Morphosphaera bimaculata Chûjô

Lee, Chi-Feng & Bezdĕk, Jan, 2016, Revision of the genus Morphosphaera Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Zootaxa 4179 (1), pp. 1-41 : 6-11

Morphosphaera bimaculata Chûjô

( Figs 3–6 )

Morphosphaera bimaculata Chûjô, 1938: 136 ( Taiwan) ; Chûjô, 1962: 175 (redescription); Kimoto, 1969: 38 (additional records); Wilcox, 1971: 218 (list); Kimoto, 1989: 252 (additional records); Takizawa et al., 1995: 11 (additional records); Kimoto & Chu, 1996: 72 (list); Kimoto & Takizawa, 1997: 305 (key), 380 (list); Lee & Cheng, 2007: 115; Beenen, 2010: 462 (list); Yang et al., 2015: 189 (key, list).

Type material. Lectotype Ƌ ( TARI), here designated, labeled: “ARISAN / FORMOSA / 24.X.1933 [h] / COL . M. CHUJO [p, w] // CO / Type [p, w, yellow letters, circle label with yellow border] // Morphosphaera / bimaculata / CHÛJÔ [h] / DET. M. CHUJO [p, r] // 1371 [p, w]”. Paralectotypes: 1Ƌ (TARI), same as lectotype, but with “2350 [p, w]”; 1♀ ( SDEI): “ Arisan, 1918. / X 2-23. / J. Sonan, [p, w] // Syntypus [p, r] // Morphosphaera / bimaculata / CHÛJÔ [h] / DET. M. CHUJO [p, g] // DEI Müncheberg / Col-05713 [p, g]”; 1Ƌ ( TARI): “ Formosa / Karenko, - 19. / VII 20 -VIII 4. / T. Okuni, [p, w] // CO / Type [p, w, yellow letters, circle label with yellow border] // Morphosphaera / bimaculata / CHÛJÔ [h] / DET. M. CHUJO [p, r] // 1485 [p, w]” ; 1♀ ( TARI), same but with “1486 [p, w]”; 1Ƌ ( TARI), same but with “1487 [p, w]”; 1Ƌ ( SDEI): “ Formosa / Karenko, - 19. / VII 20 -VIII 4. / T.

Okuni, [p, w] // Syntypus [p, r] // Morphosphaera / bimaculata / CHÛJÔ [h] / DET. M. CHUJO [p, g] // DEI Müncheberg / Col-05712 [p, g]”; 1Ƌ ( TARI): “KARENKÔ [h] / FORMOSA [p] / 15.VII.1935 [h] / COL . M. CHUJO [p, w] // CO / Type [p, w, yellow letters, circle label with yellow border] // Morphosphaera / bimaculata / CHÛJÔ [h] / DET. M. CHUJO [p, W] // 1372 [p, w]”; 1♀ ( TARI): “ Jujiro / 26-IV 1931 / Col. T. Shiraki [p, w] // CO / Type [p, w, yellow letters, circle label with yellow border] // Morphosphaera / bimaculata / CHÛJÔ [h] / DET. M. CHUJO [p, r] // 1484 [p, w]”.

Description. Length 6.8–8.4 mm, width 4.4–5.6 mm. Head, scutellum, meso- and metathoracic, and abdominal ventrites reddish brown; antenna black except two basal antennomeres; abdominal ventrites medially darker; elytron bluish metallic; leg reddish brown but tibia and tarsus darkened ( Figs 3 A–3C); prothorax yellow, pronotum with one pair of extremely large black spots at sides, and one median, wide, longitudinal brown band ( Fig. 3 D). Antenna filiform ( Fig. 4 A), 0.5x as long as body; length ratios of antennomeres II to XI about 1.0: 1.5: 1.8: 1.8: 1.8: 1.8: 1.7: 1.7: 1.6: 1.8, and length to width ratios of antennomeres II to XI about 1.6: 2.2: 2.6: 2.6: 2.6: 2.6: 2.6: 2.7: 2.5: 3.4. Aedeagus ( Figs 4 B–4C) wide in dorsal view, about 6.5x longer than wide, parallelsided; apex tubelike with small rounded process at middle; ventral surface well sclerotized and smooth; narrow and slightly curved in lateral view; with four stout setae near apex of ventral surface of internal sac; apical processes of endophallic sclerite conjunct, apex rounded; apico-lateral process widely rounded; with one pair of processes erect and recurved outwards at apical 1/3; base tubelike. Gonocoxae reduced. Ventrite VIII ( Fig. 4 D) with short spiculum; apex transverse, wide, with dense setae apically. Receptacle of spermatheca ( Fig. 4 E) elongate, and slightly swollen, pump much narrower and longer, extremely curved; proximal spermathecal duct extremely short and wide.

Diagnosis. Morphosphaera bimaculata is similar to M. montivaga in possessing one pair of black spots at sides and one median, wide, brown band on pronotum. But M. bimaculata is much smaller ( M. montivaga is over 10 mm), with bluish or greenish metallic elytra (reddish brown elytra with purple reflections in M. montivaga ). This species also lacks black stripes within the brown band on the pronotum, and the abdominal ventrites are reddish brown but medially darkened (abdominal ventrites blackish brown but sides yellowish brown in M. montivaga ).

Host plants. Ficus erecta Thunb. var. beecheyana (Hook. & Arn.) King , F. fistulosa Reinw. ex Blime, F. pumila L. var. awkeotsang (Makino) Corner , F. sarmentosa B. Ham. ex J. E. Sm. var. nipponica (Fr. & Sav.) Corner (Moraceae) ( Lee and Cheng 2007).

Biology. Morphosphaera bimaculata populations are presumably bivoltine. Adults have been documented as the overwintering stage. They hide between crevices of bark ( Fig. 5 A) or leaves ( Fig. 5 B). They become active during early or middle February. Based on laboratory rearing at 20–25ºC, females laid 29– 39 eggs in a single egg mass ( Fig. 5 C). The eggs hatched in nine days. The larvae fed on leaves and the larval duration was 15 days ( Figs 5 D–5F). Mature larvae ( Fig. 5 G) crawled into the soil and built underground chambers for pupation. The pupal stage ( Fig. 5 H) lasted approximately 18 days. The newly emerged adults went into summer dormancy during July, and became active during autumn. Larvae were again found during October.

Other material examined. TAIWAN. Ilan: 2 exs., Fushan Botanical Park , 8.V.2008, leg. S.- F. Yu ( RBCN) ; Kaoshiung: 17 exs., Erchituan , 31.III.2015, leg. B.- X. Guo ( BPBM, CAS, MCSN, NHRS) ; 1 ex., Tengchih , 4.VII.2011, leg. M.- H. Tsou ( TARI) ; 3 exs., same locality, 29.V.2013, leg. Y.- T. Chung ( RMNH) ; 13 exs., same locality, 15.VI.2013, leg. B.- X. Guo ( BMNH, NME, NHMB) ; 2 exs., same locality, 5.X.2013, leg. W.- C. Liao ( ZSM) ; Nantou: 1 ex., Wanfengtsun , 12.IV.2007, leg. W.- T. Liu ( TARI) ; 1 ex., same locality, 9.I.2008, leg. W.- T. Liu ( TARI) ; Pingtung: 1 ex., Shuangliu , 4.V.2005, leg. J.- F. Tsai ( TARI) ; 1 ex., Tahanshan , 18.VII.2007, leg. C.- F. Lee ( MTD) ; 1 ex., same locality, 14.III.2011, leg. J.- C. Chen ( MTD) ; 1 ex., same locality, 26.III.2013, leg. C.- F. Lee ( TARI) ; 1 ex., 3.VI.2013, leg. J.-C. Chen (TARI); 2 exs., Wutai , 7.X.2012, leg. S.- F. Yu ( MTD) ; Taipei: 1 ex., Fushan , 18.III.2014, leg. H.- J. Chen ( SMNS) ; 1 ex., Kuanyinshan , 18.V.2011, leg. H. Lee ( TARI) ; 1 ex., Manyuehyuan , 11.XI.2007, leg. M.- H. Tsou ( IRSB) ; Taitung: 1 ex., Guanshan , 31.X.2009, leg. P.- F. Wang ( TARI) ; Taoyuan: 1 ex., Hsuanyuan , 18.VI.2015, leg. H. Lee ( IRSB) ; 1 ex., Tungyangshan , 12.IV.2007, leg. S.- F. Yu ( TARI) ; 1 ex., 10.V.2009, leg. M.-H. Tsou (IRSB).

Distribution. Endemic to Taiwan. Morphosphaera bimaculata is parapatric with M. chrysomeloides . This species inhabits high elevations (500–1000 m) and M. chrysomeloides occurs in lowlands (below 1000 m) ( Fig. 6 ).

Figures

FIGURES 3. Habitus of Morphosphaera bimaculata Chûjô, 1938. 3 A. Dorsal view; 3 B. Ventral view; 3 C. Head; 3 D. Pronotum.

FIGURES 4. Diagnostic characters of Morphosphaera bimaculata Chûjô, 1938. 4 A. Antenna; 4 B. Penis, dorsal view; 4 C. Penis, lateral view; 4 D. Abdominal ventrite VIII; 4 E. Spermatheca.

FIGURES 5. Habitat photographs of Morphosphaera bimaculata Chûjô, 1938. 5 A. Adults hidden under bark during winter; 5 B. Adults hidden between leaves during winter; 5 C. Egg mass; 5 D Newly hatched larvae; 5 E. Mature second-instar larvae; 5 F. Newly emerged third-instar larva; 5 G. Mature third-instar larva; 5 H. Pupa dug from underground.

FIGURE 6. Distribution map of Taiwanese species of Morphosphaera, solid line: 1000 m, broken line: 2000 m. Red spots: M. chrysomeloides; blue spots: M. bimaculata; green spots: M. chrysomeloides and M. bimaculata.