Chrysolina (Chalcoidea) levi Okhrimenko, 1990: 64

Mikhailov, Yuri E., 2020, Unexpected finding of rare and little known leaf beetle Chrysolina levi (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in West Siberia, Acta Biologica Sibirica 6, pp. 563-569 : 563

Chrysolina (Chalcoidea) levi Okhrimenko, 1990: 64

Previous known localities.

RUSSIA • 1♂ (holotype), 1♀ (paratype); Krasnodar Province, Taman’ peninsula, env. of Sennoy; 45.274°N, 36.993°E; 25 Jun. 1987; B.A. Korotyaev leg.; sagebrush-cereal steppe ( Okhrimenko 1990) - ZIN indicated as official depository but in fact deposited in NOC ( Bieńkowski 2019); RUSSIA • 1♀; Krasnodar province, Temryuk district, 10 km NW Kuchugury village, 45.450°N, 36.856°E; 31 May 1999; S. Lingafelter leg.; on Linaria genistifolia ( Bieńkowski 2007).

Specimen examined.

RUSSIA • 1♂; Omsk region, Cherlak district, 7 km NNW Jartargul village, Sylkin lake shore; 54.448°N, 75.550°E; 26-27 Jul. 2015; R. and E. Dudko leg.; saline land (solonchak); collected at night with torch (YMC).

Redescription of male.

Body elongate-ovate, shining, finely shagreened (Fig. 1 ). TL - 6.2 mm, EW - 3.7 mm. Dorsum bronze, unicoloured, underside and legs black, with feeble bronze reflex. Antennae, maxillary palpi and tarsi dark brown, antennomeres 1 and 2 beneath and claws rufous.

Head. Frontoclypeus finely and densely punctured; frontal suture slightly impressed, epicranial suture hardly visible. Last maxillary palpomere wide, almost square, straightly truncate, 1.1x longer then broad, 1.4x longer and 1.5x wider than previous palpomere. Relative length of antennomeres 1-3 as ratios 7, 3, 5. Tenth antennomere 1.6x longer than broad, eleventh antennomere - 2.1x. Orbital lines narrow, almost reaching antennal insertion.

Thorax. Pronotum transverse, almost twice (exactly 1.9x) broader than long, broadest anterior to middle; pronotal disc evenly convex, except for smooth ovate area medially covered with moderately large, dense punctures; sides slightly rounded, in basal half almost parallel-sided and noticeably converging anteriad; width between anterior angles 1.4x less than basal width. Anterior angles moderately produced, rounded triangular; basal angles obtuse, bearing one setiferous pore each; anterior edge margined, with dense setae, widely incised in bracket-shape; basal edge arcuately convex; sides swollen along entire length, lateral ridges very narrow, basally comprising only 1/7 of pronotal width; lateral impressions in basal 1/3 form deep grooves from fused coarse punctures with vertical outer border; anterior part of lateral impressions moderately deep with large and very dense but not coalescent punctures; hypomera slightly convex, with weak wrinkled impression along outer side, basal fold deep; prosternal process with deep longitudinal furrow; anterolateral portion of prosternum narrow, almost flat, with wide, slightly impressed furrow medially; prosternum 1.3x shorter than metasternum; metasternum deeply margined along anterior edge, 1.2x shorter than first ventrite; scutellum triangular, apically rounded, impunctate, 1.1x length.

Elytra. at base slightly wider than pronotum, with weak humeral callus, each elytron 2.3 times longer than wide. EL (elytral length) 4.6 mm. Primary puctures large, form rows that are paired starting with 2nd. Puncture rows partly confused, especially rows 6 and 7, row 1 confused where it goes closer to scutellar row, which consist of 9 punctures. Intervals flat, their punctation fine and sparse, with thin wrinkles, but among fine punctures there are also larger ones, almost of the same size as on pronotum. Marginal stria with large dense punctures. Sutural stria distinct at apical slope. Epipleura inclined outside, visible along entire length. Hind wings developed.

Tarsi. moderately broadened, ratio of width of fore tarsomeres 1-3 as 1.0, 1.0, 1.5. All tarsomeres with entire sole beneath.

Abdomen. Pygidium with deep longitudinal furrow at 4/5 of entire length. Ventrite 1 broadly margined on anterior edge, covered with small sparse punctures, only anterior intercoxal process covered with large wrinkled punctures. Last ventrite very slightly convex, with slightly incised apex, medially with flat impunctate area slightly depressed apically.

Aedeagus. (Fig. 2 ) with broad rounded subtriangular apex, its dorsal surface weakly chitinized, lateral curves very slight. Flagellum thin, but not whip-shaped on the apex, slightly curved, produced from apical orifice for 1/3 of its length.

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus of Chrysolina levi and pronota of Chalcoidea other representatives. A - Dorsal view of Ch. levi (male) B - Pronotum of Ch. marginata finitima (south of Yamal peninsula) C - Pronotum of Ch. immarginata (Kyrgyzstan, Sary-Dzhas river valley) D - Pronotum of Ch. dieckmanni (holotype). Scale 1 mm.

Figure 2. Aedeagus of Chrysolina levi laterally and dorsally. Scale 1 mm.