Cangshanaltica nigra Konstantinov, Chamorro, Prathapan, Ge & Yang, 2013

Yunnan, Dali, Cangshan Mt.

The genus Cangshanaltica is known to be distributed mainly in China and neighbouring areas (Damaška and Aston 2019). Three species have been described so far; descriptions of additional ones are in preparation to date. Here, we describe two new species from Luzon and Mindanao. We place them in this genus based on following characters: (1) round, ovate, and convex body shape; (2) anterior coxal cavities open posteriorly; (3) metatibiae curved in lateral view; (4) metaventrite bearing an anterior, horseshoe-like process reaching mesocoxae and covering the mesoventrite; (5) anterolateral pronotal setiferous pore placed in the middle of the pronotal margin; and (6) antennomere VII bearing a slight distal protrusion.

Philippines: Luzon, Sagada env.

Holotype ♂ (MHNG): “Philippines: Luzon. env. Sagada. 15.-19. xii.79, Deharveng-Orousset.”. Paratypes (2♀ 1 MHNG, 1 NMPC): same labels as holotype.

The species differs from all known species of Cangshanaltica except C. mindanaoensis by the presence of metallic elytra. It differs from C. mindanaoensis in (1) aedeagus slender, elongate (broad and flattened in C. mindanaoensis); (2) elytra nearly impunctate (irregularly punctured in C. mindanaoensis); (3) head and pronotum with greenish-bronze lustre, elytra with violet-blue lustre (elytra and pronotum of the same greenish lustre in C. mindanaoensis,); (4) male pro- and mesotarsomeres I slender (strongly widened and flattened in C. mindanaoensis); (5) tibial spur shorter to as long as metatarsomere II (longer than metatarsomere II in C. mindanaoensis).

Habitus. Body round, 2.4–2.6 mm long, 2 mm wide, 1.7 mm high. Head and pronotum black with feeble greenish-bronze metallic lustre, elytra black with violet-blue metallic lustre. Ventral surfaces black, appendages brown to black.

Head nearly hypognathous, triangular in frontal view. Frontal calli nearly indistinct, not surrounded dorsally. Supraorbital, orbital and suprafrontal sulci very deep, supraantennal sulcus forming a deep excavation. Frontal ridge wide, frons with large punctures bearing white setae. Clypeus impunctate, bearing a row of small white setae. Antennae with 11 antennomeres. Antennomere I as long as antennomeres II–III combined, bulbous; antennomere II small, rounded, antennomere III slightly elongated; antennomeres IV–XI gradually widening and slightly elongating, pilose.

Thorax. Pronotum very convex, twice as broad as long. Anterolateral pronotal margin forming a lobe, anterolateral pronotal setiferous pore in the middle of pronotal margin. Posterior pronotal edges dull. Scutellar shield very small, triangular. Elytra strongly convex, nearly impunctate. Metathoracic wings and humeral calli absent. Pro- and mesotibiae densely pilose on ventral side. Mesotibiae and metatibiae slightly curved laterally. Metatarsus attached to metatibia slightly before its end. Metatibial apical spine shorter or as long as metatarsomere II., metatarsomere I 2× longer than metatarsomere II. Metaventral process horseshoe-like, excavated, with dull apex.

Abdomen. Ventrite I bearing an anterior process reaching metacoxae; with a distinct elevated ridge.

Genitalia. Aedeagus strongly sclerotised, slender, elongate, narrowing towards apex in ventral view; slightly curved in lateral view. Apex of aedeagus dull, rounded. Spermatheca small, with long pump and small, rounded receptacle; spermathecal duct placed laterally, forming two loops.

The species name refers to the island of Luzon where the type series was collected.

Unknown.

Figure 1. 

Species of Cangshanaltica distributed in the Philippines, dorsal, right lateral, and ventral views A C. luzonica sp. nov. B C. mindanaoensis sp. nov.

Philippines: Mindanao, Davao Oriental prov., Mt. Hamiguitan.

Holotype ♂ (NMPC): Philippines – Mindanao, Davao Oriental prov., Mt. Hamiguitan; 6°42'52.7"N, 126°11'38.0"E; sifting montane mossy forest; 20.ii.2017; A. F. Damaška lgt. Paratypes: (4♂ 1 NMPC, 2 ADPC, 1 USNM), same labels as holotype.

