Notes on the genus Xenocerogria (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Lagriini) from China

Abstract Three species of the genus Xenocerogria Merkl, 2007 have been recorded in China, Xenocerogria feai (Borchmann, 1911), Xenocerogria ignota (Borchmann, 1941) and Xenocerogria ruficollis (Borchmann, 1912). Xenocera xanthisma Chen, 2002 is proposed as a junior synonym of Xenocerogria ruficollis. Lectotype of Xenocerogria ignota is designated, and the species is transferred to the genus Lagria Fabricius, 1775. New Chinese province records of Xenocerogria ruficollis are provided.


Introduction
Xenocerogria Merkl, 2007 is a small genus of Lagriini distributed in China, India and Southeast Asia. The generic name Xenocerogria was proposed by Merkl (2007) as a new replacement name for Xenocera Borchmann, 1936, preoccupied by Xenocera Broun, 1881.
The genus Xenocera was established by Borchmann (1936) with Lagriocera feai Borchmann, 1911 from "Carin Chebà, Burma" designed as its type species ("Gattungstype" in the original description). Simultaneously, Borchmann (1936) assigned further six species to the genus all originally described in Lagriocera Fairmaire, 1896. One of them, Xenocera ruficollis was recorded from China.  then added Xenocera ignota, described from China, Fujian. Merkl (2007) recorded Xenocerogria feai as a species new to China (Yunnan). Chen (2002) described Xenocera xanthisma, also from China (Fujian and Hunan). In the present study, we found that Xenocera xanthisma is the junior synonym of Xenocerogria ruficollis. Therefore, there are eight known species of the genus, of which three species have distribution records in China.
No modern revision has been published for the genus Xenocerogria, only a checklist was provided by Merkl (2007). In the present paper, all the three Chinese species are redescribed. Based on the male described hereunder, Xenocera ignota is removed from the genus, and transferred to the large collective genus Lagria Fabricius, 1775.

Material and methods
Photographs of the types of Xenocera xanthisma Chen, 2002 were taken by Leica M205A stereomicroscope; descriptions and measurements were performed under a stereomicroscope (Nikon SMZ1500), and photomicrographs of Xenocerogria ruficollis (Borchmann, 1912) were taken with a stereomicroscope (LEICA EZ4 HD) attached to a computer using Leica Application Suite version 2.1.0 software in Chongqing. Photographs of Xenocerogria feai and X. ignota were taken with Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera attached to Leica MZ 125 stereomicroscope in Budapest. Label text of type specimens is cited verbatim.
The following abbreviations are used for institutions where specimens are deposited (curators responsible for loans in parentheses): 1929, Cerogria Borchmann, 1909, Neogria Borchmann, 1911and Schevodera Borchmann, 1936 to mention a few from East and Southeast Asia. However, these genera are defined mostly by modifications of male antennomeres and tibiae. Females not associated with males are difficult or virtually impossible to separate at generic level. The remaining species were retained in the genus Lagria. In fact, modifications can frequently be observed on the male antennae and legs of species of Lagria, although these are not as prominent as in Cerogria, for instance. The genus Lagria itself, used as a dumping ground for more "simple" species is therefore still quite diverse, and most of the Oriental species are rather different from the type species, the western Palaearctic Lagria hirta (Linnaeus, 1758).
Removal of species with unique characters, creating a hardly treatable mass of less distinctive species in a large genus is common throughout the Coleoptera, including the family Tenebrionidae (see comments by Campbell 2014 andSchawaller 2014). A natural classification of the subtribe Lagriina would be achieved by study of (often unavailable) types of all described species supported by extensive molecular studies, but this must be an enormous undertaking.
Pronotum subequal in length and width, barely constricted behind middle, maximum width just before middle; anterior and posterior angles rounded; disc with two indistinct oblique depressions before base; surface finely but densely punctate, punctures separated by interspaces of 0.3 to 0.5 puncture diameter on disc, tending to be subcontiguous toward lateral portions; disc with a small ill-defined impunctate spot at middle before base.
Legs narrow; apical 0.3 of middle and hind femora reaching beyond edge of elytra; fore and middle tibiae nearly straight, slightly shorter than femora, hind tibiae slightly curved, very weakly attenuated at middle, without visible denticulation. Tarsi simple.

