Bathseba Motschulsky 1866
Creators: name: Kumari, Amritha
name: Moseyko, A. G.
name: Prathapan, K. D.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Bathseba
Bathseba syzygium
Bathseba bifasciata

description: Bathseba Motschulsky, 1866
(Type species B. ferruginosa Motschulsky by monotypy. nec Bathseba Dejean, 1836)
Bathseba Motschulsky, 1866: 412;— de Marschall, 1873: 175 —Geminger & Harold, 1874: 3402— Scudder, 1882: 37 — Clavareau, 1914: 178 (catalogue)— Seeno & Wilcox, 1982: 65 (checklist)— Medvedev, 2006: 413.
Bathseba Dejean, 1836: 411 (Type species B. transversalis by monotypy) Nomen nudum — D’Orbigny, 1849: 499 — Scudder, 1882: 37 — Sherborn, 1924: 672 ─ Bousquet & Bouchard, 2013: 100.
Tricliona Lefèvre, 1885 (Type species Tricliona fasciata Lefèvre, 1885) n. syn.
Tricliona Lefèvre, 1885a: 147—1885 b: 141— Clavareau, 1914: 151 (catalogue)— Jacoby, 1908: 469 — Chen, 1935: 289—1940: 489 — Jolivet, 1957: 136 — Gressitt & Kimoto, 1961: 202 — Kimoto & Gressitt, 1982: 101 — Seeno & Wilcox, 1982: 53 (check list)— Kimoto, 1985: 176 — Tan, 1994: 94, 97— Kimoto, 2005: 37 — Tan et al. 2005: 10, 12, 15, 17, 18, 136, 333, 353— Moseyko & Sprecher-Uebersax, 2010: 643 — Moseyko, 2011: 321 — Romantsov & Moseyko, 2016: 306 & 312— Moseyko & Romantsov, 2018: 45.
Distribution. India and southern China to the Philippines (Moseyko 2014). With the transfer of T. foveipennis to Gressittella (see below), there is no known species of Bathseba in New Guinea, as given by Moseyko (2014).
Generic diagnosis. Body oblong, moderately convex; anterior margin of lateral arms of prosternum strongly convex; compound eyes sinuate at inner side, vertex sulcate above eyes; antennae subfiliform; pronotum broader than long, narrower than elytra with sides entire and rounded; elytra punctate striate; all femora toothed, tooth on anterior femora very prominent and triangular, intermediate and posterior tibiae emarginated preapically without apical tibial spurs; claws bifid.
Remarks. Medvedev (2006) redescribed and figured the claw of B. ferruginosa as simple. However, on examination of the type specimen, it was observed that there is indeed a shorter and narrower inner lobe of claw as in a few other species of Tricliona. In the Sri Lankan species of Bathseba, including a few undescribed ones, the inner lobe of claw is shorter. Evidently the development of the inner lobe of the claw is variable and cannot be used to reliably separate these genera. Apart from this, there is no character to reliably separate Tricliona from Bathseba. Genera closely related to Bathseba are Rhyparida Baly, 1861 and Cleoporus Lefèvre, 1884. Rhyparida is an Australian and Indo-Malayan genus. Bathseba and Cleoporus are Oriental. All the three belong to the Tribe Typophorini. Bathseba and Rhyparida differ from each other in the following characters: lateral arms of prosternum convex in Bathseba and concave in Rhyparida; Bathseba has a very large tooth on profemora while Rhyparida has a small tooth or no tooth anteriorly on profemora. Cleoporus has a minute or lacks tooth on profemora, while in Bathseba, the teeth on profemora are well developed. In Cleoporus, the lateral margins of pronotum and elytra are deflexed or not visible from above and the ocular sulci are very broad, while in Bathseba, the lateral margins of pronotum and elytra are visible from above and the ocular sulci are narrow. These characters are variable with in genera. Currently there are 43 named species of Bathseba (see checklist below).
Material examined. Types. Lectotype (Figs 1 a ─f). Labels: (1) Bathseba / ferruginosa/ Motch./ Ceylon; (2) LECTOTYPUS / Bathseba / ferruginea Motsch. / L. Medvedev design.
