Revision of the genus Paridea Baly, 1886 from Taiwan (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae)

Abstract The Taiwanese species of the genus Paridea Baly, 1886, are revised. Two new species, Paridea (Semacia) houjayi sp. n. and P. (S.) kaoi sp. n. are described. Both were confused previously with P. (S.) sexmaculata (Laboissière, 1930) and P. (S.) angulicollis (Motschulsky, 1854) respectively. Paridea (P.) sauteri (Chûjô, 1935) and P. (P.) taiwana (Chûjô, 1935) are removed from synonymy with P. (P.) sinensis Laboissière, 1930. The synonymy of Paraulaca flavipennis Chûjô, 1935 with Paridea (Paridea) testacea Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 is supported. Paridea (Semacia) nigrimarginata Yang, 1991 is regarded as a junior synonym of P. (S.) angulicollis and excluded from the Taiwan fauna. Lectotypes are designated for Paraulaca costata Chûjô, 1935, P. flavipennis Chûjô, 1935, P. taiwana Chûjô, 1935, Semacia nipponensis Laboissière, 1930, and Paridea sinensis Laboissière, 1930.

Taxonomic confusion and misidentification often occurs in this genus because some members have variable color patterns and some others have sexually dimorphic characters. Thus, robust sample sizes are required for revising this genus. The Taiwan Chrysomelid Research Team (TCRT) was founded in 2005 and is composed of 10 members. All of them are amateurs interested in making an inventory of all Chrysomelid species in Taiwan. Specimens of the genus have been extensively collected and studied, and host plants recorded. Diagnostic characters were assessed and the status of all species was evaluated based on a large series of specimens.

