Aethina (Aethina) shizhuica Chen & Huang, 2024

Chen, Xiaoxiao, Zhang, Jianhui & Huang, Min, 2024, New species and records of subgenus Aethina from China (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Zootaxa 5471 (1), pp. 141-147 : 143-144

Aethina (Aethina) shizhuica Chen & Huang , sp. nov.

( Figs.10–16 )

Specimens examined. Holotype, ♂ China: Chongqing Province, Shizhu County, Huangshui National Forest Park, 21-IV-2017, Xiaoxiao CHEN, NWAFU.

Diagnosis. This species similar to A. (A.) aenepennis Reitter, 1873 , but differs from the latter in: dorsal surface with yellowish and darkish pubescent; scutellum trapezoid; abdominal ventrite 2 to 5 gradually longer; anal sclerite dentate apically; tegmen with length 2× width, without hairs apically; median lobe with an obviously project apically and a pair of peach-shaped sclerite apically.

Description (male). Length 4.1 mm, width 2.3 mm. Body oval, strongly convex. Dorsal and ventral surface black, lateral margin of pronotum, pygidium, antennae, legs, mouth parts and abdominal segments yellowish brown. Dorsal and ventral surface with recumbent setae, pronotum, scutellum and anterior margin of elytra with semi-erect yellowish brown long setae ( Figs.3–4 ).

Head with densely fine and round punctures, 1× diameter of eye-facets, separated by 0.8–2.0× diameters, interspaces smooth. Pronotal surface with round punctures, 2×diameter of eye-facets, separated by 1.0–1.6 diameters, interspaces smooth and shiny. Elytral surface densely punctated, similar to head, separated by 0.8–1.5× diameters, interspaces microreticular. Pygidial surface with quite fine punctures, separated by a diameter, interspaces smooth. Mentum with coarse and round punctures separated by 0.5× diameters, interspaces granulated. Anterior margin of submentum with coarse and round punctures, separated by 0.4–1.0× diameter, interspaces smooth. Prosternum with rough rounded punctures gradually spare toward margin. Mesoventrite coarsely punctured. Metaventrite with fine and dense punctures, interspaces smooth. Abdominal ventrites with fine and sparer punctures than that on metaventrite.

Vertex flat. Clypeus deeply notched medially. Antennae shorter than head width (including eyes); scape swollen into nearly triangular, pedicel slightly expanded, antennomere 3 shorter than 4–5 combined; antennomere 4 longer than 5; antennomere 6–8 gradually shorter, antennomere 8 nearly disc; antennal club rhombic, compact, 0.4× total antennae length, terminal segment symmetrical apically, longer than previous two segments combined. Pronotum truncated, length 2.3× width, widest basally, almost as wide as the width of base of elytra; anterior margin emarginated, posterior margin bisinuate, not elongated to cover the base of scutellum, lateral margin sloping and arched, anterior angles widely round, posterior angles prominent. Scutellum truncated, length 0.5× width, trapezoid with truncated apex. Elytra truncated, length 0.9× combined width, 2.3× longer than pronotum, posterior margin widely round respectively, pubescent yellowish at anterior margin besides elytral suture and blackish laterally. Pygidium fully exposed with truncated apex, pubescent blackish and yellowish.

Last segment of maxillary palpomere slender, conical, outer margin arched, truncate apically. Last segment of labial palpomere slender, subconical, tilted apically. Mentum subpentagonal. Antennal grooves deep and long, posterior margins slightly convenient. Prosternum without distinctly carina medially, prosternal process straight, elongate and reaching mesoventral surface, slightly wider subapically, and round apically. Mesocoxae lines connected in the middle. Caudal marginal line behind mesocoxae arched, deviated from base of mesocoxae cavity to medial of metepisternum, forming a large triangular axillary region. Metaventrite slightly raised at anterior margin and flat medially, with a less prominent mid-suture. Caudal marginal line behind metacoxae extremely deviated to medial of abdominal ventrite 1. First abdominal ventrite longest, and the second to hypopygidium gradually longer. Distance between metacoxae 1.7× width of distance between procoxae and 0.8×width of distance between mesocoxae.

Legs flat and stout. All tibiae nearly triangular, outer apical angles of tibiae square, without distinct teeth. Tarsus expanded, claws simple.

Male genitalia well-sclerotized. Tegmen rectangular with length 2× width, lateral margins parallel at basal 1/3 and gradually narrowing apically, lateral pubescent extends from basal 1/3 to apex ( Figs. 13–14 ). Median lobe rectangular with length 1.9× width, apex round with an project apically and a pair of peach-shaped sclerite apically ( Fig. 12 ). The eighth abdominal sternite with lateral margins depressed, and bottom angle projecting upward ( Fig. 16 ). Anal sclerite rounded, with apex dentate and pubescent ( Fig. 15 ).

Etymology. The species is named from its collecting location, Shizhu County, Chongqing Province.

New Records to China

Figures

FIGURES 1–16. A. (A.) similinconspicua sp. nov. (1) male habitus, dorsal, (2) male habitus, ventral; (3) tegmen, dorsal surface, (4) tegmen, lateral surface, (5) median lobe, dorsal, (6) male eighth abdominal sternite, dorsal, (7) internal sac sclerites of aedeagus, dorsal, (8) anal sclerite, dorsal, (9) ovipositor, dorsal; A. (A.) shizhuica sp. nov. (10) male habitus, dorsal, (11) male habitus, ventral, (12) median lobe, dorsal, (13) tegmen, lateral surface, (14) tegmen, dorsal surface, (15) anal sclerite, dorsal, (16) male eighth abdominal sternite, dorsal. Scale bars: 1mm (Scale bars: 0.2mm (1–2, 11–12), 0.2mm (3–9, 12–16).