Lilioceris cantonensis Heinze 1943, stat. rev.
Creators: name: Xu, Yuan
name: Xiong, Yun
name: Liang, Hongbin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Lilioceris
Lilioceris cantonensis

description: Lilioceris cantonensis Heinze, 1943 stat. rev. (Figs 3–4, 16, 20, 27)   
 Crioceris cantonensis Heinze, 1943: 104 (China: Guangdong).   
 Lilioceris cantonensis: Gressitt & Kimoto, 1961: 55 [as a synonym of L. neptis (Weise, 1922)].   
 Material examined. Total 77 specimens. China: Shaanxi: 1♀, Ningqiang, Zhangjiaba, 600 m, 1986.VI.25; 1♂ (MHU), Meixian, Haoping / 2012.VII.12, Guodong Ren coll.; Henan: 1♀, Lushan, 1957.V.30; 1♀ (MHU), Xinyang, Jigong Shan, 700 m, 2001.VII.14, Ming Bai, Zhe Li coll. MHU; Anhui: 1♂ 1♀, Huangshan, 1936.VI.21; Shanghai: 1♂, ZÔ-SÉ, 1934.VI; Zhejiang: 1♂, Tianmu Shan, firebreak zone / N30.3333, E119.4167, elevation 1144–1506 m, 2014.VII.17, Caixia Yuan & Di Li coll.; 1♂, Tianmu Shan, 600–800 m, 1998.X.9, Mingshui Zhao coll.; 2♂ 3♀, Tianmu Shan / 1991.VII.1–4, Hong Wu coll.; 1♀, Western Tianmu Shan / 1979.VII.11, host plant Smilacacea, Jiangcai Ye coll. / Lilioceris ? consentanea (Lac.), det. M.L. Cox, 1986; 1♂ 6♀, Tianmu Shan / 1999.VII; 5♂ 4♀, Tianmu Shan / 2000.VII; 1♀, Tienmu Shan, Museum Heude / 1936.VI.36, O. PIEL, coll.; 1♀, Tienmu Shan, Museum Heude / 1936.VII. 20, O. PIEL, coll.; 1♀, Tienmushan, 1936.VII.9; 1♀, Tianmu Shan, Linan City, 9–15.VI.2000, Li-zhen Li; 1♂, Tianmu Shan; 1♂, Tianmu Shan, 1200–1500 m / 1964.VII.7, Tailu Chen coll.; 4♂, Tianmu Shan, 1200 m / 1964.VII.8, Tailu Chen coll.; 1♂, Tianmu Shan, Xianrending, 1500 m, 1967.VI.26; 1♂ 1♀ (MHU), Tianmu Shan, Xianrending / 2014.VII.21–23, Caixia Yuan & Di Li coll. / N30º20'58.98'', E119º25'27.01'', 1387–1506 m; 1♀ (MHU), Tianmu Shan, Xianrending, Guanglin Xie coll.; 1♀ (MHU), Qingliangfeng, Tianchi / 2012.V.21–23, Jishan Xu & Lingxiao Chang coll.; 1♀, Baohwa-shan, 7-13.1942; 1♀, Baohwa-shan, 7-16. 1942; 1♂, Anji, Longwang Shan, 1996.VI.14, Xingke Yang coll.; 1♀, Anji, Longwang Shan, 1996.VII.26, Hong Wu coll.; Jiangxi: 1♀, Jiujiang, Lushan, Lianhuatai, roadside / N29.54604, E115.93483, 930 m / 2004.VI.22, Hongbin Liang & Teiji Sota coll.; 1♀, Ku-Ling [=Lu Shan], Musée Heude; 2♂ 1♀, Lu Shan, botanical garden / 1986.VII.10; 1♀, Anfu, Wugong Shan, Forest Station, beating / N27.44591, E114.18827, 1220 m / 2006.VI.29, Liu Y., Liang H.B. & Teiji Sota coll.; 1♂ 1♀, Yifeng, 1959.VI.16; Fujian: 1♀, Jiangle, Longqi Shan / 1991.V.26, Chunmei Huang coll.; 1♀ (CCCC), Jinxiu, Dayaoshan, Laoshan Linchang, 1200 m, 2020.IV.13, J. T. Zhao coll.; Guangdong: 1♂ (NHMB), China-Canton, Mell S.V. / Lilioceris cantonensis n. sp., det. Eric Heinze / Cotype [red label]; 1 specimen (MNHU, sex undetermined), China-Canton, Mell S.V. / Lilioceris cantonensis n. sp., det. Eric Heinze / Type (red label) / SYNTYPUS