Euphitrea houjayi, Lee, 2025

Euphitrea houjayi sp. nov.

Figs 1 D – F View Figure 1 , 2 B View Figure 2 , 4 B View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6

Neorthaea flavicornis : Chûjô 1935: 473 (part).

Type material.

Holotype • ♂ ( TARI): Taiwan. Chiayi • Alishan (阿里山), 25.IV.2009, leg. H.-J. Chen . Paratypes • 1 ♂, 3 ♀ ( TARI), same data as holotype • 1 ♀ ( TARI), same locality, 5–9.VIII.1981, leg. L. Y. Chou & S. C. Lin • 1 ♀ ( TARI), same locality, 12.V.2011, leg. C.-F. Lee • 3 ♀ ( TARI), same locality, 28.IX.2024, leg. Y.-C. Hsu • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (originally pinned with the same pin, TARI), same locality (= Arisan ), 10.X.1912, leg. I. Nitobe • 3 ♂, 1 ♀ (originally pinned with the same pin, TARI), same locality (= Arisan ), VII.1915, leg. M. Maki • 2 ♀ ( TARI), same locality (= Arisan ), 27.V.1917, leg. T. Shiraki • 9 ♂, 16 ♀ ( KMNH), Fenchihu (奮起湖), 8.VIII.1990, leg. S. Kimoto . The specimens collected by Nitobe and Maki were misidentified as E. flavicornis by Chûjô (1935).

Description.

Adults. Length 2.8–3.0 mm, width 1.7–1.9 mm ( n = 43). General color blackish brown or dark reddish brown (Fig. 1 D – F View Figure 1 ); antennae, legs, and mouthparts yellow; elytra dark metallic blue. Frontal ridge flat. Furrows lateral to vertex shallow and short, apically reaching or slightly exceeding apical margins of eyes (Fig. 2 B View Figure 2 ). Antennae (Fig. 6 A View Figure 6 ) filiform in males, ratios of lengths of antennomeres I – XI 1.0: 0.5: 0.6: 0.5: 0.6: 0.6: 0.7: 0.7: 0.7: 0.7: 0.9; ratios of length to width from antennomeres I – XI 2.7: 1.9: 2.5: 2.3: 2.5: 2.3: 2.4: 2.5: 2.4: 2.1: 2.8; similar in females, ratios of lengths of antennomeres I – XI (Fig. 6 B View Figure 6 ) 1.0: 0.5: 0.5: 0.5: 0.5: 0.5: 0.6: 0.6: 0.6: 0.6: 0.9; ratios of length to width from antennomeres I – XI 3.1: 2.2: 3.2: 2.5: 2.5: 2.6: 2.4: 2.5: 2.5: 2.4: 3.0. Pronotum 1.7–1.8 × wider than long; disc shining, with dense, coarse punctures, convex; lateral margins rounded; apical margins concave; basal margin medially convex. Elytra 1.2 × longer than wide; disc with coarse punctures arranged into paired longitudinal lines, with fine punctures between coarse punctures; lateral margins strongly rounded, widest at basal 1 / 4; humeral calli reduced, hind wings reduced to 50 % of normal wing size (Fig. 4 B View Figure 4 ). Tarsomeres I of front and middle legs slightly swollen and asymmetrical in males (Fig. 6 G View Figure 6 ); normal in females (Fig. 6 H View Figure 6 ). Apical margin of abdominal ventrite V in males trilobed, notches shallow; apical margin of abdominal ventrite V broadly rounded in females. Aedeagus (Fig. 6 C, D View Figure 6 ) wide, ~ 3.9 × longer than wide; parallel-sided, moderately apically narrowed at apical 1 / 7, apex widely rounded; moderately curved in lateral view; tectum membranous. Endophallic spiculae reduced. Gonocoxae (Fig. 6 E View Figure 6 ) longitudinal and connected at base; gonocoxa directed outwards, apically narrow; apex narrowly rounded or truncate; with eight long apical setae. Ventrite VIII (Fig. 6 F View Figure 6 ) well sclerotized and small, several short setae arranged into transverse line along apical margin, apical margin rounded, with three long setae at sides, spiculum extremely long. Spermathecal receptaculum (Fig. 6 I View Figure 6 ) strongly swollen; pump wide and curved; sclerotized spermathecal duct short beyond spermathecal gland, base of spermathecal gland enlarged and sclerotized.

Diagnosis.

Adults of Euphitrea houjayi sp. nov. are characterized by their reduced humeral calli on elytra and hind wings (normal humeral calli on elytra and hind wings in others). In addition, some genital characters are diagnostic, including wider aedeagi (Fig. 6 C View Figure 6 ) (more slender aedeagi in E. flavicornis (Fig. 3 C View Figure 3 ) and E. jungchani sp. nov. (Fig. 8 C View Figure 8 ) and moderately swollen spermathecal receptaculum (Fig. 6 I View Figure 6 ) (swollen spermathecal receptaculum in E. jungchani sp. nov. (Fig. 8 I View Figure 8 ) and E. tsoui sp. nov. (Fig. 9 I View Figure 9 )).

Food plants.

Polygonaceae : Persicaria thunbergii (Siebold & Zucc.) H. Gross

Etymology.

This new species is named for Hou-Jay Chen (陳厚潔), the first person to collect specimens.

Distribution.

Only found at the Alishan ( 2200 m) and Fenchihu ( 1400 m) (Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ). Current data indicate that only Euphitrea houjayi sp. nov. occurs at Alishan but not E. flavicornis . Interestingly, both species coexist at lower altitudes such as Fenchihu.