Revision of the Australopapuan and West Pacific species of plain pumpkinbeetles, the Aulacophora indica species-complex (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae) Author Reid, Chris chris.reid@austmus.gov.au Author Halling, Luke 0000-0001-7323-8907 Author Beatson, Max chris.reid@austmus.gov.au text Zootaxa 2021 2021-02-17 4932 1 1 73 journal article 7425 10.11646/zootaxa.4932.1.1 57505acd-5459-4749-925c-cf6cbaefda51 1175-5326 4545448 95612386-B43D-44DB-A9A0-D1637F854C81 Aulacophora cornuta Baly, 1879 ( Figs 4 , 12 , 20 , 37 , 48 , 86 , 99 , 113 , 126 , 140 , 154 , 169 , 184 ) Aulacophora cornuta Baly, 1879: 445 . Ceratia cornuta : Weise 1924: 17 . Aulacophora robusta Duvivier, 1884: 124 ; Baly 1886: 16 (synonymy); Kimoto, Ismay & Samuelson 1984: 52–3 (valid); stat. rev . Aulacophora bicornuta Allard, 1888: 309 ; Baly 1889: 300 (synonymy). Aulacophora duvivieri Baly, 1886: 24 ; Mohamedsaid 1994: 379 (synonymy). Material examined (40): Pale variety: 1♁, no locality ( AMS ) ; INDONESIA : 1♁, 1♀ , 1♀ */ Sulawesi , Palolo , Palu , xii.1990 ( AMS ) ; MALAYSIA : 1♁/ Benam R , Malay Penin , AM Lea & wife ( SAM ) ; PAPUA NEW GUINEA : 1♁/ nr Brown R , Pt Moresby area , 26.xii.1973 D. Mackay ( AMS ) ; 1♀ / Hudeu’a , Rev L. Wagner ( SAM ) ; 2♁/ Madang , W Lohe ( SAM ) ; 1♀ / Madang , BG Challis ( SAM ) ; 3♁, 5♀ / Manumbo , Madang Distr, NG ( SAM ) ; 1♁/ Misima Island , Umana Camp , 500ft , 6.11– 7.12.1963 WW Brandt ( ANIC ) ; 4♀ / Mt Lamington , NE Papua , 1300–1500’, C.T. McNamara ( SAM ) ; 1♁/ New Ireland , nr Mt Bur , E coast, 3:40S 152:22E, 28.x.2001 , M Humphrey & M Moulds ( AMS ) ; 1♁/ St Josephs R [ 8.833S 146.567E ], New Guinea , [1888–1897], Sir W McGregor ( SAM ) ; SOLOMON ISLANDS : 1♁*, 2♀ / Lavoro Pltn , Guadalcanal I, 27.ix.1927 , CE Hart ( AMS ) . Dark variety: PAPUA NEW GUINEA : 1♁/ Hula , Port Moresby area, 15.xii.1973 , D Mackay ( AMS ) ; 7/ Manumbo , Madang Distr ( SAM ) ; 1m */ Port Moresby , 28.xii.1973 , D Mackay ( AMS ) ; 2♁/ Mt Lamington Distr , Northern Division , Jan–Feb , CT McNamara ( AMS ) ; 1♁/ St Josephs R [ 8.833S 146.567E ], New Guinea , [1888– 1897], Sir W McGregor ( AMS ) ; Description (specimens from Timor to Solomon Islands region only). Colour ( Fig. 4 ). There are two colour varieties. Dorsally pale variety: head and appendages, prothorax, scutellum and elytra entirely brownish- or strawyellow, apical antennomeres sometimes brown; scutellum dark brown to black; mesanepisternum brownish-yellow; mesepimeron dark brown to black; mesoventrite yellowish-brown to dark brown; metaventrite black; procoxae brownish-yellow, mesocoxae anteriorly yellowish-brown, posteriorly black, metacoxae black, sometimes brown at insertion of femora; trochanters yellowish-brown; profemora yellowish-brown, meso- and metafemora pale brown to dark brown; protibiae brown, outer surface darker, meso- and metatibiae yellowish-brown to dark brown; tarsi brown to dark brown; pygidium black and abdominal ventrites black; dorsally dark variety: as pale form, except elytra dark brown to black, with margins (including suture) narrowly yellowish-brown, meso- and metafemora and tibiae only slightly darkened, pygidium brown to blackish-brown and ventrites brown to blackish-brown with yellowish-brown sides. Male: length 7.5–9.5 mm ; frontoclypeus without median ridge, but with pair of sharply keeled arcuate ridges, deep pits above them (obscured by setae) and a median patch of dense semi-recumbent golden setae, the dorsal part directed laterally; first antennomere expanded, anterior margin medially angulate, with flat area in apical half defined by sharp ridge; antennae about 0.65x body length, antennomeres 9–11 clearly thinner than 5–8; antennomere 2 shortest, slightly longer than one third length of 1, antennomere 11 longest, comparative lengths: 11>1>4>3=5=9=10>6=7=8>2; length antennomere 5 about 3x width; antennomeres 3–7 slightly expanded to apices; antennomeres 3–11 each with only 1–4 erect lateral setae; Pronotal transverse depression almost straight, weakly