Bathseba syzygium, new species
(Figs. 2 a–d, 3 a–g, 4 a–e)
LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 3E90360D-66E7-4B9D-BEB9-4A356FBA5277
Description. Body length 2.8 to 3.9 mm; width 1.6 to 2.4 mm; body oblong-ovate, shiny. Color variable: entirely yellow or brown without maculation (Fig. 2a) to elytra black or black with yellow wavy transverse band medially, apex yellow, humerus yellow in one specimen with black elytra and transverse yellow band (Figs 3a, 3c), head and pronotum yellow to orange brown (Figs 2a–d & 3a–c); yellow specimens rarely with small black round spot on or behind humerus (Fig. 3b); head, pronotum, ventral and pleural areas and legs always yellow to orange brown (Figs 2b & 2c), antennae and palpi yellow with last two or three antennomeres dorsally dark, mandibles red brown, incisor area and a spot on mesal side black, maxillae and labium light yellow. Holotype entirely yellow brown without maculation (Figs 2 a−d).
Head (Fig. 2d) inserted, minutely setose with small and minute punctures; coronal sulcus weak but distinct; suprafrontal sulcus weak dorsally; frons and vertex hardly differentiated; supraorbital pore with long seta, supraorbital pore poorly developed, placed inside orbital sulcus adjacent to dorsal margin of eye; orbital sulcus distinct, deep, wide with dorsal margin obtusely angulate above supraorbital pore; antennal calli weak but distinct, nearly subquadrate; frons almost semicircular, concave medially, slopping anteriorly; clypeus much reduced; frontoclypeal suture with row of small setae; labrum broader than long, apical border concave with discontinuous row of setae in middle, pair of widely placed setae medially, anterolateral corners with pair of setae; mandibles deeply bidentate apically; maxillary and labial palpi with three and two palpomeres, each with apical palpomere longest, maxillary palpi with two proximal palpomeres subequal. Compound eyes deeply emarginate near antennal socket, nearly cordiform, vertical diameter of eye 1.2 times transverse diameter, transverse diameter of eye 1.1 − 1.3 times distance between compound eyes, 1.2 − 1.6 times distance between antennal sockets; maximum width of head 2.3 − 2.4 times transverse diameter of eye, 2.7 − 3 times interoccular space, 3.0 − 3.4 times interantennal space. Antennae filiform, extending beyond middle of elytra; first antennomere thick, longer than second, second antennomere thicker than 3 and 4 separately; remaining antennomeres progressively broadened; ratio of length of antennomeres 1 to 11 equals 1: 0.7: 0.5: 0.8: 1: 1: 1.2: 1.1: 1.2: 1.1: 1.3.
Pronotum 1.7 times broader than long, posteriorly 1.4 times broader than anteriorly, glabrous with small and minute punctures; posterior border obsoletely lobed; anterior border gently convex medially, weakly concave on either side of middle; lateral margins evenly curved; anterolateral callosity broader than long, slightly protruding laterally, posterolateral callosity not protruding laterally. Lateral arms of prosternum with few minute punctures. Hypomeron unpunctured, glabrous. Prosternum medially longer than broad, sparsely setose with large shallow punctures; mesosternum longer than broad, sparsely punctate, sparsely setose; metasternum minutely punctate without large punctures, sparsely setose.
Scutellum longer than broad with narrowly rounded apex.
Elytra 1.2 − 1.3 times longer than broad, punctate striate, punctures small, distance between adjacent punctures 3 − 6 times diameter of punctures in middle of elytral disc, distance between rows of punctures longer than distance between punctures in rows; about 10 countable rows evident in post basal area, punctures indistinct towards apical 2/3 rd, scutellar striae almost thrice as long as scutellum. Humeral calli well developed with depression posteriorly and mesally, basal calli weak, post basal depression weak or obsolete, apical angle subacute. Epipleura broadest anteriorly, greatest width being subequal to half width of profemur.
Legs long, femur dilated medially with anterior femora strongly dentate, mid- and hindfemur weakly dentate, tibia longitudinally carinate on all sides with row of setae on either side of carina; tarsomeres ventrally fringed with diverse forms of setae. Probasitarsomere and mesobasitarsomere in males ventrally with closely arranged capitate setae bordered by long pointed setae.All basitarsomeres ventrally in females and metabasitarsomere in males fringed with only pointed setae, second tarsomere with pointed setae, and bilobed third tarsomere with variously shaped setae including triangular, inverted arrowhead-shaped, pointed or truncate.
Abdominal ventrites finely setose, first ventrite subequal in length to following two combined, ventrites 2 to 4 each shorter than preceeding one, last ventrite subequal to penultimate one. Pygidium with preapical line near to apical edge (Fig. 4e).
