Gonioctena (Gonioctena) jolantae Cho 2022, new species
Creators: name: Cho, Hee-Wook
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Gonioctena
Gonioctena jolantae

description: Gonioctena (Gonioctena) jolantae new species
(Figs 1–2, 7, 12)
Type locality. Laos: Houaphanh Province, Phou Pan Mountain.
Type material. Holotype: ♂ (NHM), “NE LAOS, Hua Phan prov. Ban Saleui, Phou Pan (Mt.) - N 20°12’ E 104°01’ 1300-1900m, 3-30.iv.2014 C. Holzschuh leg. // BMNH{E} 2015-38 C. Holzschuh // NHMUK 010899434 // HOLOTYPUS Gonioctena jolantae sp. nov. des. H.W. Cho 2021”. Paratypes: 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀ (NHM), same data as holotype plus “NHMUK 010901079 // NHMUK 010901419 // NHMUK 010901067 // NHMUK 010901080 // PARATYPUS Gonioctena jolantae sp. nov. des H.W. Cho 2021”.
Diagnosis. This new species is similar to G. fujiana and G. kamikawai, in that the pronotum has nine black spots and elytral punctures are arranged in irregular single or double rows. However, G. jolantae new species can be distinguished by the following characters: irregularly outlined yellowish-brown markings on the elytral humeri extend to 3/5 of the elytral base (to 1/2 of base in G. fujiana, and 1/3 to 3/5 of base in G. kamikawai); median lobe subparallel-sided with apical process narrower than median lobe shaft, the sides rounded (parallel-sided with apical process broader than median lobe shaft and sides angulate in G. fujiana; subparallel-sided with apical process narrower than median lobe shaft and sides angulate in G. kamikawai).
Description. Measurements in mm (n = 3): Length of body: 5.60–6.55 (mean 6.01); width of body: 3.36–3.98 (mean 3.57); height of body: 2.13–2.66 (mean 2.36); width of head: 1.56–1.78 (mean 1.68); interocular distance: 1.02–1.18 (mean 1.09); width of apex of the pronotum: 1.76–2.10 (mean 1.93); width of base of the pronotum: 2.58–3.19 (mean 2.87); maximum width of pronotum: 2.58–3.19 (mean 2.87); length of pronotum along midline: 1.31–1.45 (mean 1.38); length of elytra along suture: 4.18–4.95 (mean 4.44).
Body oblong-ovate and moderately convex (Figs 1, 2). Head dark reddish-brown with two black spots on the vertex. Mouthparts dark reddish-brown with apices of mandibles black. Antennomeres I–V yellowish-brown; VI–VII darkened; VIII–XI blackish-brown. Pronotum reddish-brown with nine black spots. Elytra coppery-brown, lateral margins yellowish-brown, with feeble metallic greenish-black lustre; humeri with black spots surrounded by irregularly defined yellowish-brown markings. Venter and legs entirely reddish-brown. Head. Vertex weakly convex, covered with moderately dense punctures, becoming denser toward the sides. Frontal suture V-shaped, coronal suture weak. Frons flat, strongly depressed at the anterior margin, covered with dense punctures. Clypeus rather narrow and trapezoidal. Anterior margin of labrum weakly concave. Mandibles with two sharp apical teeth and deep lateral excavations for maxillary palpomeres. Maxillary palpi four-segmented with apical palpomeres moderately widened, truncate apically. Antennae reaching pronotal base in male, almost reaching base in female; antennomere I robust and longest; II longer than III; III longer than IV; VI–X widened; XI about 1.54 times as long as wide. Pronotum. In dorsal view widest at or near base, moderately convexly narrowed anteriorly, anterior angles strongly produced. Anterior and lateral margins bordered; lateral margins usually distinct in dorsal view. Trichobothria absent from anterior angles, present on posterior angles. Disc covered with sparse to dense punctures; lateral sides covered with much larger and denser punctures; interspaces covered with fine and sparse punctures.
Scutellum. Slightly wider than long, narrowed posteriorly. Elytra. In dorsal view moderately widened posteriorly, widest beyond middle, roundly narrowed posteriorly. Humeral calli well developed. Disc with irregular large punctures arranged in 11 irregular single or double rows, including short scutellar row; interspaces with finer sparse punctures. Epipleura mostly visible (except the apical 2/5) in lateral view. Hind wings well developed. Venter. Pronotal hypomera weakly rugose with coarse punctures on anterior 1/5. Prosternum with coarse and dense punctures bearing long setae; prosternal process enlarged apically, bordered laterally, with sparse punctures. Metaventrite with minute and sparse punctures medially, large and dense punctures laterally. Abdominal ventrites with sparse to dense punctures bearing short setae; apex of last visible abdominal ventrite weakly depressed in male. Legs. Moderately robust. Tibiae widened apically, each with tooth-like projection. Forelegs with tarsomere I slightly narrower than III in male; distinctly narrower than III in female. Tarsal claws appendiculate. Genitalia. Median lobe in dorsal view long, subparallel-sided, moderately constricted from apical 1/4 to expanded arcuate apex with rounded lateral angles (Fig. 7); in lateral view entirely thin, moderately curved, with pointed apex; distal tip of flagellum trifurcated. Spermatheca absent.
Etymology. Dedicated to the well-known chrysomelidist, Professor Jolanta Świętojańska (University of Wrocław, Poland), who has always kindly supported the work of the author.
Distribution. Laos: Houaphanh (Fig. 12). This species is disjunct in distribution with respect to other members of the species-group, being over 1,500 km distant from the nearest species in East China.
description: Published as part of Cho, Hee-Wook, 2022, Two new species of the nominotypical subgenus Gonioctena Chevrolat, 1836, from China and Laos, and a proposed new species-group (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae), pp. 111-120 in Zootaxa 5150 (1) on page 113, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5150.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/6610111