1♀ (ADPC): (1) Philippines – Mindanao, Davao City prov., Mt. Malambo, Busay Resort, 1200 m, 7°28'52.83"N, 125°15'43.3"E; sifting montane forest; 23–28.ii.2017, A. Damaška lgt. (2) voucher specimen A. F. Damaška coll., AFD-006.

The species differs from all known species of Cangshanaltica except C. luzonica by its metallic elytra. For the diagnosis from C. luzonica, see the latter species.

Habitus. Body round, strongly convex; 2.2–2.3 mm long, 1.8 mm wide, 1.4 mm high. Dorsal surface generally black with greenish metallic lustre; ventral surfaces black. Legs chestnut brown, metafemora nearly black.

Head nearly hypognathous, widely triangular. Frontal calli wide, slightly surrounded dorsally by shallow sulci. Supraorbital, orbital and suprafrontal sulci distinct, not extremely deep. Frontal ridge wide, feebly elevated; frons bearing two bunches of small punctures on sides; with scattered long setae. Clypeus impunctate, bearing a row of long setae. Antennae with 11 antennomeres. Antennomere I as long as antennomeres II–III combined, bulbous; antennomere II and III equally long; antennomere IV. small, rounded, antennomeres V–XI gradually widening and elongating, pilose.

Thorax. Pronotum strongly convex, twice as broad as long, bearing small sparsely scattered punctures. Scutellar shield small, triangular. Anterolateral pronotal setiferous pore placed in the middle of pronotal margin. Posterior pronotal edges dull. Elytra strongly convex, irregularly punctate. Metatibiae curved laterally. Pro- and mesotarsomeres I in males widened, flat. Metatarsus attached to metatibia slightly before its end. Metatarsomere I strongly elongate, nearly as long as a third of metatibia. Metatibial spur very long, longer than metatarsomere II. Metaventral process horseshoe-like, excavated, with dull apex.

Abdomen. Ventrite I bearing an anterior process reaching metacoxae; with a distinct elevated ridge. Ventrites III–V distinctly punctate.

Genitalia. Aedeagus slightly curved in lateral view; broad in ventral view, with broadly arrow-like apex.

The species name refers to the island of Mindanao, where the type series was collected.

The species was collected in montane cloud forests (Fig. 4) where it inhabits moss cushions.

Type specimens were collected on Mt. Hamiguitan, Davao Oriental, Mindanao. The additional female examined was collected in Mt. Malambo, Davao City, Mindanao, ca. 150 km far from Hamiguitan. This female differs slightly from the type series e.g. in the metallic sheen being different between pronotum and elytra – pronotum has less visible, brownish metallic sheen. Unfortunately, we failed to sequence the type specimens and we cannot compare the morphology of genitalia, because all Mt. Hamiguitan specimens are males. Due to these problems and because of strong isolation of montane flea beetle populations, we decided to exclude the specimen from Mt. Malambo from the type series. The spermatheca of this specimen looks as follows: pump slender, receptacle bulbous, spermathecal duct attached posteriorly, orientated anteriorly, without coils. We also can provide the barcode sequence of the female specimen (GenBank accession number MT654527).

Ivalia viridipennis Jacoby 1887

Sri Lanka

For synonymy, see Duckett et al. (2006).

The genus includes 79 known species widespread across the Oriental and Australo-Papuan regions. Large proportions of its species diversity are known from Papua New Guinea and from the Himalayan range (Nadein 2013). A bunch of species was recently described from Borneo (Takizawa and Konstantinov 2018) and two species are described from Taiwan. No species has been recorded from the Philippines. Ivalia is diagnosed by having convex, oblong-ovate body shape, anterior coxal cavities open posteriorly, strongly curved metatibiae, usually lacking metathoracic wings and humeral calli, anterolateral pronotal setiferous pore placed in anterior half of the pronotal margin, and metaventrite bearing an anterior, dull horseshoe-like process reaching mesocoxae and partially covering the mesoventrite, a character similar to that in Cangshanaltica. However, morphological diversity is relatively wide in species described as Ivalia, and many known species lack some of the aforementioned diagnostic characters (e.g., strongly ovate body shape or curved metatibiae). The generic placement of the new species described here is discussed below; the generic assignment needs to be re-confirmed by future phylogenetic studies in the case of I. caligulata sp. nov.

Philippines: Mindanao – Davao City prov., Mt. Malambo.