Male genitalia. Aedeagus in lateral view (Fig. 3e) bent almost at right angle near base, ventral surface feebly concave. In dorsal view (Fig. 3f), sides subparallel; dorsal surface with arrowhead-shaped depression preapically; apex narrowed, nipple shaped, apical opening or ostium partially covered with single lamina. Tegmen (Fig. 3d) with a pair of short anterior arms, parallel sided in middle, posteriorly widened and distinctly lobed. Spiculum gastrale (Fig. 3g) Y-shaped, median arm subequal to lateral arms, spiculum relictum poorly sclerotized, distal margin of 8 th tergite with spindle shaped sclerotization on either side.
Female genitalia (Fig. 4a). Spermathecal capsule (SpC) (Fig. 4b) distinctly differentiated into two parts: rod like proximal region with extreme base capitate, flask shaped distal region with concave outer side and convex inner side; pump sickle shaped, longer than receptacle. Bursa copulatrix not distinctly differentiated from vagina. Vaginal wall long, slightly curved proximally. Ovipositor (OP) (Fig. 4d) long, stylus absent. 8 th sternite and 8 th tergite fused laterally to form membranous tube with sclerotizations laterally (Fig. 4c). 8 th sternite with a long tignum longer than ovipositor (Fig. 4c).
Remarks. Bathseba syzygium n. sp. closely resembles Bathseba bifasciata (Jacoby, 1895). The new species can be differentiated from the latter by the orbital sulcus with subacutely angulate dorsal margin above supraorbital pore (Fig. 2d) (in B. bifasciata, orbital sulcus with evenly rounded dorsal margin; Fig. 5d). Compound eyes are comparatively larger and legs are comparatively longer in the new species, compared to those in B. bifasciata. Anterior half of vertex is narrower in the new species than in B. bifasciata. The aedeagus is shorter with lateral margins subparallel in the new species where as in B. bifasciata, it is longer and gently narrowed in the middle. Spermatheca of the new species has pump longer than the receptacle (in B. bifasciata, pump is shorter than the receptacle).
Another species closely similar to B. syzygium n. sp. is B. inconspicua (Jacoby, 1908) where the anterior portion of vertex is narrower than that in B. syzygium n. sp. Pronotum is more weakly punctured in B. syzygium n. sp. while the same is almost impunctate in B. inconspicua.
Preapical line of pygidium is placed far from the apical edge in B. bifasciata (Fig. 4f) whereas in B. syzygium n. sp., preapical line is near to apical edge (Fig. 4e). Prepical line is weakly wavy in B syzygium n. sp., however, it is convex in B. bifasciata.
Yellow forms of Bathseba variegata (Jacoby) n. comb. superficially resemble similarly colored specimens of B. syzygium n. sp. and both species exhibit considerable variation in color. However, they can be easily separated by the elytra widest near humerus in dorsal view in B. variegata, while the same is widest in middle in B. syzygium n. sp. In the new species, all elytral puncture rows are regular in posterior 1/3, while at least the sixth row is confused in B. variegata.
Etymology. The species name “ syzygium ” refers to the generic name of its host plant, Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels.
Distribution. India (Kerala).
Host plant. Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels (Myrtaceae).
Types. Holotype. ♁ (1) “ India: Kerala / CRS, Pampadumpara / 9 º 48’ 23.7” N 077 º 10’ 4.9”E / AKS & SRH Coll./ Ex. Jamun ”. (2) HOLOTYPE/ Bathseba syzygium sp. nov. / des. Amritha, Moseyko & Prathapan, 2020 (red label) (Accession no. NIM / NBAIR / COL / CHRY /H-270317; NBAIR).
Paratypes (19 specimens). 8♀ & 9♁. The same labels as holotype. 1♀ & 1♁. The same labels as holotype except date 23.iv.2018 and without host record [10 NBAIR (Accession nos. NIM/NBAIR/COL/CHRY/P1-270317 to NIM/NBAIR/COL/CHRY/P10-270317), 4 KAU, 5 UASB].
Bathseba bifasciata (Jacoby, 1895) n. comb.
(Figs. 4f, 5a–j, 6a–h, 7a–k)
Tricliona bifasciata Jacoby, 1895: 284—1908: 474 — Clavareau, 1914: 151 (catalogue)— Seeno & Wilcox, 1982: 53 ─ Medvedev & Sprecher-Uebersax, 1999a: 293 (catalogue)— Medvedev, 2001:167 — Kimoto, 2005: 37 (catalogue)— Moseyko & Sprecher-Uebersax, 2010: 643 (catalogue).