Classification of subgenera of Paridea
Five generic or subgeneric names (Paraulaca Baly, 1888, Aeropa Weise, 1889, Semacia Fairmaire, 1889, Semacianella Laboissière, 1930, and Carapaula Chûjô, 1962 were erected based on various sexually dimorphic characters of Paridea. Kimoto (1989b) and Medvedev and Samoderzhenkov (1997) used Paridea (s. str.), Paraulaca and Semacia as valid subgenera, while Yang (1991) considered only Paridea and Semacia as monophyletic after reviewing Chinese species. This arrangement was followed also by Beenen (2010) (with Paraulaca, Carapaula and Semacianella as synonyms of Paridea (s. str.) and Aeropa as synonym of Semacia) and is used also in our study but some characters are modified in the key Female pygidium deeply emarginated (Fig. 4); elytron of male with one premedian cavity near lateral margin (Fig. 3); without black spot on postscutellar common area in female (Fig. 4)  Diagnosis. This new species is recognized easily by the elytra of males possessing a lateral cavity near each lateral margin and the pygidium of each female with deeply emarginated apex.
Males. Length 6.2-6.3 mm, width 3.6-3.7 mm. General color (Figs 1-3) yellowish brown; antenna dark brown; scutellum black; elytra pale yellow, with one small, longitudinal black spot at humerus, one large, rounded black spot at postermedian area, apex black; mesepimeron and metathoracic ventrites black; outer margins of femora and tibiae black; tarsi dark brown. Elytron with one premedian cavity near lateral margin; three tufts of long hairs at anterior area and one tubercle at posterior  Diagnosis. This new species is similar to P. angulicollis but differs by the separation between basal black lateral margins and subapical spots on the elytra (Fig. 8) (connected in P. angulicollis (Fig. 98)), the wider apical processes of the eighth abdominal tergite in males ( Fig. 26) (more slender in P. angulicollis (Fig. 107)), the wider penis in lateral view, and the deep notch on apical margin of the fifth abdominal ventrite in females ( Fig. 25) (one pair of rounded processes in P. angulicollis (Fig. 106)).
Males. Length 5.0-5.3 mm, width 2.7-3.1 mm. Head and prothorax yellowish brown (Figs 6-8), labrum black, antenna brown; scutellum pale yellow; elytra pale yellow, postscutellar common area depressed; with one extremely slender black stripe along suture behind excavation, sometimes reduced; with one pair of large black spots subapically, lateral margin and epipleuron black, abbreviated at middle and separated from subapical black spots; meso-and metathoracic ventrites black; legs dark brown, apex of femur and base of tibia paler; abdomen yellow. Eighth abdominal tergite ( Fig.  26) strongly sclerotized, transverse and slender, with one pair of slender and curved processes. Pygidium slightly projecting beyong elytral apices. Penis (Figs 21-22) strongly asymmetric, moderately narrowed at apical 1/6; apex narrow, tubular, and small; straight from lateral view; endophallic sclerites with one pointed sclerite, one elongate sclerite, an anterior cluster of small setae, and a posterior cluster of large setae.
Etymology. The name is dedicated to Mr. Shu-Jung Kao who financially supported the Taiwan Chrysomelid Research Team.
Notes. This species was misidentified as Paridea (Semacia) angulicollis by Chûjô (1938Chûjô ( , 1962Chûjô ( , 1963.  http://species-id.net/wiki/Paridea_sexmaculata Semacia sexmaculata Laboissière, 1930: 336;Chûjô 1935: 168. Paraulaca (Paraulaca) semaculata : Chûjô 1962: 194;Chûjô 1965 [p, w]". It was indicated as male in the original description but marked as female in the examined specimen. Diagnosis. Paridea (Semacia) sexmaculata is similar to P. (S.) kaoi sp. n. and P. (S.) angulicollis with the depression on postscutellar common area of males but flat and replaced with a black spot in females. It differs by the presence of a black spot near the lateral margin instead of black stripe along lateral margin in P. (S.) kaoi sp. n. and P. (S.) angulicollis, the well sclerotized and extremely slender penis (Fig.37) and processes on eighth abdominal tergite of males (Fig. 42), and the presence of two acute processes on the fifth abdominal ventrite in females (Fig. 41).
Males. Length 5.1-6.0 mm, width 2.9-3.3 mm. Head and prothorax yellowish brown (Figs 28-30), labrum black, antenna blackish brown; scutellum pale yellow; elytra pale yellow, postscutellar common area depressed; with one pair of black spots near lateral margin at same level with excavation, spots extending inwards in some individuals ( Fig. 31; one pair of large black spots subapically, lateral margin and epipleuron yellow; meso-and metathoracic ventrites black; legs yellowish brown, apical half of tibia, and tarsi black; abdomen yellow. Eighth abdominal tergite (Fig. 42) strongly sclerotized, transverse and slender, with one pair of extremely slender and curved processes. Pygidium slightly projecting beyong elytral apices. Penis (Figs 37-38) very slightly asymmetric, weakly narrowed at apical 1/6; apex narrow, tubular, and extremely long; moderately curved from lateral view; endophallic sclerites with one elongate sclerite and one layer of small setae.
Males. Length 4.5-4.7 mm, width 2.2-2.4 mm. General color (Figs 34-36) yellowish brown; antenna blackish brown but three basal antennomeres paler; vertex with one big black spot; pronotum with a moderate black spot near center; scutellum and elytra bluish black; metathoracic ventrites black; tibia and tarsi dark brown; femora darkened except bases and apices. Elytra with one longitudinal costa arising from humerus, reduced in some individuals. Median lobe at fifth abdominal ventrite deeply depressed. Eighth abdominal tergite (Fig. 51) weakly sclerotized but apex well sclerotized, transverse and wide, apical margin emarginate at middle, with dense long setae along apical margin. First tarsomeres of pro-and mesotarsi swollen (Fig. 49). Penis (Figs 44-45) wide, apically tapering, apex truncate, slightly curved near based from lateral view; with one pair of elongate processes extending from near apex to middle, base curved upwards from lateral view; external process large and wide, lateral margin irregular from middle to apex, with a small process at middle of lateral margin; endophallus without visible sclerites.
Diagnosis. This species is similar to Paridea (Paridea) sinensis in general color pattern but differs in possessing extremely variable black spots on the elytra, the smaller external process on the penis and the abruptly widened apex of the penis in lateral view (the external processes are extremely long and the penis is slender in lateral view in P. (P.) sinensis) and the modified apical margin of the fifth abdominal ventrite of females (Fig. 87).
Males. Length 5.1-5.9 mm, width 2.8-3.2 mm. General color (Figs 74-76) yellowish brown, two pairs of black spots on elytra, anterior one near humerus and other subapical, sizes of spots variable, sometimes spots enlarged and connected with each other (Fig. 77), even whole elytra black except apices (Fig. 78), sometimes black spots reduced (Fig. 79); outer margins of femora and tibiae black; metathoracic ventrites black. Eighth abdominal tergite (Fig. 88) weakly sclerotized, transverse and wide, apical margin slightly emarginate at middle, with dense long seta along apical margin. Penis (Figs 83-84) wide; apex tubular, curved from lateral view; strongly widened near apex from lateral view; external process small, smaller than medial process; medial process wide apex with several setae.
Distribution. Endemic to Taiwan. It is the most common and widespread species of the genus in Taiwan (Fig. 66).