Research Article |
Corresponding author: Kaniyarikkal Prathapan ( prathapankd@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Michael Schmitt
© 2016 Kaniyarikkal Prathapan.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Prathapan KD (2016) Revision of the legume-feeding leaf beetle genus Madurasia Jacoby, including a new species description (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Galerucini). In: Jolivet P, Santiago-Blay J, Schmitt M (Eds) Research on Chrysomelidae 6. ZooKeys 597: 57–79. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.597.7520
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Madurasia Jacoby is revised and M. andamanica sp. n., endemic to the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean, is described and illustrated. Madurasia obscurella Jacoby, syn. n., is a new junior synonym of Madurasia undulatovittata (Motschulsky), comb. n. A lectotype is designated for M. obscurella. Literature on the biology and management of M. undulatovittata is reviewed.
Asia, Africa, biology, pest, pulses, taxonomy
The monotypic galerucine genus Madurasia was described by
Dissecting techniques and descriptive terminology follow
BMNH
JBC Personal collection of Jan Bezděk, Czech Republic
KAU
Travancore Insect Collection,
NBAIR National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bangalore
ZMUM
Determination of the gender of the undissected specimens is provisional as sexually dimorphic characteristics are often not clearly discernible externally.
Madurasia
Jacoby, 1886: 280 (Type species: Madurasia obscurella Jacoby, 1886, southern India, by monotypy)–
Neorudolphia
Laboissière, 1926: 190 (Type species: Neorudolphia bedfordi Laboissière, 1926, Sudan, by monotypy)–
Body: length 2.0–3.0 mm; 1.8–2.3 times longer than wide. Moderately small, oblong, flattened in lateral view, length 3.1–3.4 times height. General color straw brown to dark brown with a characteristic, more or less distinct, dark, broad longitudinal stripe on each elytron (Figs
Head (Fig.
Madurasia undulatovittata. 8 head, frontal view 9 antenna 10 labium 11 maxilla 12 mandible 13 labrum 14 pronotum 15 meso– and metanotum 16 prosternum 17 meso– and metasternum and pleurites 18 metendosternite 19 apical visible tergite, female 20 apical visible tergite, male (all specimens, except head, have been macerated).
Dorsum glabrous. Pronotum (Fig.
Elytra broader than pronotum basally, maximum width posterior of middle. Humeral callus well developed; elytral border narrow, becoming indistinct towards apex; elytral apex broadly rounded; epipleuron (Fig.
All femora oblong in cross section; all tibiae subcylindrical, subcircular in cross section with a minute apical spur; metatibial spur subequal to claw in length; proportionate length of femur–tibia–tarsomeres 1–4 as follows: 1: 1.0–1.1 : 0.2–0.3 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.2–0.3 (foreleg); 1: 0.9–1.0 : 0.3 : 0.1–0.3 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.2–0.3 (midleg); 1: 1.1–1.2 : 0.4 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.1 : 0.2 (hindleg); joint where metatibia and first metatarsomere meet, black; third tarsomere always bilobed; claws simple and appendiculate, appendix small and basal. Abdomen (Fig.
Madurasia andamanica sp. n. 21 dorsal habitus 22 apical ventrite of M. andamanica sp. n. male 23 apical ventrite of M. undulatovittata male 24 median lobe of aedeagus in M. andamanica sp. n., ventral view 25 median lobe of aedeagus in M. undulatovittata, ventral view (bilaterally symmetrical, specimen tilted) 26 median lobe of aedeagus in M. andamanica sp. n., lateral view 27 median lobe of aedeagus in M. undulatovittata, lateral view.
Female genitalia with receptacle of spermatheca (Figs
Fabaceae.
Asia, Africa (Sudan).
Madurasia closely resembles Medythia Jacoby, 1887, and species of both genera are pests of legumes. The general morphology, including the structure of the head, female genitalia, and even the presence of elytral stripes in some species of Medythia, are similar to those in Madurasia, making differentiation of these genera difficult. Madurasia can be separated from Medythia by the structure of the pronotum. The pronotum in Medythia is elongate and narrows posteriorly, whereas the pronotum is transverse and a little wider posteriorly in Madurasia. The elytral epipleuron is short in Madurasia, hardly extending beyond middle of the elytron. In Medythia quadrimaculata Jacoby, type species of the genus, the elytral epipleuron is longer, extending beyond the middle of the elytron. However, the epipleura are identical to those of Madurasia in a few Indian Medythia species examined. In Madurasia, the distal antennomeres are darker, while antennomeres 8–10 are whitish in most Medythia species, including the type species.
Adults are attracted to light.
The new species can be recognized by the following characters: 1) elytral stripe not reaching the elytral apex, narrowing in distal 1/4; 2) labrum with a transverse row of eight well developed setae; 3) posterior margin of apical ventrite in male distinctly lobed medially; 4) apex of aedeagus in lateral view curved like a parrot’s beak with an acute tip; 5) ventral side of aedeagus depressed in basal 1/2, then distally raised in the form of a narrow ridge which reaches the apex.
