Fidia kanaraensis Kumari & Moseyko & Strother & Prathapan 2020, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Kumari, S. Amritha
name: Moseyko, A. G.
name: Strother, M. S.
name: Prathapan, K. D.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Fidia
Fidia kanaraensis

description: Fidia kanaraensis (Jacoby, 1895) comb. nov.
Figs 1–22, 24–25
Leprotes kanaraensis Jacoby, 1895: 270.
Leprotes kanaraensis – Jacoby 1908: 426. — Clavareau 1914: 76 (catalog).
Material examined
Type material
INDIA • 1 spec. (syntype of Leprotes kanaraensis, right antenna without five distal antennomeres; left antenna without three distal antennomeres; tibia and tarsi of right foreleg missing); Kanara; Jacoby leg; NHM 1909-28a (Fig. 18) • 1 spec. (syntype of Leprotes kanaraensis, labelled as “Cotype”); Kanara; H.E. Andrewes Bequest leg.; BMNH B.M. 1922–221 (Fig. 19) • 1 spec. (syntype of Leprotes kanaraensis, labelled as “Cotype”); Mahe, Malabar; MCZ Type 9764 (images available from: http://140.247.96.247/mcz/Species_record.php?id=9383).
Other material (44 specimens)
INDIA • 1 unsexed; India, Kerala, Vellayani; 08º 25′47.5″ N, 76º 59′8.3″ E; 18 m a.s.l.; 12 May 2017; Amritha Kumari leg.; cashew; KAU • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 12 Apr. 2017; KAU • 1 unsexed; same collection data as for preceding; 13 Jun. 2017; KAU • 3 unsexed; same collection data as for preceding; 15 Jun. 2017; KAU • 1 unsexed; same collection data as for preceding; 26 Jun. 2017; KAU • 1 unsexed; same collection data as for preceding; 24 Jun. 2017; H. Sangamesh leg.; at light; KAU • 1 unsexed; same collection data as for preceding; 15 May 2019; KAU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 unsexed; Kerala, Kallar; 8º41′48.9″ N, 77º7′53.6″ E; 25 Mar. 2018; S.R. Hiremath leg.; Mangifera indica; NBAIR • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 13 unsexed; Kerala, CRS, Pampadumpara; 9º48′23.7″ N, 77º10.04′9″ E; 23 Apr. 2018; S. Amritha Kumari. leg.; mango; NBAIR • 1 unsexed; Karnataka, Bangalore; 916 m a.s.l.; 27 May 2006; K.J. David leg.; mango; UASB • 2 unsexed; Karnataka, Bangalore, GKVK; 8 Jun. 2006; K.S. Girish leg.; Mangifera indica; UASB • 1 unsexed; Karnataka, Bangalore, Hessarghatta; 12 Jul. 2009; H.M. Yeshwanth; UASB • 1 unsexed; Karnataka, Bangalore, Attur, 10 May 2012; mango; C.A. Viraktamath leg.; UASB • 1 unsexed; S Malabar, Walayar; 2000 ft. a.s.l.; 8 Aug. 1938; UASB • 1 unsexed; N Malabar, Taliparamba; 4 Aug. 1927; A.G.R. Coll leg.; pepper; UASB • 3 unsexed; Karnataka, Shanthigodu; Apr. 1988; cashew sp. 17, CIE A20806, Pres. by Comm. Inst. Entomol. BM1990-1; identified by M.L. Cox as Neculla? pollinaria; BMNH • 1 unsexed; Sindhudurg, Vengurla; 16 Apr. 1989;?mango/cashew sp. 60, N. Khochare, CIE A20874, Pres. by Comm. Inst. Entomol. BM1990-1; identified by M.L. Cox as Neculla? pollinaria; BMNH • 1 unsexed; Côte de Malabar; T. Deschamps leg.; 1900; F. Monros leg.; USNM • 2 unsexed; Chota-Nagpore, Barway, P. Cardon; Jun.–Aug. 1896; F. Monros leg.; USNM • 2 unsexed; Kerala, Chalakudy; 9 May 2008; J. Thomas leg.; cashew; ZIN • 1 unsexed; Kerala, Erattupettah, Wagamon Pass; 25 Apr. 2010; Prathapan leg.; ZIN.
