Cangshanaltica Konstantinov, Chamorro, Prathapan, Ge, and Yang 2013, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Konstantinov, Alexander
name: Chamorro, Maria Lourdes
name: Prathapan, K. D.
name: Ge, Si-Qin
name: Yang, Xing-Ke
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Cangshanaltica

description: Cangshanaltica Konstantinov, Chamorro, Prathapan, Ge, and Yang, gen. nov.   
(Figures 1–6, 9)   Description   
Body length 1.62–1.77 mm, width 1.25–1.37 mm, rounded (Figure 1), convex in lateral view (1.66 times as long as thick). Colour black without metallic lustre, legs and antennae light chestnut brown.  
Head (Figure 2A–D) nearly hypognathous, only slightly convex in lateral view. Frons and vertex forming slightly convex line (Figure 2D) in lateral view. Supraorbital pore well developed, placed close to supraorbital sulcus, with no other pores nearby. Antennal calli poorly developed, slightly shorter than wide, straight, connected to each other. Supracallinal, midfrontal and suprafrontal sulci shallow, barely visible. Supraorbital sulcus deep, straight. Orbit narrow, 0.50 times as wide as transverse diameter of eye. Interantennal space 2.10 times wider than transverse diameter of eye and 3.0 times as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Frontal ridge wide, as wide as anterofrontal ridge, occupying nearly all frontal side of head, with parallel sides. Anterofrontal ridge not separated from frontal ridge. Both ridges form swollen, loosely defined rectangle sparsely covered with shallow, poorly defined, small punctures. Eyes slightly protruding laterally. Vertex covered with shallow, poorly defined, small punctures. Labrum with six setiferous pores, apically deeply incised. Labium (Figure 2C) with three small palpomeres per palpus, two distal palpomeres longer than wide. Maxillary palpus with four palpomeres (Figure 2F), distal palpomere conical, much shorter and narrower than preapical. Antenna with 11 antennomeres. First antennomere slightly wider and much longer than second. Third and fourth antennomeres much thinner than second. Distal antennomeres wider than third and fourth. Antennomere seven with distal protrusion directed anteriorly (Figure 2G).  
Pronotum (Figure 1) 1.74 times wider than long (measured in middle), without impressions basally, covered with sharp, small, very sparsely placed punctures. Sides weakly rounded and relatively narrowly explanate, converging gradually from base to apex. Marginal anterolateral callosity poorly developed. Its setiferous pore placed nearly in middle of lateral margin of pronotum (Figure 3C). Posterolateral callosity slightly protruding. Basal margin extends posteriorly, with thin border. Pronotal side near anterior corner with shallow S-shaped impression separating low and wide callosity. Procoxal cavity open. Intercoxal prosternal process relatively narrow, with sharp longitudinal ridge, slightly widening apically, slightly convex at apex (Figure 2B).  
Mesoscutellum flat, broadly triangular (Figure 1). Mesocoxae separated by both mesosterna and metasterna. Mesosternum not covered by metasternum, partly horizontal. Intercoxal mesosternal process much wider than long (Figure 3A, B).  
Metasternum (Figure 3D) very short between mesocoxae and metacoxae, protruding anteriorly between mesocoxae, broadly rounded at apex anteriorly, with narrow rounded emargination posteriorly. Mid part of metasternum with flat area separated anteriorly and laterally by distinct ridge.  
Elytron (Figure 1) widest near mid-length. Humeral callus lacking. Elytral punctures small, widely separated (diameter of punctures many times smaller than distance between them) and not arranged in regular rows. Elytral apex narrowly rounded, surrounded by distinct border. Epipleura broad, horizontal, gradually narrowing posteriorly, nearly attaining sutural margin of elytron. Elytral lock at base of elytra consists of three ridges including one in middle on right elytron (Figure 5E). In left elytron middle ridge narrow, groove above it relatively wide and deep (Figure 5G). Ventral surface of each elytron with one sensilla patch (Figure 5F). Hind wings absent.  