Distribution: India (Assam, Darjeeling, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu), Nepal, Bhutan (First report in north-east India and Bhutan).
Host plants. Anacardium occidentale L. and Mangifera indica L. (both Anacardiaceae).
Redescription. Body length 3.2–4.0 mm; width 2.0– 2.5 mm. Body oblong, shiny, color highly variable (Figs 5a, e–j, 7a–b, g): entirely yellow brown without dark spots or maculations to black with yellow brown elytral apex. Head, elytral apex always red brown or lighter. Pronotum varying from yellow or red brown to black; intermediate forms with a median macula and a lateral spot absent in some specimens. Some specimens with dark maculation or black elytral stripes on a red brown background. Size and shape of dark stripe variable. Elytral suture red brown to black. Venter of lighter specimens generally light brown. Abdominal ventrites piceous in dark forms. Legs yellow or red brown, often with tinges of black near joints.
Head (Fig. 5d) inserted, glabrous. Vertex broad with a mixture of small and minute punctures, coronal suture indicated by a depression in middle of vertex; supraorbital pore with short seta, supraorbital pore poorly developed, placed inside orbital sulcus adjacent to dorsal margin of eye; suprafrontal sulcus weakly indicated. Antennal calli weak but distinct, transverse-oblique. Frons minutely punctate, posteriorly depressed with minute setae, anterolateral corners slightly projecting. Clypeus indistinct with numerous fine short setae, merging with frons. Labrum with pair of widely placed setae in middle and group of three setae on each side anterolaterally, broader than long, apex slightly sinuate, apical border with row of setae discontinuous in middle. Mandibles red brown with a few long curved setae laterally. Maxillary and labial palpi light yellow with apical palpomere longest. Maxillary palpi with penultimate palpomere less than half as long as apical; last labial palpomere longer than penultimate. Compound eyes lateral, deeply notched at inner angle. Orbital sulcus deep, bordered with row of minute setae on lateral margin of vertex. Antennae generally yellow or yellow brown, with first four antennomeres light yellow or orange, distal ones being darker; length of antenna variable, not reaching half of elytra or extending up to 3/4 th; first antennomere thicker than second, third and fourth thinner than second, 5–11 progressively and slightly broadened; ratio of length of antennomeres 1 to 11 equals 1: 0.63–0.68: 0.72–0.79: 0.84–1: 0.94–1.21: 0.91–1.15: 0.94–1.2: 0.94–1.23: 1–1.27: 0.97–1.19: 1.25–1.38. Ratio of interantennal space, interocular space, maximum width of head, transverse diameter of eye and vertical diameter of eye equals 1: 1.1–1.78: 2.7–3: 1–1.16: 1.4.
Pronotum 1.5–1.8 times wider than long, anteriorly 1.4–1.6 times narrower than posteriorly, convex with mixture of fine and small punctures; sides evenly curved, anterolateral callosity projected forward, posterolateral callosity protruding beyond lateral margin; anterior border straight medially, concave on either side, posterior border indistinctly lobed in middle. Prosternum broad, subquadrate with concave lateral margins, finely setose. Lateral arms of prosternum (Fig. 5c) with very shallow, large but indistinct punctures; anterior border distinctly convex. Hypomeron impunctate, glabrous.
Scutellum longer than broad with broadly rounded apex, without setae or punctures.
Elytra 1.1–1.3 times longer than wide, regularly punctate striate, punctures indistinct beyond apical third, scutellar striae slightly longer than three times length of scutellum, elytra with ten rows of punctures excluding scutellar row, distance between adjacent rows twice distance between adjacent punctures in row in middle of elytra; distance between adjacent punctures 3–6 times diameter of a puncture in middle of elytra; humeral calli well developed with weak depression posteriorly; basal calli, post basal depression obsolete; humeral angle subobtuse; apical angle obtuse, apex convex. Epipleura outwardly oblique, narrowed beyond middle, narrowly reaching apex.
Legs with all femora dentate, middle one weakly dentate, all tibiae dorsally sulcate with sharp ridge along sulcus, meso- and metatibia distinctly emarginate preapically. Claws bifid. Probasitarsomere and mesobasitarsomere in males ventrally with closely arranged capitate setae bordered by long pointed setae. All basitarsomeres in females and metabasitarsomere in males fringed with only pointed setae.
