Batophila huangi, Lee, 2025

Lee, Chi-Feng, 2025, The genus Batophila Foudras, 1860 (Coleoptera, Chrysomeliae, Galerucinae, Alticitae) in Taiwan, with descriptions of 11 new species, ZooKeys 1258, pp. 73-118 : 73-118

Batophila huangi sp. nov.

Fig. 14

Batophila yangweii : Chûjô 1937: 54 (part).

Type specimens examined (n = 22).

Holotype ♂ ( NMNS). Taiwan • Miaoli: Taian (泰安), 20. XII. 1989, leg. K. W. Huang . Paratypes • 8 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ ( NMNS), same data as holotype ; Hsinchu: • 2 ♂♂ ( TARI), Talulintao (大鹿林道), 17. II. 2008, leg. M. - H. Tsou ; 1 ♂ ( TARI), Wufeng (五峰), 14–16. VII. 1982, leg. K. C. Chou & C. C. Pan ; • 1 ♂ ( NMNS), same locality, 21. XII. 1989, leg. K. W. Huang ; • Taoyuan: 1 ♂ ( TARI), Kayahara (= Hsuanyuan , 萱源), 23. VII. 1929, leg. Y. Miwa, identified as B. yangweii by Chûjô (1937) ; • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( TARI), Lalashan (拉拉山), 8. III. 2009, leg. H. Lee ; • 1 ♂ ( TARI), same but with “ leg. H. - J. Chen ” ; • 1 ♀ ( TARI), same but with “ leg. C. - F. Lee ” ; • 1 ♀ ( NMNS), Upper Plain (sic!) (= Balung , 上巴陵), 24°41'12.1"N, 121°23'39.3"E, 600 m, 11. IV. 1998, leg. Miller, Stange, Wang .

Diagnosis.

Adults of B. huangi sp. nov. are not separable from those of B. houjayi sp. nov., B. wusheensis sp. nov., B. yuae sp. nov., and B. jungchani sp. nov. that are characterized by truncate elytral apices based on external morphology (Figs 10 , 12 ) except for the aedeagus (see below). However, these species can be recognized by their allopatric distributions [ B. huangi sp. nov. inhabits lowlands in Miaoli County and high mountains in Hsinchu and Taoyuan counties, B. jungchani sp. nov. in high mountains in Taichung and Miaoli counties, B. yuae sp. nov. in lowlands of Taipei and New Taipei Cities, and Ilan County, B. wusheensis sp. nov. in lowlands of Nantou County, B. houjayi sp. nov. at high mountains in Chiayi, Ilan, Hualien, and Nantou counties (Fig. 13 )]. Aedeagal shapes are diagnostic [rounded apex of aedeagus with small, rounded process at middle of apical margin in B. huangi sp. nov. (Fig. 14 C ), apically tapering apex of aedeagus from apical 1 / 10 in B. jungchani sp. nov. (Fig. 15 C ), rounded apex of aedeagus with truncate process at middle of apical margin in B. yuae sp. nov. (Fig. 26 C ), apically tapering aedeagus from apical 1 / 5 in B. wusheensis sp. nov. (Fig. 23 C ), and widely rounded apex of aedeagus in B. houjayi sp. nov. (Fig. 11 C )].

Description.

Male. Length 1.52–1.75 mm, width 0.77–0.86 mm. General color metallic dark bronze; antennae yellowish brown but six apical antennomeres darker; legs yellowish but femora of hind legs darkened. Antenna (Fig. 14 A ) filiform and antennomeres VIII – X wide, ratio of length of antennomeres I – XI to length of antennomere I 1.0: 0.6: 0.6: 0.6: 0.7: 0.6: 0.8: 0.7: 0.6: 0.6: 0.9; ratio of length to width of antennomeres I – XI 2.4: 2.5: 2.5: 2.5: 3.2: 2.5: 2.7: 2.1: 1.8: 1.8: 2.7. Pronotum 1.18–1.25 × wider than long; lateral margins slightly rounded, anterolateral angles separated from lateral margins by weak emarginations, slightly narrowed basally, distance between anterolateral angles 1.17–1.18 × wider than basal margin. Elytra 1.35–1.37 × longer than wide; lateral margins rounded, widest at basal 1 / 5, apex truncate; dorsoventrally flattened, apex visible in dorsal view; disc with longitudinal lines of coarse punctures, and indistinct longitudinal grooves along punctures, lacking ridges present between longitudinal grooves. Tarsomeres I of front and middle legs slightly swollen. Aedeagus (Fig. 14 C, D ) elongate, 5.3 × longer than wide; lateral margins basally and slightly widened, widest near base, apex widely rounded and with small rounded process at middle of apical margin; dorsal opening starting from apical 1 / 10, basally weakly sclerotized; tectum composed of three lobes, median lobe more ventral relative to lateral lobes and apical margin truncate, mostly membranous; moderately curved subapically and medially in lateral view; ventral surface with membranous area same width and height as dorsal opening, starting from apical 1 / 10–1 / 2.

