Parena (Crossoglossa) mellea
Creators: name: Shi, Hongliang
name: Liang, Hongbin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Parena
Parena mellea

description: [7] Parena (Crossoglossa) mellea (Chaudoir, 1872)
Habitus: Figs 21E, 21F, 21G. Male genitalia: Fig. 24.
Chaudoir, 1872: 179 (original: Crossoglossa; type locality: Moluques; holotype in MNHN); Andrewes, 1930: 257 (Andonare Is.). Misidentification: Parena testacea (Chaudoir): Andrewes, 1929: 314 (Sumatra); Darlington, 1968: 139 (Papua New Guinea).
Type material examined. Crossoglossa mellea Chaudoir: Holotype (MNHN, Fig. 21E): female, body length = 11.3 mm, pin mounted, "Ex Musaeo / Chaudoir", " mellea / Chaud. / Moluques / Lorquin " [ex Chaudoir's box label, pinned under specimen now], "MUSEUM PARIS / 1952 / Coll. R. OBERTHÜR", " HOLOTYPE / Crossoglossa mellea / Chaudoir, 1872 / det. SHI H.L. 2011" [red label].
Notes on types. This species was originally described from one female collected by Lorquin from " Moluques ", perfectly in accord with the examined holotype in MNHN (Fig. 21E). There is another male (Fig. 21F) in MNHN labeled " Moluques Lorquin" from the ex-collection of Mniszech. This one seems to be collected together with the holotype, but not known to Chaudoir when the species was described.
Non-type material examined. Maluku: 1 male (MNHN), "Moluques Lorquin" [hand written], "Ex Musaeo Mniszech", "MUSEUM PARIS 1952, Coll. R. OBERTHUR" <Figs 21F, 24B>. Andonare: 1 ex (NHML), "Laboenarang / Andonare 2-4000' / Doherty XI"; " Phloedromius / mellea / Chaud. / Compared with / type H.E.A."; " H.E. Andrewes Coll. / B.M. 1945-97". Java: 1 female (NNML), " Banjoewangl, Java, 1911, Mac Gillavry" [=Banyuwangi]. 2 males, 1 female (NNML), "Banjoewangl, Java, 1910, Mac Gillavry". 1 female (NNML), "Java, Drescher, 12.1913, Djoija". 1 male (NNML), " Semarang-Java, P.H.V Doesburg ", " Museum Leiden, ex. collection C.J. Louwerens, rec. 1979", " Parena testacea Chaud., E.B. Britton det. 1947". Sumatra: 1 female (NNHL), " Corporaal, Medan, 8-4-1920 ", "Museum Leiden, Ex coll. B.H. Klynstra ", " Parena testacea Chaud. H.E. Andrewes det.", "Par. Chd. testacea". 1 male (NNHL), " Fort de Kock., (Sumatra) 920 m, December 1921, leg. E. Jacobson. ". 1 female (NHML), " Fort de Kock, (Sumatra) 920 M, 1924, leg. E. Jacobson. ", " H.E. Andrewes Coll. B.M. 1945-97". 1 female (NHML), " Sumatra ", "J.T., 18.3.84", " Coll. Kraatz ", " Ex. Deutsch. Ent. Mus. ", " H.E. Andrewes Coll. B.M. 1945-97". 1 female (NHML), " Medan Mjob. ", " Ex Mus. Stockholm ", " H.E. Andrewes Coll. B.M. 1945-97". 1 female (SDEI), "Sumatra", " Coll. Kraatz ". 1 female (SDEI), " Wai Lima Z. Sum., Lampongs, Karny & Siebers, XI. XII.1921. No261". The Philippines: 1 male (CRS), " Filippine —N Luzon, Ifugao, Pola VIII.2014 " <Figs 8F, 14G, 24A>. 1 female (CRS), " Philippines W Luzon, Zambales, Subic VII.2015 " <Figs 8C, 21G>.
Comparisons. P. mellea is distinguishable from the other four species in this species group by the combination of: elytra with sutural angles shortly pointed, forming small denticles; outer apical angles almost rounded; elytra without black patch; tibiae yellowish brown.
This species is similar to P. testacea, especially for those specimens from Sumatra and the Philippines, which have the same antennal color as P. testacea. These two species are distinguishable by: (1) elytral sutural angles only slightly pointed, forming small denticles in P. mellea, but sharply pointed forming long spines in P. testacea; (2) elytral outer apical angles less distinct in P. mellea; (3) in P. mellea, elytra intervals with punctures much sparser, and stria with puncture rows more clearly defined; (4) in P. mellea, apex of abdominal sternite VII notched in males (Fig. 8F), and projected in females (Fig. 8C), but straight in both sexes of P. testacea; (5) apical lamella of aedeagus longer in P. mellea.
Some specimens of P. mellea are similar in color to P. sulawesiensis, especially for those from the Maluku Islands. These two species are different in (1) elytral sutural angles only slightly pointed forming small denticles in P. mellea, but sharply pointed forming long spines in P. sulawesiensis; (2) in P. mellea, apex of abdominal sternite VII more distinctly notched in males, and less projected in females than in P. sulawesiensis; (3) apical lamella of aedeagus ovate in P. mellea, but subrectangular in P. sulawesiensis.
Description. Body length 9.5–10.6 mm. Dorsum pale yellow; antennomere 1 yellow, antennomeres 2, 3 and basal third of 4 reddish yellow to dark brown, remainder of antennae black; apices of mandibles black; terminal labial palpomere black, terminal and penultimate maxillary palpomeres black; tarsomeres black, in strong contrast with yellowish brown tibiae; venter pale yellow. Pronotum strongly transverse, PW/PL = 1.60–1.69, much wider than head, PW/HW = 1.10–1.23; widest at anterior third, lateral explanations very wide. Elytra without microsculpture or with very faint isodiametric microsculpture near apices; striae not incised, replaced by rows of very fine punctures; intervals completely flat, with punctures sparser than in striae; disc depressed near middle of intervals 3 to 6, depressions large and shallow; apical truncation distinct, straight or slightly arched; outer apical angles almost rounded, not forming distinct angles; sutural angles slightly pointed, forming short denticles. Apex of abdominal sternite VII notched in males (Fig. 8F), weakly projected at middle in females (Fig. 8C). Median lobe of aedeagus with dorsal margin curved before apical orifice, and then narrowed to apex; apical lamella ovate, weakly bent to dorsum, length slightly greater than its basal width, apex rounded. Endophallus densely and heavily scaled on basal sheath, base of apical sheath ovate in dorsal view; squamate sac hardly divided, on basal fifth of median lobe, right or right-ventral to squamate sheath (Fig. 24). Gonocoxite II of ovipositor dichotomous, inner and outer branches each with two short ensiform setae apically.
Distribution (Map 4, blue). Maluku Islands, Adonara Island, Papua New Guinea, East Java, Sumatra, the Philippines.
Geographical variation. The antennae color of P. mellea varies between different localities. In specimens from Maluku Islands, Adonara Island, and East Java, antennomeres 2, 3 and the basal third of 4 are reddish yellow, in sharp contrast with the black apical antennomeres (Fig. 21F). In specimens from Sumatra and the Philippines, antennomeres 2, 3, and the basal third of 4 are very dark brown, a color more similar to the black apical antennomeres (Fig. 21G). We studied the male genitalia of specimens from these different localities and found them to be identical (Fig. 24).
description: Published as part of Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the genus Parena Motschulsky, 1860 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini, Metallicina), pp. 1-144 in Zootaxa 5286 (1) on pages 41-43, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5286.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7958937