posterior curved at middle, almost evenly shallow; in lateral view anterior half of pronotum about equally convex to posterior half and median depression with anterior and posterior slopes about equal; without pair of large pits anterior to transverse groove; elytra dull, distinctly microreticulate; elytral humeri without setae; apical lobe of ventrite V symmetrically sculptured, cavity smoothly convex at sides; elongate cavity deepest at middle, gradually shallower to apex; tergite VIII bicornual, the lobes flat, elongate and relatively abruptly attenuate, with narrow U-shaped concavity between and lateral lobes minute or absent; penis in lateral view with almost straight venter and dorsum apicaly expanded to a hook-like tubercle from which ridges on either side connect with tin unhooked apex; sides of penis impunctate, with smooth rounded edges; penis in dorsal view symmetrical, slightly expanded at middle, and apex sagittiform, laterally angular and apically acute, without elongate membranous panel. Female as male, except: length 8–9 mm ; antennomeres 2–11 similar to male, length antennomere 5 about 3x width, length antennomere 8 about 3.3x width; transverse pronotal depression slightly shallower; elytral without setal patch; pygidium apically swollen but only slightly extended beyond apex ventrite V; swelling of pygidial apical half variable in height but always with median keel and broadly rounded apical margin; pygidial apex in lateral view dorsally swollen, not ventrally thickened, with slightly sinuate sides and without distinct tubercle; venter of pygidial apex flat; apex ventrite V shallowly concave, or biconcave with small triangular tubercle at middle of concavity; vaginal palpi elongate ovate, length about 4.3x width, with 7–8 pairs of setae in apical half; basal apodemes slightly sinuate, about 0.63 mm long; sternite VIII with tignum attached to slightly pigmented and sclerotised posterior of sternite, and posterior margin concave; tignum about 1.5mm long, apex membranous, broadly rounded and separat- ed from shaft by a band of deeper pigmentation; spermathecal shape hooked, collum continuous with receptaculum, in the same plane, insertion point of gland (ramus) not produced; receptaculum strongly hook-shaped with angulate interior bend and large beak-like appendix. Diagnosis. Male: frontoclypeus with pair of arcuate ridges and patch of dense setae ( Fig. 12 ), humeral setal patch absent ( Fig. 20 ), scutellum pale ( Fig. 4 ), penis symmetrical with sagittate apex ( Figs 99 ). Female: frontoclypeus without median keel as male but without arcuate ridges, scutellum pale, abdomen dark brown to black, pygidium with broadly rounded apex ( Fig. 48 ). Notes. The taxonomy of this easily identified species has been reviewed by Barroga and Mohamedsaid (2002) . The dark variety of A. cornuta does not appear to exist in the central part of this species’ range ( Kimoto 1989 ; Barroga & Mohamedsaid 2002 ) but is present in India (Maulik 1926) and is widespread in New Guinea . It was described as A. robusta Duvivier, 1884 , with a western New Guinea type locality (‘Mefoor’). This has been considered a valid species in New Guinea by most authors (for example, Jacoby 1904 ; Weise 1924 ; Wilcox 1972 ; Kimoto et al . 1984 ; Kimoto 1989 ), who have ignored Baly’s statements that it is a colour variety of A. cornuta ( Baly 1886 , 1889 ). We cannot find any structural differences between the two colour forms, which are often collected together, and we therefore confirm Baly’s synonymy. Distribution ( Fig. 184 ) and biology. Aulacophora cornuta is a widespread species from India east to the Solomon Islands , including Timor ( Barroga & Mohamedsaid 2002 ). However recent surveys of Timor by Australian biosecurity entomologists and the Australian Museum have failed to find this species. It is unrecorded from Australia but is a potentially invasive species. There are no recorded hosts for A. cornuta except pumpkin ( Kimoto et al. 1984 ) and unspecified Cucurbitaceae ( Reid 1998 ) .