Abdominal ventrites (Fig. 5b) finely setose, first ventrite medially longer than following two combined, ventrites 2–4 each shorter than preceding one, 5 th longer than 4 th. Apical border of last ventrite slightly emarginate. Pygidium with preapical line placed distantly from apical edge (Fig. 4f).
Male genitalia. Tegmen (Fig. 6c) flat, almost X-shaped with pair of arms anteriorly and posteriorly, anterior arms narrowly acute, posterior arms broad. Aedeagus sharply bent at right angle near base, in lateral view (Fig. 6b), apex acutely narrowed and gently recurved, slightly curved from base to apex; in ventral view (Fig. 6a), aedeagus gently narrowed in middle, broader towards apex with acute apical denticle; ventral surface of aedeagus depressed medially, preapical region depressed and dorsal surface with arrowhead-shaped depression preapically. Spiculum gastrale (second spiculum of Jolivet & Verma 2008) Y-shaped with lateral arms almost straight, stem distinctly bent at proximal end. Tergite VIII with spindle shaped sclerotization on either side and a few setae on posterior margin; spiculum relictum weakly sclerotized (Fig. 6d).
Endophallus long and tubular, almost thrice as long as aedeagus with three distinct regions (Fig. 6e): basal phallomere, median phallomere and apical phallomere. Basal phallomere (BP) short; in dorsal view, apex bilobed, sides each with pre-apical short oval lobe (Fig. 6f). Central sclerite (CS) single, thick, weakly sclerotized, present at junction of basal and median phallomeres. Median phallomere (MP) longest, half as long as entire endophallus; dorsal margin with pair of convex lobes before middle, corresponding ventral margin concave; post median membrane of median phallomere bearing spicules of varying shapes viz. hair-like, spine-like and circular (Fig. 6g). Apical phallomere (AP) oblong, demarcated into three lobes (Fig. 6h): proximal lobe (PL) spherical with densely arranged triangular spicules having circular base; median lobe (ML) almost cylindrical with ventral margin curved while dorsal margin simple, with a small, weakly projected lobe pre-apically, membrane ornamented with two kinds of spicules: basal two third covered with multiple units of uniseriate spicules, apical third randomly covered with circular spicules; distal lobe (DL) spherical with several bulged portions on lateral sides, membrane covered with irregularly shaped spicules intermixed with a few circular spicules.
Female genitalia (Fig. 7k). Spermathecal capsule (SpC) (Fig. 7h) weakly differentiated into basal receptacle and apical pump, proximal area of receptacle rod like with extreme base capitate receiving spermathecal duct and duct of spermathecal gland (SpG), distal area flask-like with gently concave outer side and convex inner side, pump curved, beak-like with acutely narrowed distal end, receptacle longer than pump. Bursa copulatrix (Bc) differentiated from vagina (Vg) by inward inflection on base of vaginal wall, spermathecal duct (SpD) and median oviduct (MdO) attached to lateral side of bursa copulatrix. Vaginal wall long, slightly curved proximally. Ovipositor (OP) long and stylus absent (Fig. 7j). 8 th sternite and 8 th tergite fused laterally, forming membranous tube with sclerotizations laterally. 8 th sternite with long tignum longer than ovipositor (Fig. 7i).
Remarks. Bathseba bifasciata (Jacoby, 1895) is very similar to B. syzygium n. sp. They can be separated as discussed under B. syzygium n. sp. Bathseba syzygium n. sp. can be differentiated from the former by the orbital sulcus with subacutely angulate dorsal margin above supraorbital pore (in B. bifasciata, orbital sulcus with evenly rounded dorsal margin). Compound eyes are larger and legs are longer in B. syzygium n. sp., compared to B. bifasciata. Anterior half of vertex is narrower in B. syzygium n. sp. than in B. bifasciata. Aedeagus is shorter, with lateral margins subparallel in B. syzygium n. sp. where as in B. bifasciata, aedeagus is longer and gently narrowed in the middle. Spermatheca of B. syzygium n. sp. has pump longer than the receptacle (in B. bifasciata, pump is shorter than the receptacle).
Bathseba bifasciata resembles B. semivittata Baly superficially. However, B. bifasciata can be differentiated from B. semivittata by shorter body and weakly punctured elytra (body longer and elytra strongly punctate in B. semivittata). Bathseba nigra (Jacoby, 1908) n. comb. is clearly different from B. bifasciata in having costate elytra; colored reddish brown to aeneous; and ventral plate of aedeagus bisinuate with paired, arcuate, transverse lobes and triangular spicules, while in B. bifasciata, elytra lacks costa; color varies from yellow to piceous with yellow elytral apex; and the ventral plate of aedeagus is depressed medially without spicules.