Female. Length 1.97–2.19 mm, width 1.00– 1.06 mm. Antennae similar to males, ratio of length of antennomeres I – XI to length of antennomere I (Fig. 14 B ) 1.0: 0.6: 0.5: 0.5: 0.6: 0.6: 0.6: 0.6: 0.6: 0.6: 0.8; ratio of length to width of antennomeres I – XI 3.2: 2.3: 2.6: 2.6: 3.0: 2.6: 2.3: 2.1: 2.1: 1.8: 2.6. Elytra 1.36–1.39 × longer than wide; lateral margins rounded, widest at basal 1 / 5, apex truncate; dorsoventrally convex, apex not visible in dorsal view; disc with longitudinal lines of coarse punctures, and indistinct longitudinal grooves along punctures, lacking ridges present between longitudinal grooves. Gonocoxae (Fig. 14 F ) slender, connected from basal 1 / 5 to base; each gonocoxa with seven long setae and one tiny seta from apical 1 / 5 to apex, subapically slightly curved. Ventrite VIII (Fig. 14 E ) weakly sclerotized apically, with several short setae at sides of apex, and some tiny setae at sides of apical margin, spiculum extremely elongate. Spermathecal receptaculum (Fig. 14 G ) strongly swollen, with transverse wrinkles at basal 1 / 2; pump wide and curved, with transverse wrinkles at apical 2 / 3; sclerotized spermathecal canal moderately long before base of spermathecal gland.

Food plants.

Rosaceae : Rubus sp.

Etymology.

This new species is named for Dr. Kun-Wei Huang (黃坤煒), who was a former research scientist at the NMNS and collected most of the type specimens.

Distribution.

This species is widespread in mountainous areas of northwestern Taiwan (Fig. 13 ).

Figures

Figure 10. Habitus of Batophila houjayi sp. nov., from Tsuifeng (翠峰) A. Male, paratype, dorsal view; B. Ditto, ventral view; C. Ditto, lateral view; D. Female, paratype, dorsal view; E. Ditto, ventral view; F. Ditto, lateral view.

Figure 11. Batophila houjayi sp. nov. A. Antenna, male; B. Antenna, female; C. Aedeagus, dorsal view; D. Aedeagus, lateral view; E. Abdominal ventrite VIII, female; F. Spermatheca; G. Gonocoxae.

Figure 12. Habitus of Batophila houjayi sp. nov., from Alishan (阿里山) A. Male, paratype, dorsal view; B. Ditto, ventral view; C. Ditto, lateral view; D. Female, paratype, dorsal view; E. Ditto, ventral view; F. Ditto, lateral view.

Figure 13. Distribution map of Batophila species, solid line: 1000 m a. s. l., broken line: 2000 m a. s. l., black areas: 3000 m a. s. l. Red dots B. yuae sp. nov. Blue dots B. wusheensis sp. nov. Green dot B. jungchani sp. nov. Pink dots B. houjayi sp. nov. Purple dots B. huangi sp. nov.

Figure 14. Batophila huangi sp. nov. A. Antenna, male; B. Antenna, female; C. Aedeagus, dorsal view; D. Aedeagus, lateral view; E. Abdominal ventrite VIII, female; F. Spermatheca; G. Gonocoxae.

Figure 15. Batophila jungchani sp. nov. A. Antenna, male; B. Antenna, female; C. Aedeagus, dorsal view; D. Aedeagus, lateral view; E. Abdominal ventrite VIII, female; F. Spermatheca; G. Gonocoxae.

Figure 23. Batophila wusheensis sp. nov. A. Antenna, male; B. Antenna, female; C. Aedeagus, dorsal view; D. Aedeagus, lateral view; E. Abdominal ventrite VIII, female; F. Spermatheca; G. Gonocoxae.

Figure 26. Batophila yuae sp. nov. A. Antenna, male; B. Antenna, female; C. Aedeagus, dorsal view; D. Aedeagus, lateral view; E. Abdominal ventrite VIII, female; F. Spermatheca; G. Gonocoxae.