Profemur and mesofemur slightly flattened dorsoventrally (Figure 4A, B). Metafemur robust, flat dorsoventrally, fairly symmetrical (Figure 3A), 1.84 times as long as wide. Protibia and mesotibia generally cylindrical, slightly wider in distal third, with sharp longitudinal ridge on outer surface, with spurs apically. Metatibia (Figure 4D) slightly curved in dorsal and lateral views, generally cylindrical, abruptly widening distally (in dorsal view), flat only at apex, with longitudinal ridge dorsally, without serration on outer and inner edges and without preapical excavations on either inner or outer edges; apical spur straight and long (Figure 4C), longer than tarsal claw. Claw appendiculate (Figure 5A). Third tarsomere narrow, deeply incised (Figure 4D). First metatarsomere as long as two following tarsomeres together.  
Abdomen with five distinctly visible ventrites (Figure 3A). First ventrite as long as two preceding sternites combined, without appendages basally, with longitudinal ridge in middle. Apical tergite of female broadly triangular, unevenly covered with long setae, sclerotized along its posterior margin and in middle, without groove in middle (Figure 6D).  
Spermatheca (Figure 6B) with receptacle gradually transitioning into pump without distinct border. Receptacle much longer than wide and wider and longer than pump. Duct straight distally, basally directed away from receptacle, with gland situated at its distal end. Tignum (Figure 6F) anteriorly slightly narrower than posteriorly. Vaginal palpi (Figure 6C) robust, connected at base, making relatively wide loop, distal sclerotizations narrow and straight.  
Median lobe of aedeagus (Figure 6A) simple, convex in lateral view, flat dorsoventrally, without any sculpture ventrally.   Type species   
 Cangshanaltica nigra Konstantinov, Chamorro, Prathapan, Ge, and Yang.    Etymology   
 This genus name is derived from Cangshan, the mountain region in western Yunnan (China), where these beetles occur, and the name of the type genus of the tribe (Altica) to which the genus belongs. The name is feminine.    Host plant   
 Hypnum sp. (Hypnaceae) (Figures 9A, B).    Discussion   
 A few species of Benedictus, Ivalia, Paraminota, Phaelota and Paraminotella are known to occur inside moss cushions or leaf litter in various regions of Asia. These species are characterized by a generally small and round body, and the absence of wings, so they resemble Cangshanaltica, but all of them can be easily separated with the key at the end of this paper. Among Oriental flea beetle genera, Cangshanaltica is particularly similar to Phaelota and Ivalia. They share about the same body size and shape, major head features with wide frontal ridge, lacking well-developed antennal calli, pronotum without antebasal transverse and longitudinal furrows, and spermatheca without distinct border between receptacle and pump. Cangshanaltica can be separated from Phaelota based on the following features: head without supracallinal sulci; pronotal side near anterior corner with shallow S-shaped impression separating low and wide callosity; procoxal cavity posteriorly open; epipleura nearly horizontal; metatarsal spur as long as metatarsal claw; vaginal palpi widely connected to each other. Cangshanaltica can be separated from Ivalia with the help of the following features: head without suprafrontal sulci; antennomere 7 with distal protrusion directed anteriorly, pronotal side near anterior corner with shallow S-shaped impression separating low and wide callosity; pronotal anterolateral setiferous pore placed almost in middle of lateral margin; metatibia only slightly curved in dorsal view, with dorsal surface convex.
description: Published as part of Konstantinov, Alexander, Chamorro, Maria Lourdes, Prathapan, K. D., Ge, Si-Qin & Yang, Xing-Ke, 2013, Moss-inhabiting flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) with description of a new genus from Cangshan, China, pp. 2459-2477 in Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) (J. Nat. Hist.) 47 (37 - 38) on pages 2464-2474, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2012.763068, http://zenodo.org/record/5197758