Meligethes (Odonthogethes) pallidoelytrorum Chen & Kirejtshuk, 2013, in Chen et al. 2013

(MALE gENITALIA AS IN FIgS. 2A, b IN LIU et al. 2017. THE OvIpOSITOR Of THIS SpECIES IS ILLUSTRATED IN FIg. 3f IN LIU et al. 2017.)

Examined material. China, SICHUAN, LUDINg COUNTY, MOXI TOWN, MT. GONggA, HAILUOgOU, 2950–2970 m A.S.L., 29.575° 101.996667°, 22.vI.2017, LIU & AUDISIO LgT, ON Rubus niveus THUNb. ( ROSACEAE), 7 ♂, 9 ♀ (NWAU, CAR- MZUR, NMPC, ARCC).

Distribution. KNOWN THUS fAR WITH CERTAINTY ONLY fROm SICHUAN pROvINCE (CHEN et al. 2013; AUDISIO et al. 2015) (FIg. 6A).

Host-plants. SEvERAL ADULT SpECImENS AND TWO LARvAE HAvE bEEN RECENTLY COLLECTED (SEE AbOvE: MT. GONggA, SICHUAN, JUNE 2017) ON REDDISH fLOWERS Of THE SHRUb Rubus niveus THUNb. ( ROSACEAE) (FIg. 4b), WHICH REpRESENTS A TRUE LARvAL HOST-pLANT. COmbINED LOCALITY DATA INDICATES THAT THIS SpECIES AppEARS TO pREfER THE EDgES Of mIDDLE-HIgH ALTITUDE fORESTED AREAS (2000–3000 m), IN RATHER SHADY AND HUmID pLACES, fREqUENTLY AT THE EDgES Of RIvER bANKS AND SmALL STREAmS.

Taxonomic remarks. DESpITE ITS EXTERNAL SImILARITY TO M. simulator fROm SHAANXI, GANSU AND TO M. luteomaculatus Sp. N. fROm HUbEI, THIS SpECIES IS WELL-CHARACTERIZED bY ITS DISTINCTIvE mALE gENITALIA (FIgS. 2A–D IN LIU et al. 2017). FEmALE SpECImENS Of M. pallidoelytrorum ON THE CONTRARY SHARE A SImILAR AppEARINg OvIpOSITOR AS M. simulator (FIg. 2K HEREIN AND FIg. 3g IN LIU et al. 2017).