Morphosphaera japonica (Hornstedt)

(Figs 16–17)

Chrysomela japonica Hornstedt, 1788: 1; Gmelin, 1790: 1690 (list).

Morphosphaera japonica: Weise, 1924: 129 (list); Laboissière, 1930: 364 (Sichuan, Yunnan); Ogloblin, 1936: 232 (Far East), 408 (key); Chûjô & Kimoto, 1961: 167 (list, host plants); Gressitt and Kimoto, 1963a: 558 (China: Fujian, Sichuan); Kimoto, 1964: 372 (type deposition); Kimoto, 1965a: 377 (key); Kimoto & Hiura, 1965: 34 (Japan: Kagoshima); Kimoto & Gressitt, 1966: 526 (Japan: Nakanoshima); Abdullah & Qureshi, 1968: 400 (Pakistan); Wilcox, 1971: 219 (list); Medvedev & Zaytsev, 1978: 141 (larva); Kimoto, 1980: 155 (list); Dubeshko & Medvedev, 1989: 159 (list); Li, 1992: 185 (Jilin); Medvedev, 1992a: 582 (key); Medvedev, 1992b: 16 (Nepal); Yang, 1992a: 572 (Hunan); Yang, 1992b: 340 (Hunan); Kimoto & Takizawa, 1994: 237 (key), 311 (list); Yang et al. 1997: 882 (Hubei, Sichuan); Wang & Yang, 1998: 102 (Fujian); Medvedev & Sprecher, 1999: 315 (list); Basu, 2000: 311 (India: Meghalaya); Medvedev, 2000: 11 (Nepal); Li Yang, 2002: 304 (Guizhou); Yang, 2002: 643 (Fujian); Hartmann & Medvedev, 2003: 170 (Nepal); Kimoto, 2005: 65 (list); Zhang et al., 2006: 176 (Guizhou); Zhang & Yang, 2007: 302 (Guizhou); Beenen, 2010: 462 (list); Sprecher- Uebersax, 2011: 441 (list); Takahashi, 2012: 319 (specimens at the Osaka Museum of Natural History); Yang et al., 2015: 189 (key), 190 (list).

Adorium japonicum Baly, 1874: 176; Harold, 1875: 211 (as synonym of Chrysomela japonica Hornstedt); Kimoto, 1964 (type at BMNH). Synonymy confirmed

Type material. Chrysomela japonica. Hornstedt was a Swedish naturist. Most of his collection was housed in Swedish collections. However, types were not found at either the Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University (Hans Mejlon, personal communication, November 11, 2015) or Department of Zoology, the Swedish Museum of Natural History [NHRS] (Johannes Bergsten, personal communication, December 2, 2015). Types of Chrysomela japonica probably were never designated. These circumstances warrant the designation of a neotype to maintain nomenclatural stability and reduce the taxonomic confusion with morphological similar species such as M. caerulea (Schönfeldt) and M. chrysomeloides (Bates). Here a specimen housed at the NHRS and determined as C. japonica Hornstedt is designated as the neotype ♀, labeled: “Nanatadake. / Satsuma, Japan V. 98 / Mus. em. 24.IX.1898 [p, w] // japonica / Hornst. [h, w] // NHRS-JLKB / 0 0 0 0 23321 [p, w]”.

Adorium japonicum. Lectotype (BMNH, sex undetermined), here designated, labeled: “(Chrysomela) / japonica, / Hornst. / comp. with / figs. and descrips [h, w] // Type [p, w, circle label with red border] // Adorium / japonicum / Baly / Japan, China [h, b] // Baly Coll. [p, w]”. Paralectotypes: 1 ex. (BMNH): “Japan / G. Lewis / 1910-320 [p, w] // Nagasaki / 13.II.–21.IV.81 [p, w]”; 1 ex. (BMNH): “Japan / G. Lewis / 1910-320 [p, w] // Adorium / japonicum / Baly [h, w]”; 2 exs. (TARI, Shiraki collection): “NAGASAKI [h] / JAPAN [p] / 3.IV.1881 [h] / Col. G. LEWIS [p, w] // Adorium / japonicum Baly [h] / Det. T. Shiraki [p, w] // Morphosphaera / japonica / BALY [h] / DET. M. CHUJO [p, w]”; 1 ex. (BMNH): “Japan / G. Lewis / 1910-320 [p, w] // Feeds on small clinging Fig growing in shady places. [h, w]”; 5 exs. (BMNH): “Japan / G. Lewis / 1910-320 [p, w]”; 1 ex. (BMNH): “Japan [h, written on underside of card which specimen was glued] // Baly Coll. [p, w]”; 1 ex, (BMNH): “S / Japan / 73.32 [h, w] // Adorium / japonicum / Baly [h, w]”; 2 exs. (BMNH): “China [h, w] // Baly Coll. [p, w]”; 3 exs. (BMNH): “N / China [h, w] // Baly Coll. [p, w]”.