Redescription
BODY LENGTH. 4.6–5.0 mm (male); 6.4–7.2 mm (female). Width 2.6–2.8 mm (male); 3.3–3.9 mm (female). Body covered with white powdery encrustation (Figs 2–4, 25) absent on antennae, eyes, mouth parts and distal portion of legs. Integument entirely black except labrum, labium, maxilla, basal three or four antennomeres and claws dark chocolate brown. Entire dorsum covered with creamy white, dorsoventrally flattened, erect or curved pointed setae (Figs 1, 4).
HEAD. As densely setose as pronotum; punctures dense and coarse, distance between adjacent punctures less than half of diameter of a puncture (Fig. 5). Frons flat or gently depressed medially; anteriorly sparsely setose, sloping with smaller punctures, merges with narrow clypeus; anterolateral corners obtusely projecting. Antenna exceeds half of body length in male, shorter in female. First antennomere curved, thick, proximally black, distally brown; second antennomere thinner than first; 3–6 thin; 7–11 progressively broadened. Ratio of length of antennomeres 1–11 equals 1: 0.64–0.9: 0.7–0.8: 0.7–0.87: 0.87–0.93: 0.78–0.87: 1.04–1.16: 0.87–0.96: 0.9–1.01: 0.87–0.99: 1.16–1.19 (male); 1: 0.68–0.78: 0.78: 0.85: 0.9: 0.78–0.83: 0.93–1.1: 0.78–0.85: 0.73–0.88: 0.75–0.85: 1–1.15 (female). 8 th and 9 th antennomeres 1.8–2 times longer than broad. Transverse diameter of eye subequal to vertical, 3.7 to 4.8 times distance between antennal socket and eye. Interoccular space 1.75 to 2 times wider than interantennal space in males, 1.3–1.5 times wider in females. Transverse diameter of eye about 2.9 times diameter of antennal socket in male, 3.4–3.6 times in female. Interantennal space 1.3–1.8 times transverse diameter of one eye. Maximum width of head 1.5–1.7 times interocular space, 2.6–2.9 times interantennal space. Clypeus indistinct, narrow, with very short setae, anterior margin concave. Labrum broad apically; anterior margin thick, sloping, feebly emarginate; with a transverse row of four setose punctures, anterolateral corners each with a group of three longer setae, anterior margin of labrum with a row of short setae on either side, absent in middle. Maxillary palpi with apical palpomere longest, broadest; penultimate palpomere apparently shorter than one preceding it. Labial palpi with apical palpomere longer than preceding one. Mandibles stout, with long, bent setae laterally.
PRONOTUM. 1.3–1.5 times broader than long; posteriorly 1.2–1.4 times wider than anteriorly; lateral margin weakly formed in posterior half, absent anteriorly, weakly but regularly convex. Anterolateral callosity rounded with setae bearing pore placed laterally, not distinctly protruding laterally; posterolateral callosity rounded with seta bearing pore slightly protruding laterally. Punctures on pronotum subequal to those on vertex, distinctly smaller than elytral ones.
SCUTELLUM. Longer than broad, apex weakly angulate presenting pentagonal appearance, with dense setae and punctures anteriorly, impunctate and shiny posteriorly.
ELYTRA. 1.28–1.38 times longer than broad. Elytra convex, sloping from apical third; lateral margins distinctly curved in middle; apex concave, obtusely angulate at sutural angle; humeral calli well developed with depression mesally and posteriorly; basal calli weakly but distinctly developed with weak depression posteriorly; punctures semiregular with a few countable rows in posterior half near sutural margin; interstices setose; setae flat, pointed.
THORAX. Propleura with setose punctures. Thoracic sternites pubescent. Prosternum subquadrate with concave lateral margins, broadened posteriorly, densely punctate.
ABDOMEN. Ventrites setose; first ventrite longer than following two combined; first ventrite longest, ventrites 2–4 each shorter than preceding one, fifth longer than fourth, shorter than 3 and 4 combined.
