Lophaliamorpha Eya, 2024

Lophaliamorpha Eya , new genus

Type species. Sphenothecus luteicollis Bates, 1885 View in CoL

A new genus Lophaliamorpha is created to include Ischnocnemis luteicollis Bates View in CoL and Lophalia cribricollis Bates View in CoL , and the following new combinations are proposed: Lophaliamorpha luteicollis ( Bates, 1885) new combination, and L. cribricollis ( Bates 1892) View in CoL new combination.

Description. Form moderate sized, sides subparallel. Head with front short, declivous in middle, mid-cranial sulcus (or median line) deeply canaliculate or well defined, extending from postclypeus towards vertex past antennal tubercles, each side above postclypeus below antennal insertion with a deep pit, frontoclypeal sulcus transversely excavated between pits; genae very short, anterior margins of lower eye lobes almost contiguous with base of mandibles; palpi short, subequal, last segments not expanded, outer edges of maxillary palpi impressed, apices truncate; mandibles with sides strongly angulated near base then arcuate towards apices, outer edges vaguely impressed and striate-punctate; apices simple, narrowly rounded or truncate; eyes moderately large, finely faceted, upper lobes small, well separated, lower lobes large; antennal tubercles divergent, moderately elevated above vertex, apices angulate; integument between tubercles deeply impressed; antennae elongate, slender, 11-segmented, 11 th antennomere vaguely to non-appendiculate. Pronotum hexagonal, slightly broader than long, narrower than base of elytra at humeri, sides obtusely tuberculate to angulate; disc arcuately impressed above lateral tubercles and basal two-thirds distinctly flattened or impressed in middle; prosternum with intercoxal process level with coxae, narrower than coxal cavity, occasionally impressed medially, apex vertically concave, coxal cavities wide open behind; mesosternum with intercoxal process prominent, protuberant above coxae, vertical or abruptly declivous and excavated anteriorly; posterior-lateral margins vaguely overlapping coxae. Scutellum triangular, glabrous, apex attenuating to a narrow point. Elytra each with three, distinct, longitudinal, glabrous costae; apices obliquely truncate, serrate with sutural angles minutely dentate, exterior angles obtusely angulate to rounded or minutely dentate. Legs moderately short; metafemora falling short of elytral apices in both sexes; metatarsomere I subequal to or slightly longer than tarsomeres II and III combined. Abdomen normally segmented.

Discussion. Lophaliamorpha Eya new genus is characterized as follows: (1) head with front short, declivous in middle ( Fig. 121 View Figures 109–127 , 135 View Figures 129–138 ); (2) mid-cranial sulcus (median line) deeply canaliculate or well defined, extending from postclypeus to vertex past the antennal tubercles ( Fig. 119 View Figures 109–127 ); (5) mandibles with sides strongly angulated near base ( Fig. 121 View Figures 109–127 , 135 View Figures 129–138 ); (3) genae narrow, lower eye lobes almost contiguous with mandibles ( Fig. 120 View Figures 109–127 , 134 View Figures 129–138 ); (5) antennal tubercles moderately elevated, divergent, and the integument between tubercles deeply impressed forming a V-shaped valley sloping down to mid-cranial sulcus ( Fig. 121 View Figures 109–127 , 135 View Figures 129–138 ); (6) pronotum hexagonal with sides impressed above lateral tubercles ( Fig. 122 View Figures 109–127 , 136 View Figures 129–138 ) and basal two-thirds distinctly flattened or impressed in middle ( Fig. 123 View Figures 109–127 , 137 View Figures 129–138 ); (7) mesosternal intercoxal process that is protuberant above coxae, vertical or abruptly declivous anteriorly ( Fig. 123 View Figures 109–127 , 137 View Figures 129–138 ); (8) each elytron with three, distinct, longitudinal, glabrous costae ( Fig. 124 View Figures 109–127 , 138 View Figures 129–138 ) with apex truncate to obliquely truncate with exterior angle obtusely angulate ( Fig. 126 View Figures 109–127 , 138 View Figures 129–138 ), minutely dentate ( Fig. 125 View Figures 109–127 ) or rounded; (8) scutellum triangular with apex attenuating to a narrow point; and (10) metatarsomere I subequal to or slightly longer than tarsomeres II and III combined ( Fig. 127 View Figures 109–127 ).

Lophaliamorpha can be separated from Lophalia Casey by the three, distinct, longitudinal, glabrous costae on each elytron, hexagonal pronotum that is cribriform or alveolate punctate with basal two-thirds distinctly flattened or impressed in middle, and obliquely truncate elytral apices with exterior angles usually angulate and unarmed. The front is declivous in middle and the mid-cranial sulcus is deeply canaliculate from the frontoclypeal sulcus on to vertex. The mandibles are strongly angulated at sides, and genae narrow with anterior margins of lower eyes almost contiguous with the base of mandibles. The antennal tubercles are moderately elevated and divergent with the integument between tubercles deeply impressed. Lophalia can be differentiated from Lophaliamorpha by the subparallel form, dark polished integument, broadly rounded sides of pronotum, and strongly dentate exterior angle of elytral apices. The front of Lophalia is convex and subvertical with integument between antennal tubercles is not or barely impressed. Lophalia has mandibles that are arcuate at sides, and the mid-cranial sulcus is shallow or vague. The metatarsomeres are more elongate in Lophaliamorpha ( Fig. 127 View Figures 109–127 ) compared to Lophalia (Fig. 128). Lophaliamorpha can be differentiated from Zalophia by the elongate and slender basal antennomeres ( Fig. 68 View Figures 65–68 ) and cribriform or alveolate punctate pronotum that are not obscured by pubescence. Zalophia has short and stout basal antennomeres ( Fig. 65 View Figures 65–68 ) and pronotum that are densely hirsute.

Etymology. The etymology of the name Lophaliamorpha refers to the shape or appearance that resembles Lophalia . The suffix “ -morpha ” is Latin from “- morphus ” or “shaped” from Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ, “shape, appearance”). Lophaliamorpha is a genus-group name with Latinized feminine ending.