Body: length 2.1–2.6 mm; width 1.1–1.2 mm; 1.8–2.1 times longer than wide (Fig.
Proportionate length of femur:tibia:tarsomeres 1–4 as follows: 1: 1.0–1.1 : 0.2–0.3 : 0.2 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.2–0.3 (foreleg); 1: 0.9–1.0 : 0.3 : 0.1–0.3 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.2–0.3 (midleg); 1: 1.0–1.1 : 0.4 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.1 : 0.2 (hindleg).
Posterior margin of apical ventrite in male distinctly lobed medially (Fig.
Aedeagus in lateral view (Fig.
Named after the Andaman Islands, where the new species occurs.
Holotype ♂ “INDIA: Andaman & Nicobar / North Andaman: Diglipur / 13°14'53.9"N, 92°58'37.5"E, / 15 mts. 24.iv.2014. At light / Yeshwanth H. M.” (white label); “HOLOTYPE / Madurasia andamanica / Prathapan sp. nov., 2015” (red label) (BMNH).
Paratypes (104). 5♂, 8♀ same data as holotype; 7♂, 19♀ same data as holotype, but 23.iv.2014; 2♀ INDIA: Andaman & Nicobar / South Andaman: Sippighat / 11°67'26"N, 92°67'12"E, / 44 mts. 18.iv.2014, Light trap / Yeshwanth H. M.; 1♂, 16♀ India: South Andaman / Garacharama / 12.xi.2014 / Bharathimeena Coll. / Ex Redgram; 16♂, 7♀, 1 unsexed same data but 8.I.2015; 2♂, 20♀ same data but 4.XII.2014 and collector Krishnaveni (5 BMNH, 5
Color pattern in M. andamanica sp. n. (Fig.
Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. (Fabaceae) (red gram or pigeon pea) (Bharathimeena T., pers. comm. 2015).
Teinodactyla
undulatovittata
Motschulsky, 1866: 417 [Sri Lanka, Lectotype (ZMUM)]–
Longitarsus
undulatovittatus
:
Monolepta
undulattovittata
:
Madurasia
obscurella
Jacoby, 1886: 381 [“Madura, Madras Presidency”, Southern India– Lectotype (BMNH)]–
Neorudolphia
bedfordi
Laboissière, 1926: 191 [Brit. Sudan, on Cajanus indicus, Syntype (
Body: length 2.0–3.0 mm; width 1.0–1.3 mm; 2.0–2.3 times longer than wide. General color pattern consistent but highly variable in intensity (Figs
Antenna (Fig.
Proportionate length of femur–tibia–tarsomeres 1–4 as follows: 1: 1.0–1.1 : 0.3 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.3 (foreleg); 1: 0.9–1.0 : 0.3 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.2–0.3 (midleg); 1: 1.1–1.2 : 0.4 : 0.1–0.2 : 0.1 : 0.2 (hindleg). Two visible apical tergites completely exposed in most females, particularly when killed in alcohol.
Posterior margin of apical ventrite in male (Fig.
Aedeagus in lateral view (Fig.
Types. Madurasia undulatovittata: Lectotype ♀. “Teinodactila / undulato / vittata Motch / Ceylon”; “Monolepta / undulatovittata Mots. / 1926 D. Ogloblin det.”; “LECTOTYPUS / des Döberl 2005” (ZMUM).
Madurasia obscurella: Lectotype ♀. “Type” (rectangular red label); “Andrewes / Bequest. / B. M. 1922–221.”; “Madura”,“738” (3 in 738 is not legible as pierced by pin); “Madurasia obscurella Jac. /Type”; “SYNTYPE” (white circular disc with sky blue margin); “Lectotype / Madurasia obscurella Jacoby / des. K. D. Prathapan, 2015” (here designated, specimen on card, right antenna missing) (BMNH).
Paralectotype ♀. “Type / H. T.” (white circular disc with red border); “Madura”; “Jacoby Coll. 1909–28a.”; “Madurasia / obscurella / Jac. Type” (Blue label); “SYNTYPE” (white circular disc with sky blue margin); “Paralectotype / Madurasia obscurella Jacoby / des. K. D. Prathapan, 2015” (BMNH).
AFRICA: Sudan: ♀ British Sudan, S. R. J. Madani, 22.ix.1923, H. M. Bedford, feeding on ‘adis’ (illegible) sudani leaves / Blue Nile A 3024 / Pres by Imp. Bur. Ent. Brit. Mus. 1925–228 / standing as Neorudolfia (sic) bedfordi; 1 unsexed R. F. Wadmedanai J. W. Cowland 21/9/32 Shotholing seedlings of Phaseolus mungo / Ent. Coll. C 12147 / AFRICA 250,000 55–G Map / Pres. by Imp. Inst. Ent. BM 1933–415 / Standing as Neorudolphia bedfordi / SUDAN Govt.; 1 unsexed Blue Nile 5429 / Aenk H. H. & D. King 26.5.13 On boot / Pres. by Imp. Bur. Ent. Brit. Mus. 1927–103 / Neorudolphia bedfordi V. Laboissière–Dèt. (all BMNH).