Lilioceris cantonensis Heinze, 1943, labeled by MNHUB 2009; Guangxi: 1♀, Longsheng, Baiyan, 1650 m / 1963.VI.22, Shuyong Wang coll.; 2♂ 1♀ (MCUA), Longsheng, Cujiang, 800 m, 1982.VI.24, Jikun Yang coll.; 1♂, Maoer Shan, 1150 m / 1985.VI.8, Subai Liao coll.; 2♀, Xing-an, Huajiang town, Mao-er Shan, roadside, N25.91427, E110.44987 / 1715m, 2004.VI.26, Liang H.B. & Teiji Sota, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Acad. Sciences; 1♀, Nanning, Damingshan, N23.4981, E108.43715 / 1230 m, 2011.V.29, on Smilax, Kaiqin Li coll.; 2♂, Maoer Shan, 2011.VI.2, on Smilax, Kaiqin Li coll.; Guizhou: 1♂, Museum Paris, Kouy-Tcheou, P. Cavalerie 1910; 1♂, Museum Paris, Kouy-Tcheou, Gan Chouen, Hin Y Fou Et Tchen-Fong Tcheou, P. Cavalerie 1912; 1♂, Zunyi, Suiyang, Kuankuoshui Nature Reserve, Protection Station / 2010.VI.3, Zhiliang Wang coll.; 1♂, Leigong Shan, forest station, 2005.V.31–VI.1, Deyan Ge coll.; Sichuan: 1♂, Emei Shan / 1955.VI.10, Keren Huang & Gentao Jin coll.   
Diagnosis. Femora bicolored, black with middle brownish red in ventral; antennomeres 5–10 twice as long as wide; pronotal disc with a longitudinal row of large punctures; elytral punctures sparse in basal half, absent on apical 1/2 or 1/3; apex of mesoventral process strongly widened.  
Redescription. BL 9.0– 10.2 mm, BW 4.2–4.5 mm. Head, antennae, scutellum, prosternum, mesoepisternum, mesoepimeron, metaepisternum, and tibiae black, femora brownish red in middle, remainder black, pronotum, elytra, mesoventrite, metaventrite and abdominal sternites brownish red.  
Head (Figs 3–4). HL/HW 1.1–1.3; vertex with a groove in middle, punctate and setose laterally; occiput with a furrow medially, sparsely punctate; gena punctate and setose; frontal tubercle glabrous, slightly raised; frontoclypeal area triangular, disc with punctures and setae; labrum transverse, with long setae; antennae filiform, nearly half as long as body, antennomeres 1–4 nearly globular, 2 shortest, 5–10 each cylindrical, twice as long as wide; antennomeres 1 and 2 sparsely pubescent and punctate, 3–11 densely pubescent and punctate.  
Pronotum (Figs 3, 16A). PW/HW 1.2–1.3, PL/PW 1.1–1.3; anterior angle laterally protruding; posterior angle not protruding; sides constricted in middle; anterior margin with a fine line of punctures, middle of disc with a row of large punctures; anterior and posterior transverse impression absent, basal transverse groove weak. Scutellum triangular and pubescent.  
Elytra (Fig. 3). EL/EW 2.1–2.3; sutural angle rounded; humeri protruding, humeral groove distinct, basal impression indistinct; intervals smooth; strial punctures sparse and large in base, but absent on apical 1/2 or 1/3; scutellary striole with 2–5 punctures; epipleura with upper margin slightly raised, with a row of fine punctures laterally.  