Holotype ♂ (NMPC): (1) Philippines – Mindanao, Davao City prov., Mt. Malambo, Busay Resort, 1200 m, 7°28'52.83"N, 125°15'43.3"E; sifting montane forest; 23–28.ii.2017, A. Damaška lgt.; (2) VOUCHER SPECIMEN A. F. Damaška coll., AFD-014.

The species is assigned to Ivalia on the basis of following characters: (1) metathoracic wings and humeral calli absent; (2) body convex and ovate in shape; (3) metatibiae strongly curved laterally; (4) antennomere VII lacking any process; (5) metaventrite reaching mesocoxae and partially covering the mesoventrite with an anterior process.

Figure 2. 

Species of Ivalia distributed in the Philippines, dorsal, right lateral, and ventral views A I. antennata sp. nov. B I. caligulata sp. nov. C I. postfasciata (Chen, 1934).

The species differs from all known brown-coloured Ivalia species by having an unique, club-like shape of antennae.

Figure 3. 

Genitalia Cangshanaltica luzonica (A aedeagus, B spermatheca); C. mindanaoensis (C aedeagus, D spermatheca); Ivalia antennata (E aedeagus); I. caligulata (F aedeagus).

Habitus. Body round, convex, 1.9 mm long, 1.4 mm wide, 1 mm high. Colour of ventral and dorsal surfaces chestnut brown, pronotum, head, and antennae somewhat darker than elytra.

Head nearly hypognathous. Frontal calli developed, but indistinctly delimited; surrounded by wide sulcus dorsally. Supraorbital, orbital and suprafrontal sulci developed, indistinct, wide. Frontal ridge wide, feebly elevated; frons short, nearly impunctate. Clypeus straight, developing sharp lateral edges. Antennae short, with 11 antennomeres. Antennomere I bulbous, shorter than antennomeres II and III combined. Antennomere II elliptical, antennomere III feebly elongated. Antennomere IV strongly shortened; antennomeres V–XI pilose, short and widened, forming an elongated antennal club. Antennomeres VI–X darkened.

Thorax. Pronotum strongly convex, twice as broad as long, feebly punctured by small, indistinct, scattered punctures. Anterolateral pronotal setiferous pore placed in the anterior half of the pronotal margin; anterior pronotal margin forming a distinct lobe; posterior pronotal edges widely sharp. Scutellar shield small, triangular. Elytra convex, bearing strong and deep irregularly distributed punctures. Pro- and meso-femora and tibiae feebly pilose, metafemora nearly without setae. Metatibiae strongly curved laterally. Metatarsus attached to metatibia slightly before its end. Metatarsomere I feebly elongated.

Abdomen. Ventrites II–V with a distinct row of setiferous punctures.

Genitalia. Aedeagus moderately curved in lateral view; simple, slender in ventral view, with a feebly distinct step-like narrowing in its apical half. Apex of aedeagus long arrow-like, dull pointed. Female spermatheca unknown.

The species name refers to the specific club-like shape of its antennae.

The only known specimen was collected in a montane forest of Mt. Malambo (Fig. 4B) by sifting moss cushions and surrounding leaf litter. The species is likely moss-inhabiting, but we did not perform the gut dissection.

Figure 4. 

Type localities of Cangshanaltica mindanaoensis and Ivalia antennata A montane mossy cloud forest, Mt. Hamiguitan B montane forest, Mt. Malambo.

GenBank accession number: MT654528.

Philippines: Luzon – Doline NE Sagada.

Holotype ♂ (MHNG): “Philippines: Luzon. Doline NE Sagada, 21. ii.79 Deharveng-Orousset.” Paratypes: 1 ♂ (NMPC): “Philippines: Luzon. Mount Data, 8.I.80 Deharveng-Orousset.”

The species assigned to Ivalia based on the following characters: (1) lack of metathoracic wings and humeral calli; (2) metaventrite bearing a horseshoe-like process reaching mesocoxae; (3) convex body. The species lacks some characters typical for the majority of Ivalia species, especially the round body shape and the metatibiae curved laterally. However, there are species assigned to Ivalia which are externally similar to this species, e.g., I. biasa Takizawa & Konstantinov, 2018, I. besar Takizawa & Konstantinov, 2018, I. fulvomaculata Takizawa & Konstantinov, 2018 and I. kinabalensis Takizawa & Konstantinov, 2018. The new species can be separated from these four species by aedeagus strongly widening towards the apex and having a pointed apex (all mentioned species have aedeagus slender or less widened towards the apex, and the aedeagus apex is dull). The new species also differs from I. kinabalensis, I. biasa, and I. besar in nearly impunctate elytra (moderately to strongly punctate in the latter species). Ivalia caligulata also differs from all mentioned species by having a unique shape of pro- and meso-tarsi in males: widened, flat, and elongate, with a strongly pilose ventral side. The form of the metaventral process is somewhat similar to that in Ivalia korakundah Duckett et al., 2006; however, the general body shape and coloration is entirely different in both species.