MALE GENITALIA. Tegmen (first spiculum of Jolivet & Verma 2008) membranous with ‘Y’-shaped sclerotization, bifurcated distally, basal region narrow, encircles aedeagus (Fig. 9). Aedeagus in ventral view broadest proximally with lateral margin slightly concave medially, narrowed towards apex; apex triangular with tip truncated, ventral surface concave medially, more or less flat distally (Fig. 6). Spiculum gastrale (second spiculum of Jolivet & Verma 2008) Y-shaped with curved lateral arms, stem distinctly bent at tip. Tergite VIII semi-elliptical in shape with setose apical margin; spiculum relictum indistinct, Y-shaped (Fig. 8). Endophallus everted completely through apical opening, much longer than aedeagus proper with three distinct regions: basal phallomere (BP), median phallomere (MP) and apical phallomere (AP) (Fig. 10). Basal phallomere slightly shorter than median phallomere, narrowed in proximal half with a pair each of longitudinal sclerites dorsally and ventrally; distal half bulged with a large ventral bulb, covered with circular and triangular spicules. Median phallomere longest with a shorter proximal part and a longer distal part; proximal part with a small ventral bulb, membrane with a few circular spicules; distal part widest medially, membrane covered with small triangular spicules arranged serially. Apical phallomere globular, with three pairs of ventro-apical lobes (L1, L2 & L3) and a bifurcated apical sclerite (AS). Endophallus, when inflated through basal opening (Figs 11–12), only part of median phallomere and apical phallomere were visible; basal phallomere completely and proximal region of median phallomere being hidden.
FEMALE GENITALIA (Fig. 13). With spermathecal capsule sickle shaped, weakly constricted proximally, apex subobtuse, inner margin almost V-shaped, outer margin strongly curved (Fig. 16). Length of spermathecal capsule 2.6–3.1 times its maximum width. Bursa copulatrix distinctly sclerotized, almost bean shaped (Fig. 14); spermathecal duct short, enters bursa copulatrix at its apex; spermathecal gland long, tubular, translucent, bifurcated in distal ⅔, arise close to spermathecal duct. Tergite VIII simple and crescent-shaped (Fig. 17), bears a number of long setae on its apical margin. Sternite VIII unrecognizable and tignum sensu Konstantinov 1998 (spiculum ventrale sensu Ślipiński & Escalona 2013) absent. Ovipositor very short, with partially reduced structures (Fig. 15). Proctiger is represented by a pair of baculi, connected basally with paraprocts. Paraprocts are small, connected with baculi of proctiger and valvifers. Valvifers are slightly elongate, coxites are with pointed apex and lack long setae on the apex. Styli are absent.
Distribution
India (Bengal, ‘southern Bombay’, Karnataka, Kerala).
Host plants
Anacardium occidentale L. (new record) and Mangifera indica L. (Rajendran & Singh 2016) (both Anacardiaceae).
Biology
Fidia kanaraensis is a pest of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) and mango (Mangifera indica) in south India. Adults create moderate sized circular or irregular holes on the tender leaves (Fig. 26), mostly during the night and late evening hours, and hardly come out during the day. Infestation is apparently higher in cooler areas. Rajendran & Singh (2016) listed it as a pest of mango. No further information was available on its immature stages or biology. This is the first record of F. kanaraensis on cashew. Eggs were laid singly on the surface of soil and covered with a mixture of excreta and soil (Fig. 20). They are elliptical (0.58–0.73 mm × 0.40 mm) in shape and are cream or light yellow in color (Fig. 21). Eggs hatched after about 15 days. Grubs are scarabaeiform, C-shaped, dorsum covered with long setae and actively moved forward using the anal pseudopod (Figs 22, 24). Larvae bored into the roots. In the laboratory, they created a tunnel inside pieces of root and stem of seedlings of mango and cashew (Fig. 23). However, none of the larvae survived till the final instar in the laboratory.
Remarks
The genus in India is represented by two species. Fidia indica (Jacoby, 1908), the other Indian species, can be separated from F. kanaraensis by the more regularly arranged elytral punctures (rather confused, with countable rows in posterior half of elytra in F. kanaraensis) and finely transversely wrinkled elytral interstices in the basal area (interstices not wrinkled in F. kanaraensis). Fidia shirozui (Kimoto, 1969), from Taiwan, closely resembles F. kanaraensis and differences between these species require additional study.
description: Published as part of Kumari, S. Amritha, Moseyko, A. G., Strother, M. S. & Prathapan, K. D., 2020, Neofidia Strother, a new name for Fidia Baly, 1863 and redescription of Fidia kanaraensis (Jacoby, 1895) with a new host record and notes on natural history (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Eumolpinae), pp. 1-25 in European Journal of Taxonomy 654 on pages 10-16, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.654, http://zenodo.org/record/3865514