Walteriella taiwana ( Kasantsev, 1999 )

Walteriella taiwana ( Kasantsev, 1999)

Figs. 1A–B View FIGURE 1 , 2B, D, F View FIGURE 2 , 3A, D–E View FIGURE 3 , 5A–D View FIGURE 5 , 7A View FIGURE 7 , 8A View FIGURE 8 , 9A View FIGURE 9 , 10 View FIGURE 10

Walteria taiwana Kasantsev, 1999: 120 .

Walteriella taiwana : Kazantsev & Brancucci 2007: 273.

Type material examined. Holotype ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ): ♂: “( Near Chihtuan ) / Taoyuan Hsien, / alt. 1200m TAIWAN / 31st March, 1980 / Coll. T. Shimomura // HOLOTYPUS / des. S. Kasantsev // Walteria / taiwana n. sp. / S. Kasantsev det. 1997 // Walteria / taiwana n. sp. / S. Kasantsev det. 1997 // CANTHARIDAE / CANTH00002833” ( NHMB).

Additional material examined. CHIAYI COUNTY: 1 ♂, 18 Provincial Rd. , 67.5 km, 26.IV.2004, By Sweeping, J.-H. Chen & C.-Y. Huang leg. ( NMNS: NMNS ENT 4809-40 View Materials ) . HSINCHU COUNTY: 1 ♀, Mamei, Jianshih , 19.IV.2017, S.-H. Chang leg. ( YHC) . KAOHSIUNG CITY: 1 ♀, Tengjhih, Tauyuan , 28.III.2015, W.-C. Liao leg. ( YHC) . NANTOU COUNTY: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Sungkang , 17.IV.1995, C. Lou leg. ( KURA) ; 1 ♂, Guandaoshan , 9.IV.1996, R. Matsumoto leg. ( KURA) ; 2 ♂, Fenghuangshan , 3.III.2012, Y.-T. Wang leg. ( YHC) ; 1 ♂, 23.5147279, 120.9095722, Shalixian Forest Road, Xinyi , 17.IV.2025, By Sweeping, M. Geiser leg. ( YHC) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Adults of this species can be readily distinguished from its Taiwanese congeners by the following characters (states of W. brunnea , W. sanguinea brevemarginata and W. kasugana in parentheses): red pronotum, covered with reddish pubescence ( Figs. 1A–B View FIGURE 1 , 3A, D–E View FIGURE 3 ) (black to reddish brown, covered with pale pubescence; Figs. 1C–F View FIGURE 1 , 3B–C, F–M View FIGURE 3 ); red elytra ( Figs. 1A–B View FIGURE 1 , 3A, D–E View FIGURE 3 ) (yellowish brown in W. kasugana and some specimens of W. brunnea ; Figs. 1F View FIGURE 1 , 3B, G, L–M View FIGURE 3 ); antennae serrate ( Figs. 1A–B View FIGURE 1 , 3A, D–E View FIGURE 3 ) (filiform; Figs. 1C–F View FIGURE 1 , 3B–C, F–M View FIGURE 3 ); subquadrate pronotum, with lateral margins complete ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ) (usually trapezoidal, with anterior angles and margin rounded and somewhat expanded, lateral margins absent in posterior half; Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ); strongly expanded elytra, with four distinctly developed costae ( Figs. 1A–B View FIGURE 1 , 2D View FIGURE 2 , 3A, D–E View FIGURE 3 ) (parallel-sided or only weakly widened apically, with two weakly developed costae; Figs. 1C–F View FIGURE 1 , 2E View FIGURE 2 , 3B–C, F–M View FIGURE 3 ); anterior claw of each leg with a small basal tooth ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ) (simple; Fig. 3G View FIGURE 3 ); aedeagus: dorsal plate of each paramere with two apical teeth from caudal view ( Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ) and one basal tooth on the inner surface ( Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 ), laterophyses distinctly separated from each other ( Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 ), with apex acute, not exceeding the middle emargination of dorsal plate (dorsal plate of each paramere with only one apical tooth from caudal view ( Figs. 5H, L View FIGURE 5 , 6D View FIGURE 6 ), without basal tooth on the inner surface, laterophyses closely next to each other ( Fig. 5G, K View FIGURE 5 , 6C View FIGURE 6 ), with apex rounded, largely exceeding the middle emargination of dorsal plate); female abdominal ventrite VII: terminal margin subrounded laterally, with a well-developed and distinctly sclerotised membrane behind the middle emargination ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ) (truncate or slightly sinuate laterally, with a small and weakly sclerotised membrane behind the middle emargination; Fig. 7B–D View FIGURE 7 ); female genitalia: pyriform vagina, with surface smooth, and extremely short spermathecal duct ( Fig. 8A View FIGURE 8 ) (stout and rounded vagina, with surface wrinkled, and longer and well-developed spermathecal duct; Fig. 8B–D View FIGURE 8 ).

Supplementary description

Male. Aedeagus ( Fig. 5A–D View FIGURE 5 ). Oval; globular and swollen dorsally at base. Ventral process of each paramere subcylindrical, moderately narrowed apically, bent inwards; dorsal plate of each paramere with two well-developed teeth from caudal view and a large basal tooth on inner surface, nearly as long as ventral process, distinctly curved inwards, rounded apically, forming a broad, oval middle emargination; laterophyses distinctly separated from each other, bent dorsad, apically acute, not exceeding the middle emargination of dorsal plate.

Female. Abdominal ventrite VII ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ) with lateral margins weakly arcuate, terminal margin subrounded laterally and concave medially, with a rounded and distinctly sclerotised membrane behind the middle emargination. Female genitalia ( Fig. 8A View FIGURE 8 ) with vagina pyriform; diverticulum moderately spiralling, much longer than spermathecal duct; spermatheca with a moderately spiral and very long tube, slightly longer than diverticulum; accessory gland very long, about 4.0 times as long as diverticulum.

Distribution and phenology. This species is widely distributed in the mountainous regions of Taiwan’s main island ( Fig. 9A View FIGURE 9 ), with occurrence records ranging from early March to late May, peaking in middle April ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 ). Based on the available data, this species is sympatric with three other Walteriella species in Taiwan.