Habitus. Body oblong-ovate, 3.1 mm long, 2.2 mm wide, 1.4 mm high. Head and pronotum pitchy black, elytra black with three wide yellow spots on each elytron. Dorsal surfaces and legs black. Antennae black with antennomeres I–III and XI yellow.

Head nearly hypognathous, triangular. Vertex impunctate, frontal calli feebly delimited, not strongly projecting, triangular. Supraantennal, supraorbital, and orbital sulci deep, suprafrontal sulcus forming a sharp angle delimitating frontal calli. Frontal ridge moderately projecting. Clypeus wide, rounded, feebly and widely incised. Antennae long, with 11 antennomeres. Antennomere I long and bulbous, antennomere II elliptical; antennomeres III–XI generally slender and elongated, feebly widening apically.

Thorax. Pronotum rectangular, convex. Anterolateral pronotal setiferous pore placed apically, anterolateral pronotal angle forming a feeble lobe. Posterior pronotal angles sharp. Elytra convex, nearly impunctate. Legs long; pro- and meso-tarsomere I rectangular, strongly widened, flattened and elongated, densely pilose on ventral side. Mesotibiae slightly curved laterally, flattened. Metatibiae only slightly curved laterally, metatarsomere I elongated; longer than the remaining parts of metatarsus. Metaventrite forming a horseshoe-like anterior process reaching mesocoxae, covering only posterior part of mesoventrite; anterior part of mesoventrite visible.

Abdomen. Ventrite I bearing a long, slender anterior process reaching metacoxae; with a distinct elevated ridge not reaching the rest of the ventrite.

Genitalia. Aedeagus strongly sclerotised, broadly thickened in lateral view, strongly widening towards apex in ventral view. Apex of aedeagus paddle-like, pointed. Female spermatheca unknown.

The species name is derived from caligula (small shoe in Latin), referring to the widened pro- and mesotarsi of the species.

Unknown.

Paratype 1 spec. (IZCAS): Luzon.

The generic placement of this species is revised based on the following characters: (1) lack of metathoracic wings and humeral calli (Chabria species are usually winged and with developed humeral calli); (2) metaventrite forming an anterior horseshoe-like process reaching mesocoxae and covering posterior parts of mesoventrite (the metaventrite of Chabria species is simple, without a horseshoe-like process); (3) metatibiae curved laterally (metatibiae not curved in Chabria).

Habitus. Body oval, convex, 2.4 mm long, 2 mm wide, 1.7 mm high. Head and pronotum black without metallic lustre, elytra black with large orange spots in humeral area and round orange spots in apical area. Legs black with bases of metatibiae and tarsi brown-orange. Antennae black with antennomeres I–II and XI orange. Ventral surfaces dark brown to black.

Head nearly hypognathous, triangular. Supraantennal and orbital sulci deep. Frontal calli feebly developed, elliptical, surrounded by shallow sulci dorsally. Vertex feebly punctate; frontal ridge wide, feebly projecting. Clypeus bearing one row of short setae. Antennae with 11 antennomeres. Antennomere I bulbous, barely shorter than antennomeres II and III combined. Antennomere II elliptical, shortened; antennomeres III–XI long, not strongly widened, antennomeres IV–XI moderately pilose.

Thorax. Pronotum convex, twice as wide as long; impunctate. Anterior pronotal edge feebly forming a lobe, anterolateral pronotal setiferous pore placed in the anterior part of the pronotal margin. Scutellar shield short, wide, triangular. Elytra convex; impunctate. Legs long, 1 and 2 leg pairs moderately pilose. Metatarsomere I strongly elongated, longer than rest of metatarsus; metatibial apical spine longer than metatarsomere II. Metaventral horseshoe-like process reaching mesocoxae; dull, deeply excavated; brown.

Abdomen. Because of the specimen state, we were not able to study the abdomen in detail.

Genitalia were not studied due to the IZCAS rules on handling type specimens.

Unknown.