Mesoventrite pubescent; apical portion of mesoventral process strongly widened, convex, tuberculate, horizontally connected with metaventrite (Fig. 16B); lateroposterior corner of metaventrite with a short oblique stripe of setae (Fig. 16C); metepisternum densely pubescent.  
Abdominal sternites with sparse setae and punctures, transverse impressions distinct on sternites 2–5, with dense punctures and pubescence.  
Legs slender; tibiae with dense punctures, pubescence, and two spurs; femora with dense pubescence on dorsal surface, with sparse pubescence on ventral surface.  
Male genitalia (Figs 20A–D). Median foramen occupying 1/4 length of median lobe (Fig. 20A); apex of median lobe triangular (Fig. 20B); tegmen Y shaped, slender, basal piece of tegmen triangular, broad, lateral lobes strongly scleritized, combined with second connecting membrane; internal sac membranous, with dorsal, median, and ventral sclerites strongly scleritized, distal part of dorsal sclerites slightly widened (Figs 20C–D).  
Female reproductive organs (Figs 27A–C). Tergites 8 and 9, sternites 8 and 9 sclerotized, posterior areas of tergite 8 and sternite 8 with long setae, without apodemes; spiculum gastrale Y shaped, long, slightly widened in distal part, apical margin rounded; vaginal palpi with dense setae, long and cylindrical; spermatheca simply folded.  
Distribution (Fig. 30). China (Shaanxi, Henan, Shanghai, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Sichuan).  
 Host plant and habitat. The host plant is Smilacacea based a label of the specimen from Tianmushan (see above, material examined). Dr. Kaiqin Li recorded it feeding on Smilax sp. in Guangxi Province (Fig. 31). Adults present from April to July.   
 This species is confined to southern and central China, in montane areas at the elevation from 600 to 1715 m. One collecting location recorded by Dr Caixia Yuan in Tianmu Shan (Fig. 32) is situated at the subtropical area. The vegetation is subtropical evergreen and deciduous mixed forest. The climate is characterized by four distinct seasons, abundant rainfall and mild temperature. The forests are composed of tall trees, woody vines and epiphytes. The host plant Smilax sp. shares its habitat with other plants such as Pinaceae, Lauraceae, Theaceae, Magnoliaceae, Poaceae and Asteraceae.   
 Remarks. This species looks very similar to L. neptis (Weise, 1922), but is different by its outer area of metaventral disc with a shorter oblique stripe of setae, elytral strial punctures sparse and large in the basal impression, and absent on apical 1/2 or 1/3. In L. neptis, the metaventral disc has a longer arc stripe of setose, extending from the posterior margin to the anterior margin; elytral striae has regular punctures, at most absent at apex. In addition, the genitalia of the species are obviously different by having a smaller aedeagus and weaker sclerosis on the dorsal sclerite.   
 Heinze (1943: 104) reported two species: L. cantonensis and L. melli, and deposited their type specimens in NHMB and MNHU, respectively. Gressitt & Kimoto (1961: 55) synonymized them with L. neptis but did not provide any reason, and later works followed this treatment (Schmitt, 2010; Warchałowski, 2011; Bezděk & Schmitt, 2017). Therefore, L. cantonensis is different from L. neptis by having elytral punctures absent on apical 1/2 or 1/3 (Fig. 3), so it should be treated as a distinct species. Meanwhile, the type of L. melli (Fig. 5) is also checked, and without significant difference with L. neptis, so the status of L. melli is followed with Gressitt & Kimoto’s treatment.
description: Published as part of Xu, Yuan, Xiong, Yun & Liang, Hongbin, 2021, A review of the neptis species group of the genus Lilioceris (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae), pp. 300-316 in Zoological Systematics 46 (4) on pages 302-305, DOI: 10.11865/zs.2021404, http://zenodo.org/record/7176018