﻿Four new species of Sphaeroderma Stephens (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini) from Taiwan, with discussion on genus boundaries based on S.flavonotatum Chûjô and S.jungchani sp. nov.

﻿Abstract Three new species of Sphaeroderma Stephens, 1831, S.hsuisp. nov., S.changisp. nov., and S.sheipaensissp. nov. are described based on specimens from Shei-Pa National Park, Taiwan. A fourth new species, S.jungchanisp. nov., is described based on specimens from southern Taiwan. Delimitation of the genus is discussed based on S.flavonotatum Chûjô, 1937, which is redescribed, and the new species, S.jungchanisp. nov.

During a research project conducted by Dr Yu-Feng Hsu (徐堉峰) and myself entitled "A survey for selection of insect indicator species and their microhabitat usage in the Daxueshan area of Shei-Pa National Park", six Malaise traps were set up at different altitudes ranging from 2620 to 3320 m.Two traps collected more than 60 specimens representing three species resembling oblong-bodied Sphaeroderma.Moreover, two of these have transverse antennal calli with well-developed supracallinal sulci, a character shared with members of Sphaeroderma.To redefine genus boundaries of Sphaeroderma, specimens of S. flavonotatum Chûjô and its allied species were studied.Both possess characteristic white spots on the elytra and are easily recognized members of Taiwan chrysomelid fauna.

Understory and herbaceous plants include
At least three males and females from each species were examined to delimit variability of diagnostic characters.For species collected from more than one locality or with color variations, at least one pair of each sex from each locality and color morph was examined.Length was measured from the anterior margin of the eye to the elytral apex, and width at the greatest width of the elytra.Nomenclature for morphological structures follows Duckett and Daza (2004).
Specimens studied herein are deposited at the Natural History Museum, London, UK (BMNH) and Applied Zoology Division, Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, Taichung Taiwan (TARI).
Precise label data are cited for all type specimens of described species; a double slash (//) indicates label breaks and a single slash (/) indicates line breaks.Other comments and remarks are in square brackets: [p] -preceding data are printed, [h] -preceding data are handwritten, [w] -white label.
Notes.Three new species with oblong bodies (Figs 3, 5) were collected from Shei-Pa National Park, but only one of them has longitudinal antennal calli (Fig. 2A) with poorly delimited supracallinal sulci.The other two have typical characters for Sphaeroderma (Fig. 2B-E).This suggests that the supracallinal sulci are not diagnostic.
Etymology.The name is dedicated to Dr Yu-Feng Hsu (徐堉峰), who is the director for the insect survey project at Shei-Pa National Park.
Males unknown.
Etymology.The species is named for Shei-Pa National Park (雪霸國家公園) where three new species were collected.
Diagnosis.Adults of S. jungchani sp.nov.and S. flavonotatum Chûjô are easily separated by the color surrounding the single pair of large white spots on the elytra: surrounded by reddish-brown elytra in S. jungchani; black borders surrounding spots on reddish-brown elytra of S. flavonotatum sp.nov.Middle tibiae of S. jungchani sp.nov.males not modified (sexually dimorphic middle tibiae in S. flavonotatum).Aedeagus narrow in S. jungchani sp.nov., 5.2× longer than wide, and thin in lateral view (Fig. 7C, D) [aedeagus broad, 3.6× longer than wide, and thick in lateral view in S. flavonotatum (Fig. 9C, D)].
Etymology.The species is named for Mr Jung-Chan Chen (陳榮章) for collecting type specimens of this new species.

Discussion
The current study suggests that adults of the Sphaeroderma hsui species group can be collected efficiently with Malaise traps set up at suitable microhabitats.No specimens in this group were collected above 3000 m at the Shei-Pa National Park, central Taiwan (with three traps).Members of the group may be limited to 2600-3000 m, where other Sphaeroderma species are absent.Moreover, the three species were collected from a single national park.The diversity of this species group in Taiwan should be greater than current knowledge suggests.
Color patterns were used as key characters for diagnosis of Taiwanese species of Sphaeroderma (Kimoto and Takizawa 1997).This study suggests that color variation will be documented in species when a sufficient number of specimens become available for study.Thus, a revision of this genus based on more material is needed.
The genus Meishania was erected by Chen and Wang (1980) for the single species, M. rufa Chen & Wang, from Sichuan, China.Five more species were added to the genus from Sichuan and Yunnan (China), and Bhutan by Ruan et al. (2018).Members of Meishania have broad, entire third tarsomeres, a character state shared with Argopistes Motschulsky, 1860, Argopus Fischer von Waldheim, 1824, Bhamoina Bechyné, 1958, Chilocoristes Weise, 1895, Jacobyana Maulik, 1926, Omeisphaera Chen & Zia, 1974, Parargopus Chen, 1939, Pentamesa Harold, 1876and Sphaeroderma Stephens, 1831.All of these genera can be separated from Meishania by the hemispherical body.Ruan et al. (2018) suggested that specimens of Meishania are closely allied to those of Sphaeroderma, but could be recognized by their oblong bodies (spherical bodies in Sphaeroderma), longitudinal antennal calli with poorly delimited supracallinal sulci (transverse antennal calli with well-developed supracallinal sulci in Sphaeroderma).Adults of Sphaeroderma, were characterized as having spherical bodies with transverse antennal calli and well-developed supracallinal sulci.Three new species, described here, with oblong bodies (Figs 3, 5) were collected from Shei-Pa National Park.One of them, Sphaeroderma hsui sp.nov., possesses longitudinal antennal calli (Fig. 2A) with poorly delimited supracallinal sulci.The other two have typical characters for Sphaeroderma (Figs 2B-E).Delimitation of both Sphaeroderma and Meishania requires further study because these overlapping characters obscure generic boundaries.

Figure 5 .
Figure 5. Habitus of Sphaeroderma changi sp.nov.and S. sheipaensis sp.nov.A S. changi sp.nov., female, dorsal view B ditto, ventral view C ditto, lateral view D S. sheipaensis sp.nov., female, dorsal view E ditto, ventral view F ditto, lateral view.

Figure 6 .
Figure 6.Diagnostic characters of Sphaeroderma changi sp.nov.A antenna, male B antenna, female C aedeagus, dorsal view D aedeagus, lateral view E abdominal ventrite VIII, female F spermatheca G gonocoxae.