Maa ( BPBM); 1♂, Mt. Matang, XII.1913, leg. G. E. Bryang ( BMNH); 2♀, Shelford, 1900 ( BMNH); TAIWAN. Heitou (= Pingtung), 2♂, 1♀, 22.V.1930, leg. Y. Miwa ( TARI); 4♀, same locality, V–VI.1931, leg. Y. Miwa ( TARI); THAILAND. Cholburi: 1♂, Sriracha Dist., 22.X.1966, leg. J. S. Burto ( BPBM); VIETNAM. 1♂, Minh Hoa, N. of Nha Trang, 28.XI.1960, leg. C. M. Yoshimoto ( BPBM); 1♂, Saigon, X.1982, leg. Pokomý ( JBCB).

Diagnosis. Aulacophora frontalis is similar to A. palliata with the modified antennomeres III to V in male but A. frontalis have the longitudinal groove on the vertex ( Fig. 111 ) (the transverse ridges in A. palliata : Fig. 112 ) or more slender antennomere III in male, and more wider antennomere VII to X in female.

Males. Length 5.7–6.7 mm, width 2.8–3.5 mm. General color ( Figs 35–36 ) yellowish brown except elytron black and shining. Vertical area of head with a longitudinal groove on each side ( Fig. 111 ). Antenna ( Fig. 44 ) filiform, scape not enlarged, antennomere I swollen and curved; III–V triangular, III with lateral expansion flattened, V with longitudinal groove on lateral expansion; ratio of length of antennomeres III to XI about 1.0: 0.8: 0.8: 0.7: 0.7: 0.7: 0.7: 0.7: 0.8; ratio of length to width from antennomere III to XI about 2.5: 1.5: 1.5: 2.8: 2.9: 3.1: 3.2: 3.4: 5.2. Apex of abdominal tergite VIII emarginate at middle ( Fig. 50 ), apical margin sinuate and with some setae, base weakly sclerotized. Median lobe of fifth abdominal ventrite short and rectangular, disc depressed near apex, apical margin weakly emarginate at middle. Penis ( Figs 46–47 ) apically tapering from apical 1/4; weakly curved in lateral view; tectum well sclerotized, apically tapering; endophallus with dense, irregularly arranged setae, and with one longitudinal sclerite, apex rounded, basally widened and bifurcate.

Females. Length 6.5–6.9 mm, width 3.5–3.8 mm. Similar to male, but transverse ridge on vertical area absent; antenna filiform and not modified ( Fig. 45 ), ratio of length of antennomeres III to XI about 1.0: 0.8: 0.8: 0.8: 0.8: 0.8: 0.8: 0.8: 1.0; ratio of length to width from antennomere III to XI about 3.4: 3.1: 2.8: 2.8: 2.9: 3.1: 3.2: 3.1: 4.6. Apical margin of abdominal ventrite V not modified, rounded. Gonocoxae ( Fig. 48 ) slender, apex of each gonocoxa with eight or nine setae from apical 1/6 to apex; gonocoxae connected at middle, base slender. Ventrite VIII ( Fig. 49 ) weakly sclerotized; apex narrow, apical margin rounded, surface with dense short setae along apical margin, and several long setae scattered at apical area; spiculum short. Spermathecal receptaculum ( Fig. 51 ) slightly swollen, hardly separated from pump; pump strongly curved; spermathecal duct short, stout, shallowly projecting into receptaculum.

Host plant. Unknown

Distribution. Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. Only very old specimens collected from Taiwan had been found. Chûjô (1962, 1963) reported this species for Taiwan based on Miwa’s specimens collected in 1930s (examined at the present study), and Sauter’s ones in 1900s. No recent specimens have been collected. It is supposed that this species is extinct in Taiwan.

Figures

FIGURES 35 – 43. Habitus of Aulacophora species. 35. A. frontalis, Laos, male, dorsal view; 36. Ditto, ventral view; 37. A. indica, Taiwan, male, dorsal view; 38. Ditto, ventral view; 39. A. indica, Taiwan, female, dorsal view; 40. Ditto, ventral view; 41. A. indica, China, female, dorsal view; 42. Lectotype of Crioceris testacea, dorsal view; 43. Ditto, ventral view.

FIGURES 44 – 51. Diagnostic characters of Aulacophora frontalis Baly. 44. Antenna, male; 45. Antenna, female; 46. Penis, dorsal view; 47. Penis lateral view; 48. Gonocoxae; 49. Abdominal ventrite VIII, female; 50. Abdominal tergite VIII, male; 51; Spermatheca.

FIGURES 108 – 112. Habitus of Aulacophora species. 108. A. palliata, male, dorsal view; 109. Ditto, ventral view; 110. A. palliata, female, dorsal view; 111. Head of A. frontalis, male; 112. Head of A. palliata, male.