Revision of the wingless Sikkimia Duvivier (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae) from Taiwan, including a new generic synonymy and four new species descriptions

Abstract

The genus Taiwanolepta Kimoto, 1989 (type species T. babai Kimoto, 1989) is proposed as a junior synonym of Sikkimia Duvivier, 1891. Sikkimia species from Taiwan form a group characterized by the reduction of their hind wings. Most of them cannot be distinguished using external morphology, except by the structure of last two antennomeres in males. Diagnoses are made by using distribution, aedeagal, and gonocoxal morphology. The group includes one previously described species, Sikkimia babai (Kimoto, 1989), comb. n., and four new species, S. meihuai sp. n., S. sufangae sp. n., S. tsoui sp. n., and S. yuae sp. n. Speciation models, supporting the high diversity of Sikkimia species in Taiwan, are discussed. Sikkimia metallica Jacoby, 1903 and S. tamra Maulik, 1936, both from southern India, are transferred to the genus Cerophysa Chevrolat, 1836.