Description. Length 9.3–10.0 mm, width 5.5–6.2 mm. Elytra purplish metallic; head, meso- and metathoracic ventrites black, as well as antenna and leg; each abdominal ventrite with one pair of lateral black spots midway between median line and lateral margin, one much larger pair on last ventrite (Figs 16 A–16C); prothorax and abdomen yellow, pronotum with two pairs of large black spots in a transverse line across disc, inner pair smaller, as well as a small black spot on median line slightly anterior to basal margin, with black area along basal margin that is attenuated laterally (Fig. 16 D). Antenna filiform (Fig. 17 A), 0.5X as long as body; length ratios of antennomeres II to XI about 1.0: 1.6: 2.1: 2.0: 2.0: 2.0: 1.9: 1.9: 1.8: 2.2, and length to width ratios of antennomeres II to XI about 1.5: 2.1: 3.0: 2.5: 2.4: 2.5: 2.4: 2.6: 2.5: 3.3. Aedeagus variable, separated into three types: type I (Figs 17 B–17C) slender in dorsal view, 7.2x longer than wide, parallel-sided; apex lanceolate and with small rounded process at middle; ventral surface well sclerotized and smooth; narrow and moderately curved in lateral view; apical process of endophallic sclerite without subapical branch; apico-lateral process tapering apically; with one pair of processes erect and recurved outwards at apical 1/3; base tubelike; type II similar to type I with general shape (Figs 17 D–17E), but apical process of endophallic sclerite with subapical branch directed outwards; type III (Figs 17 F–17G) similar to type I with same endophallic sclerite, but general shape extremely slender, 10.5x longer than wide. Gonocoxae reduced. Ventrite VIII (Fig. 17 H) with short spiculum; apex transverse; with dense setae along entire apex. Receptacle of spermatheca (Fig. 17 I) elongately and moderately swollen, pump much narrower and strongly curved, proximal spermathecal duct long and wide.

Diagnosis. Morphosphaera japonica is similar to M. chrysomeloides and M. caerulea in possessing five black spots on the pronotum and bluish metallic elytra, but M. japonica can be separated from others by presence of a black band along the basal margin of the pronotum and meso- and metathoracic ventrites and legs black (no black band along basal margin of the pronotum and meso-metathorcic ventrites and femora reddish brown in M. chrysomeloides and M. caerulea).

Host Plants. Ficus pumila L., F. erecta Thunb., F. sarmentosa B. Ham. ex J. E. Sm. var. nipponica (Fr. & Sav.) Corner (Moraceae) (Chûjô and Kimoto 1961, Gressitt & Kimoto 1963a). Yang et al. (2015) listed also Morus alba (Moraceae).

Remarks. Different aedeagal types are divided by geographic distribution. Only type I was found in Japan, while types I and III can be found in China, and type II was found in Nepal.

Other material examined. CHINA. Fujian: 2 exs., Foochow (= Fuzhou), 1935-6, leg. M. S. Yang (BMNH); 1 ex., Fou Tcheou (= Fuzhou), leg. J. Achard (NMPC); 1 ex., Kaoyang, 12.VII.1942, leg. T. C. Maa (BPBM); 1 ex., Shaowu, ShuiPeiKai, V.1944, leg. T. C. Maa (BPBM); 2 exs., Zhaizhong, 21.VIII.2014, leg. native collector (TARI); Guangxi: 2 exs., Longsheng Hot Spring, 11–14.IV.2013, leg. M. Fikáček, J. Hájek, J. Růžička (NMPC); Guizhou [Koúy Tchéou]: 3 exs., Koúy Yang Foú (= Guiyang) (NMPC); Jiangxi: 1 ex., Kiukiang (= Jiujiang), leg. Matějka (NMPC); Shandong: 4 exs., Kiautschau, leg. W. H. Nycge (MTD); 1 ex., same locality, leg. Matějka (NMPC); Sichuan: 1 ex., Daiwopu, 22.VI.2013, leg. native collector (TARI); 1 ex., Kina, leg. Hummel (NHRS); 2 exs., Tatsienlu (= Kading), leg. Reitter (NMPC); 1 ex., Tasienlu, Yüling Süd, leg. E. Reitter (NMPC); Yunnan: 2 exs., Shilin, 60km SE Kuming, 3–4.VII.1990, leg. D. Král (NHMB); 2 exs., same but with “leg. V. Kubáň (NHMB); 3 exs., same locality, 10.VII.1990, leg. L. & M. Bocák (NHMB); 1 ex., XI Shan, W Kunming, 2.IV.1999, leg. P. Jäger (SMNS); 3 exs,. leg. P. Guerry (MCSN); JAPAN. 11 exs., Ichinotani, Suma-Kobe, 5.VII.1932, leg. Reitter (JBCB, NMPC); 1 ex., Ikuwa, Awaji island, 1.VIII.2932 (JBCB); 3 exs., Kioto (= Kyoto) (NMPC); 24 exs., Tsushima, leg. W. H. Muche (MTD); 1 ex., Satsuma, V.1886, leg. Leech (MTD); Kyushu: 1 ex., Fukuoka Pref., Mt. Wakasugi, 15.V.1960, leg. S. Miyamoto (KMNH); 1 ex., Fukuoka City, Mt. Atago, 9.V.1954, leg. K. Morimoto (KMNH); 1 ex., same locality, 13.VI.1956, leg. S. Kimoto (KMNH); 1 ex., Fukuoka City, Mt. Tachibana, 30.IV.1979, leg. K. Morimoto (KMNH); 1 ex., Kumamoto City, Tatsudayama, 23.VI.1959, leg. A. Kawarabata (KMNH); Shikoku: 1 ex., Kohchi Pref., Kurosan, 29.IV.1956, leg. Y. Murakami (KMNH); NEPAL. Sankhua Sabha: 2 exs., Arun Valley bottom betw. Hedangna and Num, 6–8.VI.1988, leg. J. Martens & W. Schawaller (SMNS); VIETNAM. 1 ex., Laos Tonkin, 1907, leg. W. H. Muche (MTD); 1 ex., Lao-Kai prov., Sa-Pa, 14.IV.1962, leg. A. Warchalowski (RBCN).

Distribution. China (Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jilin, Shandong, Sichuan, Yunnan); India (Meghalaya), Japan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia (Far East), Vietnam. Beenen (2010) and Yang et al. (2015) listed also from China (Zhejiang).