Figures 1-6. Xenocerogria ruficollis
Type material examined. Holotype of Xenocera xanthisma Chen, 2002, male, (SWU, Fig. 7), pinned (head missing, but aedeagus visible (Fig. 11)), labelled ( Remarks. Xenocera xanthisma was described by Chen (2002) on the basis of three males and one female from Fujian and Hunan. However, the original description was not mentioned in the Zoological Record, therefore this species was unknown to other coleopterists, and was not included in the Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera (Merkl 2008). The type series was deposited in SWU, but at the moment only the male holotype and one male paratype are found there. The holotype is in bad condition with its head missing, but fortunately, the aedeagus is visible. Chen (2002) indicated "yellow color and curve[d] terminal antennomere" as diagnostic to Xenocera xanthisma. However, "curve[d] terminal antennomere" is also characteristic to X. ruficollis. "Yellow color" is typical to teneral individuals of X. ruficollis that are pale yellowish brown with head and antennae somewhat darker. Moreover, the aedeagus of the holotype is identical with that of X. ruficollis. Therefore we propose Xenocera xanthisma as a junior subjective synonym of Xenocerogria ruficollis (Borchmann, 1912). (Borchmann, 1911) Figs 14-15, 18-19, 22-23 Lagriocera feae Borchmann, 1909: 209 (type  Redescription. Body length 5-10 mm. Body, including legs, black, except brownish red head, antennae, prothorax and scutellum. Brownish red parts sometimes darker brown to black. Male (Fig. 14). Head rounded, interocular distance 0.75× as wide as eye diameter; preorbital swelling slightly convex and glabrous; frons distinctly impressed, sparsely and coarsely punctate. Eyes reniform, moderately bulging, genal canthus encroaching to 0.6× eye width. Antennae (Figs 18-19) surpassing base of elytra when directed backwards, gradually broadening toward apex, antennomere 1 subglobular, 0.3× as long as distance between antennal insertions, antennomere 2 small, shorter than 1, antennomere 3 longer than 2 but shorter than 4, 5 subquadrate, shorter than 4, 6 longer and wider than 5 and 7, 7 slightly transverse, 8 twice longer than 7, anterior inner angle slightly produced, 9 and 10 strongly transverse, inner anterior angle almost dentiform; inner surface of antennomeres 5 to 10 flattened, smooth, glabrous, bordered with fine carinae; antennomere 11 as long as combined length of 4 preceding antennomeres, as wide as 10, subparallel-sided, strongly concave ventrally, inner margin of concavity bordered with carina forming sharp angulation in basal quarter.

Xenocerogria feai
Pronotum moderately transverse, maximum width at middle, anterior and posterior angles rounded; disc with four indistinct transverse lateral impressions; surface coarsely, sparsely and irregularly punctate, punctures separated by interspaces of 0.3 to 1.5 puncture diameter on disc, tending to be subcontiguous toward lateral portions; longitudinal midline with fine, obsolete carina.
Legs narrow; apical 0.3 of middle and hind femora reaching beyond edge of elytra; fore and middle tibiae nearly straight, slightly shorter than femora, hind tibiae straight, with sparse tuft of short and fine hairs before middle, without visible denticulation. Tarsi simple.
Female (Fig. 15). Larger than male. Head with interocular distance about 1.2× as wide as eye diameter. Preorbital swelling not developed. Antennomeres not modified, 5 to 10 without flattened and smooth inner surface and produced inner anterior angle; antennomere 9 quadrate, 10 slightly transverse; antennomere 11 not concave, shorter than combined length of 2 preceding antennomeres. Elytra broader and more widening posteriorly. Legs shorter, hind tibiae without sparse tuft.
Pronotum moderately transverse, maximum width at middle, anterior and posterior angles rounded; disc with four indistinct transverse lateral impressions; surface coarsely, densely and irregularly punctate, punctures separated by interspaces of 0.3 to 0.5 puncture diameter on disc, tending to be subcontiguous mainly toward lateral portions; longitudinal midline with hardly discernible carina.
that Xenocerogria is defined as having enlarged, concave antennomere 11 and unmodified tibiae of males, the only plausible approach is to remove X. ignota from this genus and transfer it to the composite genus of Lagria, for lack of a better place to put it.