Batophila meihuai, 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

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1258.163900
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A66B00C6-E6E2-4FDD-A824-474A280E740F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17514437
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AF39B7D6-497A-5AA2-B631-3B1A91E16B74
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Batophila meihuai
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Batophila meihuai sp. nov.

Fig. 17 View Figure 17 , 18 View Figure 18

Type specimens examined (n = 14).

Holotype ♂ ( TARI). Taiwan • Ilan: Ssuyuan (思源), 25. IV. 2009, leg. C. - F. Lee . Paratypes • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ( TARI), same data as holotype ; • 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ ( TARI), same locality, 28. IV. 2009, leg. M. - H. Tsou ; • 1 ♂♂ ( TARI), same locality, 31. VII. 2009, leg. H. - J. Chen ; • Taichung: 1 ♂♂ ( NMNS), same locality (= Ssuyuanyakou , 思源啞口), 25. VI. 2007, leg. P. H. Chan & W. L. Lien . The type locality “ Ssuyuan ” is located at the border between Ilan County and Taichung County.

Diagnosis.

Adults of B. meihuai sp. nov. are similar to those of B. taiwanica Döberl and B. yehi sp. nov. in possessing convergent elytral apices. However, adults of B. yehi sp. nov. are recognized by their stout antennae, length of antennomeres VI – X 0.5 × length of antennomere I (Fig. 15 A, B View Figure 15 ) [> 0.5 × in B. taiwanica (Fig. 22 A, B View Figure 22 ) and B. meihuai sp. nov. (Fig. 18 A, B View Figure 18 )]. Adults of B. meihuai sp. nov. are also characterized by their distinct and sexually dimorphic longitudinal ridges on the elytra (Fig. 17 View Figure 17 ) [indistinct or reduced longitudinal ridges on the elytra in B. taiwanica (Fig. 19 View Figure 19 ) and B. yehi sp. nov. (Fig. 24 View Figure 24 )]. The aedeagus of these species are diagnostic: truncate apex in B. meihuai sp. nov. (Fig. 18 C View Figure 18 ), rounded apex with narrowly rounded process at middle of apical margin in B. taiwanica (Fig. 22 C View Figure 22 ), and widely rounded apex in B. yehi sp. nov. (Fig. 25 C View Figure 25 ).

Description.

Male. Length 1.64–2.08 mm, width 0.76–0.88 mm. General color metallic dark bronze (Fig. 17 A – C View Figure 17 ); antennae yellowish brown but six apical antennomeres darker; legs yellowish but femora of hind legs apically darkened. Antenna (Fig. 18 A View Figure 18 ) filiform and antennomeres VIII – X wide, ratio of length of antennomeres I – XI to length of antennomere I 1.0: 0.6: 0.5: 0.5: 0.7: 0.6: 0.7: 0.7: 0.6: 0.6: 0.9; ratio of length to width of antennomeres I – XI 2.5: 2.3: 2.3: 2.2: 3.2: 2.3: 2.4: 2.0: 1.7: 1.6: 2.5. Pronotum 1.19–1.32 × wider than long; lateral margins straight, anterolateral angles not separated from lateral margins, slightly narrowed basally, distance between anterolateral angles widest, 1.12–1.14 × wider than basal margin. Elytra 1.40–1.56 × longer than wide; lateral margins parallel between basal 1 / 5 to apical 1 / 3, apex convergent; dorsoventrally flattened, apex visible in dorsal view; disc with longitudinal lines of coarse punctures, and longitudinal grooves along punctures, distinct ridges present between longitudinal grooves, apices of ridges rounded, apically abbreviated. Tarsomeres I of front and middle legs strongly swollen. Aedeagus (Fig. 18 C, D View Figure 18 ) elongate, 6.9 × longer than wide; parallel-sided, strongly tapering near apex, apical margin truncate; dorsal opening from apical 1 / 7 to basal 1 / 3, tectum membranous; slightly curved in lateral view; ventral surface with membranous area narrower than dorsal opening, starting from apical 1 / 8 to 1 / 2.

Female (Fig. 17 D – F View Figure 17 ). Length 1.96–2.16 mm, width 0.90–1.03 mm. Antennae similar to males, but antennomeres VIII – X narrower than those of females, ratio of length of antennomeres I – XI to length of antennomere I (Fig. 18 B View Figure 18 ) 1.0: 0.5: 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 2.8: 2.2: 2.4: 2.4: 3.0: 2.6: 2.3: 2.2: 2.1: 1.9: 2.8. Elytra 1.42–1.43 × longer than wide; lateral margins parallel between basal 1 / 5 to apical 1 / 3, apex convergent; dorsoventrally convex, apex not visible in dorsal view; disc with longitudinal lines of coarse punctures, and longitudinal grooves along punctures, distinct ridges present between longitudinal grooves, apices of ridges acute, apically abbreviated. Gonocoxae (Fig. 18 F View Figure 18 ) slender, connected from basal 1 / 5 to base; each gonocoxa with seven long setae and one tiny seta from apical 1 / 6 to apex, subapically slightly curved. Ventrite VIII (Fig. 18 E View Figure 18 ) weakly sclerotized apically, with several short setae at sides of apex, spiculum extremely elongate. Spermathecal receptaculum (Fig. 18 G View Figure 18 ) 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 Mei-Hua Tsou (曹美華), the first member of TCRT to collect specimens.

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality in northeast Taiwan (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ).