A review of the semipunctata species group within the genus Lilioceris Reitter, 1913 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) Author Xu, Yuan https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3103-9125 Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China & College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China Author Qiao, Gexia Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China qiaogx@ioz.ac.cn Author Liang, Hongbin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9668-1167 Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China lianghb@ioz.ac.cn text ZooKeys 2024 2024-03-20 1195 337 381 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1195.114392 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1195.114392 1313-2970-1195-337 8D1BC8675D9048FE8B0BFD1CC9ACF53D F4666101E7835C6DAC7753101C48C4D7 Lilioceris yuae Long, 2000b Figs 25 , 26 , 36A-D , 46A-C , 55A-D , 66A-C , 68 , 74A-D Lilioceris yuae Long, 2000b: 416 (China: Hainan). Type material examined. Holotype of Lilioceris yuae (MBSU), Holotype: ♀, Lilioceris yuae sp. nov., Jianguo Long det., 1999.9.30 / Hainan, Qiong Shan, Dongzhai Gang, 1985.VI.4, Shigui Jiang coll. En-207218 SYS. Other material examined. Total 52 specimens . China : Guangxi : 18♀ 16♂ , Fangchenggang , Jinhuacha Nature Reserve , 2021.III.24-29 , Pingzhou Zhu coll. ; 1♀ , Nanning , Daming Shan , 2019.VIII.20 , Meiying Lin coll. ; 1♂ , Fangchenggang , Shangsi , Shiwan Dashan , 2023.6.1 , Yuan Xu and Neng Zhang coll. ; Guangdong : 2♀ , Dinghu Shan , 1980.VI.4-10 , Yinshu Xie coll. ; 2♀ 4♂ , Zhanjiang , Dalang village , 2016.IV.26-27 , Hongbin Liang coll. ; Hainan : 1♂ , Jianfengling , 1982.VIII.5 / Chengfeng Liang coll. / Lilioceris yuae , det. Liang H.B.; 1♂ 1♀ , Qinglan / 1965.II.8 , Enkong Liu coll. ; 1♀ , Danzhou , SC Tropical Agr. Univ. , beating, 19.50664°N , 109.47883°E / 150 m , 2007.V.16 , Hongbin Liang coll. ; 1♀ , Ledong , Jianfengling , Chahekou , 206 m , 2009.XII.4 , 18.74552°N , 108.99068°E , Meiying Lin coll. ; 1♀ , Jianfengling , E108.8716, N18.7170, 1412 m , 2019.4.14 -16, Haitian Song coll. ; 2♂ , Baisha , Gaofeng village , 19.04059°N , 109.31583°E , 886 m , 2020.VII.28 , Yuan Xu coll. Diagnosis. Anterior angles of pronotum slightly protruding, pronotal disc with two rows of fine punctures. Humeral groove of elytra indistinct, punctures diminishing posteriorly, absent on apical 1/3. Lateral metasternum with sparse pubescence. Redescription. BL = 7.5-7.8 mm, BW = 3.5-3.8 mm. Body brownish red, head, antenna, legs and lateral metasternum with a weak blue metallic luster. Head (Figs 25 , 46A ). Vertex flat, with a very deep groove in the middle, sparsely punctate and pubescent laterally; frontoclypeal area triangular, lateral disc with sparse punctures and pubescent; labrum transverse, with sparse pubescent; antennae nearly 1/2 of body length, antennomeres 1-4 nearly globular, antennomere 2 shortest, antennomeres 5-10 length almost equal, flatten, antennomere 11 slender. Pronotum (Figs 25 , 46B ). Anterior angles protruding, posterior angles slightly protruding; sides distinctly constricted in the middle; disc flat; middle of disc with two rows of fine and shallow punctures. Scutellum triangular and pubescent. Elytra (Figs 25 , 36B ). Humeri protruding, humeral groove and basal impression shallow; elytra without completely punctate striae, punctures sparse, diminishing posteriorly, absent on apical 1/3; intervals smooth; epipleura raised, with a row of fine punctures. Mesosternum pubescent . Lateral metasternum with a short and oblique strip of pubescence. Metepisternum densely pubescent (Fig. 46C ). Abdominal sternite (Fig. 36A ). Lateral transverse impressions big and distinct on sternites 1-4, other areas of sternites 1-4 densely pubescent. Middle of first abdominal sternite with a row of distinctly long pubescence in male, and first abdominal sternite without long pubescence in female. Leg (Fig. 36C ). Femora with dense pubescence on the dorsal surface, with sparse pubescence on the ventral surface, without tooth. Male genitalia (Fig. 55A-D ). Ostium occupying 1/4 length of median lobe (Fig. 55A ); apex slightly hooked (Fig. 55B ); tegmen Y-shaped, basal piece of tegmen oval and narrow, lateral lobes slightly sclerotized and combined with second connecting membrane; internal sac membranous, with distinct dorsal and ventral sclerites, posterior part of dorsal sclerite in dorsal view parallel, ventral sclerite extended and tubular (= flagellum), median sclerite very small (Fig. 55C, D ). Female reproductive organs (Fig. 66A-C ). Tergites 8 and 9, sternites 8 and 9 sclerotized, posterior areas of tergite 8, sternite 8, and apodemes with pubescence, spiculum gastrale Y-shaped and long; ovipositor with dense pubescence, distal part of ovipositor cylindrical, long and with a protuberance; spermatheca simple and curved. Distribution (Fig. 68 ). China (Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan). Host plant and habitat (Fig. 74A-D ). This species feeds on Smilax lanceifolia Roxb. according to our observation in Hainan. One locality of this species, near a road of Gaofeng village (Hainan, Baisha), is situated at the subtropics. The habitat is secondary forests, which is characterized by high temperature and humidity, plentiful precipitation, and much sunlight. The forests are open and composed of tall trees, woody vines, and many weeds. Remarks. Lilioceris yuae is very similar to L. cyanicollis but differs by the body color and pubescence on the metasternum; the body of L. yuae is brownish red, and only the head, antenna, leg, and lateral metasternum have a very weak blue metallic luster; lateroposterior corner of metepisternum with sparse pubescence. In L. cyanicollis , the elytra and abdomen are brownish red, pronotum is brownish red or blue, and the other areas are blue with a distinctly blue metallic luster; and the metepisternum is glabrous. However, the male genitalia and the female reproductive organs of these two species are very similar. We temporarily treat L. yuae as distinct species, as more material is needed to conclusively elucidate their relationship. Figures 27-31. Abdominal sternites, elytra, leg, and antennae of Lilioceris spp. 27 L. consentanea , ♂, China (Hainan) 28 L. dentifemoralis , ♂, China (Hainan) 29 L. discrepens , ♂, China (Yunnan) 30 L. jianfenglingensis , ♂, China (Yunnan) 31 L. latissima , ♂, China (Hainan) A abdominal sternites B elytra C leg D antennae. Figures 32-36. Abdominal sternites, elytra, leg, and antennae of Lilioceris spp. 32 L. lianzhouensis , ♂, China (Hainan) 33 L. rondoni , ♂, China (Yunnan) 34 L. rufometallica , ♀, China (Hainan) 35 L. semipunctata , ♂, China (Yunnan) 36 L. yuae , ♀, China (Hainan) A abdominal sternites B elytra C leg D antennae. Figures 37-46. Head, pronotum, abdominal sternites of Lilioceris spp. 37 L. consentanea , ♂, China (Hainan) 38 L. dentifemoralis , ♂, China (Hainan) 39 L. discrepens , ♂, China (Yunnan) 40 L. jianfenglingensis , ♂, China (Hainan) 41 L. latissima , ♀, China (Yunnan) 42 L. lianzhouensis , ♀, China (Yunnan) 43 L. rondoni , ♂, China (Hainan) 44 L. rufometallica , ♀, China (Yunnan) 45 L. semipunctata , ♀, China (Yunnan) 46 L. yuae , ♀, China (Hainan) A head B pronotum C abdominal sternite. Figures 47-50. Male genitalia of Lilioceris spp. 47 L. dentifemoralis , China (Hainan) 48 L. rondoni , China (Yunnan) 49 L. rufometallica , China (Yunnan) 50 L. semipunctata , China (Yunnan) A aedeagus, lateral view B aedeagus, dorsal view C sclerites in internal sac, lateral view D dorsal sclerite, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Figures 51-56. Male genitalia of Lilioceris spp. 51 L. discrepens , China (Hainan) 52 L. lianzhouensis , China (Yunnan) 53 L. latissima , China (Yunnan) 54 L. jianfenglingensis , China (Yunnan) 55 L. yuae , China (Hainan) 56 L. consentanea , China (Yunnan) A aedeagus, lateral view B aedeagus, dorsal view C sclerites in internal sac, lateral view D dorsal sclerite, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Figures 57-66. Female reproductive organs of Lilioceris spp. 57 L. dentifemoralis , China (Hainan) 58 L. consentanea , China (Hainan) 59 L. lianzhouensis , China (Yunnan: Wuding) 60 L. latissima , Japan (Tokyo) 61 L. jianfenglingensis , China (Yunnan) 62 L. semipunctata , China (Yunnan: Wuding) 63 L. rondoni , China (Yunnan) 64 L. rufometallica , China (Yunnan) 65 L. discrepens , China (Yunnan) 66 L. yuae , China (Hainan) A dorsal view B ventral view C spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.5 mm. Figure 67. Distribution map of Lilioceris spp. (all marked location information is derived from the labels of available specimens). Figure 68. Distribution map of Lilioceris spp. (all marked location information is derived from the labels of available specimens). Figure 69. Lilioceris consentanea in China (Hainan: Yinggeling), 1 April 2010, photographed by Meiying Lin A adult B larva. Figure 70. Lilioceris discrepens in China (Yunnan: Gongshan), 31 May 2021, photographed by HB Liang A host plant B habitat. Figure 71. Lilioceris rondoni in China (Yunnan: Mengla), 2020.6.6, photographed by Y Xu A adult B host plant. Figure 72. Lilioceris rufometallica in China (Yunnan: Gongshan), 31 May 2021, photographed by Y Xu and HB Liang A adult B host plant. ( Lilioceris rufometallica lives together with L. discrepens at this site). Figure 73. Lilioceris semipunctata in China (Yunnan: Jianshui), 22 April 2021, photographed by Y Xu. A adult B host plant. Figure 74. Lilioceris yuae in China (Guangxi: Fangchenggang), 24 March 2021, photographed by Pingzhou Zhu A adult B eggs C host plant D habitat.