Material examined. Types. Syntype (Figs 7a–b). Labels: (1) Type/H. T. (red disc); (2) Jacoby Coll./1909-28a; (3) Kanara; (4) Triclionia/ bifasciata Jac.; (5) sp. fig. (Fig. 7c) (BMNH).
“ Cotype ”. Labels 1: (1) Belgaum.G4; (2) Type (red label); (3) Andrewes/Bequest./ B.M. 1922 – 221; (4) Triclionia/ bifasciata Jac. (BMNH). (Fig. 7d)
“ Cotype ”. Labels 2: (1) Co-/ type (green disc); (2) Andrewes/Bequest./ B.M. 1922 – 221; (3) Belgaum.N; (4) T. bifasciata /VarB.; (5) 1444. (BMNH). (Fig.7e)
“ Cotype ”. Labels 3: (1) Co-/ type (green disc); (2) H. L. Andrewes/Nilgiri Hills; (3) Andrewes/Bequest./ B.M. 1922 – 221. (BMNH). (Fig.7f)
Images of a ‘Cotype’: Labels: (1) Belgaum.G4; (2) Jacoby 2nd/Coll.; (3) bifasciata Jac.; (4) Type /9911 (https:// mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/ MCZ:Ent:9911)
Non-type material. 7♁, 5 ♀ “ India: Kerala / Vellayani / N 080 25’ 47.5” E 760 59’ 8.3”/ 19.v.2017 18 m /AKS & SRH Coll./Ex. Mangifera indica ”. 1 ♀ same data except date 23.v.2017. 7♁, 5 ♀ same data except date 24.v.2017. 7♁, 5 ♀, 4 unsexed same data except date 26.v.2017. 13♁, 1 ♀, 4 unsexed same data except date 02.vi.2017. 1♀ same data except date 22.vi.2017 and Ex. Cashew. 1♀ same data except Sangamesh R H Coll from light. 1 ♀ same data except Sangamesh R H Coll. From light. 26 ♁, 10 ♀, 4 unsexed “ India: Kerala /JNTBGRI, Palode / N 080 45’ 10.1” E 770 1’ 30.8”/ 17.iv.2018 /K D Prathapan Coll./ Ex. Light ”. 7 ♁, 8 ♀ same data except Ex. Mesua ferrea and Amritha Kumari S Coll. 7 ♁, 1 ♀ same data except Coll. Amritha Kumari S and no host record. 9 ♁, 7 ♀ same data except Sangamesh R H Coll. 6 ♁, 3 ♀ same data except date 23.v.2019, S R Hiremath Coll. and Ex. At MV light (20 KAU, 100 NBAIR (Accession nos NIM/NBAIR/COL/CHRY - 1(1)/042023 to NIM/NBAIR/COL/CHRY - 1(100)/042023), 29 UASB).
1♁ & 5♀ “ Bhutan: Samchi, 300 m/7– 11.5.1972 / L.Medvedev coll./ Nat-Hist. Museum Basel – Bhutan Expedition 1972. 1♁ & 1♀ “ Nepal, W.Wittmer, C. Baroni Urbani / Pokhara 820 m/15– 18.6.1976 / L.Medvedev coll.”. 1 ♁ “E-Nepal, Arun-Valley/ Khandabari-Bhotebas 1000–1750 m./ 5.VI.1988 / Lebisch & Probat Coll.”. 2♁ & 3♀ “ Kerala, Thekkady, Periyar Lake / 9,34N, 77,10E, 900–1000 m./ 19–27.iv.1997 / Dembický & Pacholátko Coll.”. 4♀ “ Kerala, Trivandrum Pt./ Poonmudi Range, 3000 Ft./ V.1992 / Nathan T.R. Coll. ”. 1♀ “ India: Darjeeling / Renok / 7–11.IV.1987 / D. Ch. J. Rai ”. Assam, W. Kazirani, V.1961, 1 female (?) (ZIN).
3 ♀ “ India, Mangalore/ JCBridwell coll/ Jun1926 ” (USNM).
