Reappraisal of the genus Taumacera Thunberg with descriptions of two new species from South‐East Asia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae)

Abstract

The galerucine genus Taumacera Thunberg is reviewed. Platyxantha Baly is placed in synonymy with Taumacera. The Taumacera deusta species-group is defined and two new species are described in this group: Taumacera mohamedsaidi from Borneo and Taumacera evi from Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. A new name, Taumacera seminigra, is provided for Taumacera nigripennis (Jacoby 1900a), nec Jacoby 1884, and Taumacera martapurensis Mohamedsaid is synonymised with Taumacera sucki Weise.A key is given for the deusta species-group and a revised checklist presented for all Taumacera species.

Secondary Sexual Characteristics in the Galerucinae (Sensu Stricto) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

“…The genus Platyxantha Baly was reduced by Reid [25] to a synonym of Taumacera Thunberg, but this synonymy applies only to species from the Oriental Region. Platyxantha from the African Region has not been revised, and in the present study, 28 species are listed with modified characteristics that possibly belong to another genus than Taumacera.…”

Taumacera revisited, with new synonyms, new combinations and a revised catalogue of the species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae)

“…In past decades, Taumacera was often confused with Cerophy sa. The differences between the two genera were already published by MOHAMEDSAID (1993) and REID (1999). Here, I expound on the differencies as follows (Taumacera fi rst): posterior margin of procoxal cavities closed (open in Cerophysa); males with metasternal process (without process in Cerophysa); pronotum more fl at, with well-developed and visible lateral and posterior borders (pronotum more convex, with very thin lateral and posterior borders; lateral borders often not visible from above); unmodifi ed antennomeres longer, ca.…”

“…Differential diagnosis. Taumacera is close to Palpoxena Baly, 1861, and both genera can be treated as sister-genera (REID 1999). They share the closed anterior coxal cavities, meso-and metatibia without an apical spine (some Taumacera have a spine on subapical lobe on metatibia), and a similar structure of the aedeagus.…”

“…REID (1999) revised the generic concept of Taumacera, proposed Doridea, Platyxantha and Platyxanthoides Laboissière, 1933 as its synonyms, and established the Taumacera deusta species-group for species with an expanded antennomere III. During the last 25 years, additional new species of Taumacera were described by MEDVEDEV (2008), MEDVEDEV & ROMANTSOV (2013), MOHAMEDSAID (1993MOHAMEDSAID ( , 1994MOHAMEDSAID ( , 1998bMOHAMEDSAID ( , 2001aMOHAMEDSAID ( ,b, 2002MOHAMEDSAID ( , 2010a and REID (1999REID ( , 2001). Several previously named species were also transferred to Taumacera from other genera (e.g., MOHAMEDSAID 2004, MOHAMEDSAID & CONSTANT 2007, or they were synonymized (REID 1998).…”

Recognition of the genusHoplosaenideaLaboissière in Australia, with a key to the Australian genera of Galerucini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae)

“…Hoplosaenidea Laboissière is a typical example. It belongs to a large complex of palaeotropical genera, including Taumacera Thunberg, Theopea Baly and Palpoxena Baly (Seeno & Wilcox 1982; Reid 1999), which is otherwise unrecorded from Australia and New Guinea. Hoplosaenidea is recorded here for the first time from Australia, with a single species, which also occurs in New Guinea.…”