Morphostenophanes, PIC, 1925

Gao, Z. & Ren, G., 2009, Taxonomy Of The Genus Morphostenophanes Pic From China, With Two New Species (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 55 (4), pp. 307-319 : 308-310

GENUS MORPHOSTENOPHANES PIC, 1925

Morphostenophanes PIC, 1925: 7 , KASZAB 1941: 10, MASUMOTO & BEČVÁŘ 2008: 206, LÖBL et al. 2008: 344. Type species: Morphostenophanes aenescens PIC, 1925 (= M. aenescens var. diversus PIC, 1925 = M. aenescens var. subparallelus PIC, 1925 )

Promorphostenophanes KASZAB, 1960: 277 , MASUMOTO & BEČVÁŘ 2008: 206, LÖBL et al. 2008: 347. Type species: Promorphostenophanes atavus KASZAB, 1960

Diagnosis. The species of Morphostenophanes differ from each other in body outline, body size and elytral sculpture. All species are flightless, and the male usually possesses more slender body than female. Morphostenophanes species from China have various characteristics probably because of the particular geographical features with obvious gaps between high mountains and deep gorges in their distribution area (Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou). This genus is characterized as follows: body elongate, nearly glabrous on dorsal and ventral surfaces, constricted between pronotum and elytra, antennae slender with segments slightly thickened to each apex, femora not clavate, tarsi tufted ventrally, widened to each apex, anal sternite sulcate along outer margin, the sulcus interrupted in middle, genitalia in female and the 8th abdominal sternite sclerotized, hind wings absent.

Distribution. China, North Thailand, North Vietnam, Myanmar.

KEY TO THE GENUS MORPHOSTENOPHANES SPECIES FROM CHINA

1 Body length more than 17 mm 2

– Body length 12–15.5 mm 5

2 Elytra striate, without rows of large umbilicate punctures, body length 23–27 mm, Yunnan M. atavus ( KASZAB, 1960)

– Elytra not striate, with irregular rows of large umbilicate punctures 3

3 Each umbilicate puncture of elytra strongly raised at middle, body length 19 mm, Sichuan, Guizhou M. papillatus KASZAB, 1941

– Each umbilicate puncture of elytra not strongly raised at middle 4

4 Body purplish bronze, noticeably and greenly shining; frons between eyes slightly flattened, with a pair of deep concavities in anterior parts; pronotum widest a little before the middle, body length 19–20.5 mm, Guizhou

M. cuproviridis sp. n.

– Body nearly black, with slight metallic sheen; frons between eyes gently convex, without a pair of deep concavities in apical parts; pronotum widest at middle, body length 17–22 mm, Yunnan M. aenescens PIC, 1925

5 Elytra with irregular rows of tubercles, body length 15.5 mm, Yunnan M. tuberculatus sp. n.

– Elytra with rows of irregular punctures, which are often connected with one another and forming irregular foveae 6

6 Body narrower, ratio of body length/body width = 3.0, dorsal surface with strong metallic lustre; antennae slightly bolder, reaching basal 1/8 of elytra;

pronotum quadrate, less strongly convex above, 12–13 mm, Sichuan

M. tanikadoi MASUMOTO, 1998

– Body more robust, ratio of body length/body width = 2.6; antennae rather slenderer, reaching basal 1/5 of elytra; pronotum barrel-shaped, more strongly convex above 7

7 Clypeus weakly depressed in basal portion; postgenae distinctly produced; eyes strongly convex laterad; pronotum slightly bisinuate at base, sides noticeably produced laterad and sinuous in basal parts, disc weakly impressed on each side slightly before and behind the middle; elytral apices slightly produced, body length 12.5–15.5 mm, Yunnan

M. jendeki jendeki MASUMOTO, 1998

– Clypeus noticeably depressed in basal portion; postgenae less distinctly produced; eyes less strongly convex laterad; pronotum nearly straight in middle of base, sides evenly produced laterad, disc with a pair of round impressions slightly before the middle; elytral apices moderately produced, body length 12.5–15 mm, Yunnan M. jendeki similis MASUMOTO, 1998