Discussion
Terminology of prothorax in Eumolpinae has been variously interpreted (Selman 1963). In Polyphaga, pleuron of prothorax has disappeared as an external sclerite and has become a large internal process (cryptopleuron) attached to the trochantin. The inflexed ventral part of protergum (hypomeron) abuts on the sternum and coxal cavities. The prosternum is a median undivided sclerite with lateral arms in front, abutting the hypomeron (episternum of Selman 1963) (Crowson 1981). Shape of the anterior margin of the lateral arms of prothoracic sternum [thoracic episternum of Jacoby (1908); propleura of Moseyko (2011, 2014)] is an important character used by Jacoby (1908) to divide the genera of Eumolpinae into ‘groups’. The lateral arms of prosternum in Eumolpinae is often secondarily separated from the rest of the sternum by a sulcus, or deep channel that forms the ‘antennal groove’. In genera such as Colaspoides Laporte, 1833, Bathseba (Figs 2b, 5b), Cleoporus Lefèvre and Cleorina Lefèvre, 1885, thus the ‘propleua’ appears like a separate sclerite abutting hypomeron.
The structure of pygidium is an important character to delimit closely related species in the genus. The placement of preapical line with respect to apical border and its shape can be used to distinguish closely related species. Preapical line is placed far from the apical edge in B. bifasciata, where as in B. syzygium n. sp., the preapical line is comparatively near to apical edge and the same is very close to the apical edge in the case of B. indica. Prepical line is weakly wavy in B. syzygium n. sp. (Fig. 4e), whereas it is convex in B. bifasciata (Fig. 4f) and distinctly concave in B. indica (Fig. 4g).
Kumari et al. (2020) provided a brief account of techniques of eversion and inflation of endophallus in leaf beetles. Flowers (1999) illustrated endophalli in species of Metachroma (Fig. 10 in Flowers 1999) and Typophorus (Fig. 6 in Flowers 1999) in Typophorini, to which Bathseba belongs. However, finer details are not available in this work as the endophallic sac is not maximally inflated when pulled out through the apical opening with a hooked insect pin. In Typophorus, a small apical sclerite is present, while the same is absent in Metachroma and B. bifasciata. A single, thick, partially sclerotized central sclerite is present in B. bifasciata which is not given by Flowers (1999) in the other two. Endophallus is entirely finely spiculate in Typophous, whereas in Metachroma, it is finely spiculate in the middle third and sparsely and finely spiculate in the apical third. In B. bifasciata, spicules of varying shapes are densely arranged in the distal portion of middle third and dense and large spicules mixed with fine spicules are present in the apical third.
Mango and cashew are important crops in India and elsewhere. Bathseba bifasciata is reported for the first time as a leaf feeder of these crops. Host plants of B. bifasciata remained unknown so far. This is the first report of Anacardiaceae as hosts of Bathseba. The host plant of B. syzygium n. sp., Syzygium cumini, commonly called Malabar plum or Jamun, is a minor fruit crop in south east Asia. It is also used extensively in the traditional health care systems.
Key to species of Bathseba of the Indian subcontinent
1 Head rugosely sculptured; pronotum densely punctate, punctures stronger laterally; antenna shorter than half of body length, proximal 4 antennomeres slightly paler than distal 7 ones, antennomeres 2 and 3 are subequal in length; body length 3.9−4.5 mm. Widely distributed in India ....................................................... B. puncticeps (Duvivier)
- Head impunctate, microsculptured or weakly punctate; pronotum weakly punctate, neither impunctate nor densely punctate; antenna longer than half of body......................................................................... 2
2 Pronotum completely impunctate........................................................................ 3
- Pronotum with at least small punctures.................................................................... 4
3 Elytral interstriae convex, especially on basal convexities; frons in males narrow; eyes large; body length 2.5 mm; occurring in Sri Lanka ......................................................................... B. longicornis (Jacoby)
- Elytral surface flat, elytral puncture rows not striate; width of frons subequal to width of eye; body length 2.5 mm; occurring in south India ....................................................................... B. inconspicua (Jacoby)
4 Eyes small; antennal cavities placed medially, away from inner margin of eyes; elytra with maximum width in apical third... 5
- Eyes large or very large; antennal cavities placed on the same vertical line with inner edge of eyes or more laterally; body form in dorsal view variable................................................................................. 6
5 Head microsculptured, impunctate; orbital sulcus narrow, with evenly rounded dorsal margin; elytra with widely bordered lateral margin, visible from above for its entire length; color variable: red, black or with red pronotum and black elytra; body length 3 mm; occurring in south India ....................................................... B. bicolor (Jacoby)