ASIA: Bangladesh: ♀ (India) Dacca, 2.vi.1945, D. Leston; ♀ (India) Dacca, 10.v.1945, D. Leston (both BMNH); India: Andhra Pradesh: 3 unsexed Vizagapatnam Dist., Chipurupalli, B.M. 1924–7; Gujarat: 2♀ Baruch, 10.xii.1987, Pigeon pea, CIE A19617; Navasari, 15.iii.1992, Assoc with cowpea, IIE 22432, Madurasia obscurella Jac det. M. L. Cox 1992 (all BMNH); Karnataka: 1 macerated specimen Belgaum, 1–2.viii. 2008, at light, K. Swamy; 2♀, 1♂ Chikkaballapur, 13°25'48"N, 7°43'12"E 694 mt., 29.viii.2010, Nirmala P., at light (all
Africa (Sudan); Asia (Bangladesh, India [Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, New Delhi, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal], Nepal, Sri Lanka, Yemen) (Fig.
Madurasia undulatovittata and M. andamanica sp. n. are very similar. However, they can be separated as follows: eight labral setae present in M. andamanica sp. n. (only six labral setae visible in M. undulatovittata, though eight pores are present); elytral stripes are highly variable in M. undulatovittata, even in specimens from the same locality, collected during the same season and on the same host. The elytral pattern in M. andamanica sp. n. is rather consistent. The stripe in M. undulatovittata is wider apically in specimens where it is well defined, while in M. andamanica sp. n., it is narrowed apically. In M. andamanica sp. n., the stripe is distinct and well defined against the pale background color.
A photograph of the labels provided by Wagner & Bieneck (Fig. 38a in
Fabaceae: Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. (red gram or pigeon pea); Glycine max (L.) Merr. (soybean); Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet (= Dolichos lablab L.) (lablab bean); Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal (moth bean); Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper (= P. mungo L. = P. radiatus Roxb. non L.) (black gram); Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek (= Phaseolus aureus Roxb. = P. radiatus L.) (green gram or moong); Vigna radiata var. sublobata (Roxb.) (= Phaseolus sublobatus Roxb.); Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi & Ohashi (rice bean) and Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (= Vigna sinensis (L.) Savi ex Hausskn.) (cowpea).
Information on the host plants and biology of M. undulatovittata was generated by agricultural entomologists in India, under the name M. obscurella, where it is a widely distributed pest of legume crops across many agro climatic zones. The first record of this species as a pest of pulses is that by
The growth of plants is retarded by severe foliage injury, especially in young plants (
The extent of damage on black gram, green gram and cowpea was 20–60% (
In Haryana,
According to
Various cultivars of green gram (
Chemical control remains the most effective option against this pest. Several broad spectrum insecticides have been tried against M. undulatovittata, with varying degrees of success (
A revision of the genus Medythia is required to define the boundaries between it and the genus Madurasia. Medythia and Madurasia share the same ecological niche and are often collected together on the same host plants, as well as at light. It is likely that economic entomologists have often misidentified one for the other. Medythia bukit and Medythia marginicollis, described by
Madurasia andamanica sp. n. is a significant pest of red gram or pigeon pea (C. cajan) in the Great Andaman Islands (Bharathimeena T., pers. comm. 2015), similar to the pest status of M. undulatovittata elsewhere. This endemic pest of the islands, in case of accidental introduction to the mainland India, is likely to become a pest of various pulses and spread far and wide, as in the case of M. undulatovittata.
I am deeply indebted to Drs L. N. Medvedev and A. Moseyko (Russian Academy of Sciences) for the loan of the syntype of M. undulatovittata; Dr M. Geiser (BMNH) for the loan of the Jacoby types of M. obscurella and other specimens from south-east Asia and Sudan, and to Dr Jan Bezděk (Mendel University) who provided specimens from Yemen and north-east India. Jan Bezděk helped with many inaccessible papers, critical suggestions and advices. Specimens of M. andamanica sp. n. were provided by T. Bharathimeena and H. M. Yeswanth . I am grateful to Jennie Unnikrishnan, Nisha Rakesh and Tayan Raj Gurung, without whose help, it would have been impossible for me to access many obsolete economic entomology papers. Critical reviews by Drs C. A. Viraktamath, J. Poorani, Jan Bezděk, T. Wagner and E. Grobbelaar greatly improved the manuscript. M. C. Kiran prepared the maps. My work on leaf beetles is funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research through the Network Project on Insect Systematics.