- Head punctate, not microsculptured; orbital sulcus widened near supraorbital pore; elytra with lateral margin almost invisible in dorsal view, dark red, usually each elytron with black longitudinal spot; body length 3.3 − 3.7 mm; known from Nepal ............................................................... B. microdentata (Medvedev & Sprecher-Uebersax)
6 Body small and broadly oval, less than 1.5 times as long as wide; maximum width at middle; frons convex, impunctate; profemoral ventral tooth comparatively large; body length 2−2.5 mm; occurring in south India ....... B. variabilis (Jacoby)
- Body parallel sided, oval or obovate; at least 1.5 times as long as wide........................................... 7
7 Ventral tooth on profemora large, subequal to width of protibia................................................. 8
- Ventral tooth on profemora small........................................................................ 11
8 Antenna light yellow; inner lobe of claws comparatively short and wider, hence claws appear appendiculate; body elongateoval, maximum width in the middle; secondary punctation on elytra recognizable; body length 3.7−4.5 mm. Occurring in Sri Lanka ........................................................................ B. ferruginosa Motschulsky
- Antenna with distal six or seven antennomeres darkened; claws distinctly bifid.................................... 9
9 Pronotum punctate and wrinkled; body yellow with longitudinal dark spot on each elytron; body length 5 mm; occurring in south India ........................................................................... B. semivittata (Baly)
- Pronotum not wrinkled; body red or black without distinct pattern.............................................. 10
10 Body length 3.5−4.5 mm; pronotum flattened, with lateral margin weakly curved; body reddish; elytral interstriae flat; occurring in south India ........................................................................... B. picea (Jacoby)
- Body length about 3 mm; pronotum convex, with distinctly curved lateral margins; body blackish with diffused brownish pattern; elytral interstriae convex; occurring in south India ........................................ B. nigra (Jacoby)
11 Antennomeres 3−7 comparatively long and narrow; antennomere 7 at least 3.5 times as long as wide.................. 12
- Antennomeres 3−7 comparatively short; antennomere 7 not more than 3.5 times as long as wide..................... 14
12 Body length 2.7−3.5 mm; occurring in south India .......................................... B. lakshmi (Takizawa)
- Body length 4−5 mm ................................................................................. 13
13 Elytral puncture rows regular; pronotum larger; elytra 2.7 times as long as pronotum; elytra yellow with contrasting black pattern; occurring in south India ......................................................... B. marginata (Jacoby)
- Elytral puncture rows 7−10 partially confused; pronotum smaller; elytra 3.2 times as long as pronotum; body evenly colored, yellow to black; occurring in south India ............................. B. variegata (Jacoby) = B. subdepressa (Jacoby)
14 Eyes very large; frons distinctly narrower than width of an eye; antenna entirely yellow; apex of hind femora blackish; body length 4 mm; ocurring in Sri Lanka ...................................................... B. laevicollis (Jacoby)
- Width of eye subequal to width of frons; antenna usually with dark apical antennomeres, or entirely yellow in some species.. .................................................................................................. 15
15 Pronotum comparatively narrow, narrower than 1.7 times length; humeral calli not prominent; body apparently less robust; known from West Bengal ............................................ B. indica (Jacoby) = B. bengalensis (Jacoby)
- Pronotum wider, broader than 1.7 times length at middle;. humeral calli prominent; body seemingly more robust........ 16
16 Antennomeres 5−11 black or dark brown, antennomeres 1−4 yellow; occurring in Sri Lanka ......................... 17
- Antenna entirely yellow or apical antennomeres darker, color of antennomeres 1─4 not contrastingly black with 5−11 lighter; occurring in India .................................................................................... 18
17 Legs reddish; no pattern on elytra; body length 3 mm ....................................... B. ceylonensis (Jacoby)
- Tibiae and apices of femora black; elytra often with black pattern, 3 black spots on each elytron, or blackish apices, etc.; body length 2.5−3.5 mm .............................................................. B. quinquemaculata (Jacoby)
18 Orbital sulcus widened near supraorbital pore; preapical line on pygidium straight.................... B. syzygium sp. n.
- Orbital sulcus even; preapical line on pygidium concave..................................... B. bifasciata (Jacoby)
description: Published as part of Kumari, Amritha, Moseyko, A. G. & Prathapan, K. D., 2023, A new synonym of Bathseba Motschulsky, 1866 (Chrysomelidae, Eumolpinae Typophorini) with a new species and redescription of B. bifasciata (Jacoby, 1895) n. comb. and other taxonomic and biological notes, pp. 122-144 in Zootaxa 5293 (1) on pages 124-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5293.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/7959849