Itagonia elegans Medvedev, 1998

Shi, Ai-Min, Yuan, Shi-Bin & Wu, Chun-Lian, 2010, Three new species of Itagonia Reitter, 1887 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Blaptini) from Sichuan, China, Zootaxa 2573, pp. 57-68 : 67

Itagonia elegans Medvedev, 1998

( Figs 50–56 , 63–64 )

Medvedev, 1998: 574–575; Medvedev, 2001: 119, 216, 327; Shi & Ren, 2007: 34; Liu & Ren, 2009: 447.

Remarks. Medvedev (1998) described this species based on 2 males labeled: Holotype: male, China, Sichuan, Songpan, 1894 (M.M. Berezovskii). Paratype: male “Sze-tchuan, 26. VII. 1885, G. Patanin [G. Potanin]”. On 21 July 2009, a few specimens of this species were collected by the authors from the type locality. Although the types were unavailable in our study, we are confident in our identification, permitting us to describe the formerly unknown female of this species here.

Material examined. CHINA: Sichuan, Songpan: 7 ɗɗ and 2 ΨΨ, 32º40' N, 103º37' E, 2950 m, 21 Jul. 2009, collected by Ai-min Shi and Shi-bin Yuan ( MCWNU).

Female ( Figs 50–56 ). Body wider. Antennae ( Fig. 50 ) shorter than in male, when posteriorly extended, reaching beyond the middle of pronotum. Pronotum ( Fig. 51 ) noticeably transverse, 1.36–1.42 times as wide as long, 1.85–1.90 times as wide as head. Elytra ovate, 1.20–1.27 times as long as wide, 1.45–1.51 times as wide as pronotum. Outer margin of epipleura in dorsal view concealed by outer convexity of elytra before apex. Upper spur of protibiae ( Fig. 52 ) much larger than lower spur, but not very massive. Metatibiae with inner apical spur ( Fig. 53 ) widening apicad, spatulate. Ventral surface of pro- and mesotarsomeres without hair brushes or apical tuft of pale hairs. Ovipositor as in Figs 54–55 . Spiculum ventrale as in Fig. 56 .

Measurements. Male body length 10.2–12.5 mm, width 5.2–5.9 mm; female body length 12.1–12.2 mm, width 6.6–6.9 mm.

Figures

FIGURES 50 – 56. Itagonia elegans Medvedev, 1998, female. 50. antenna; 51. pronotum; 52. apical part of protibiae; 53. apical part of metatibiae; 54 – 55. ovipositor in dorsal and ventral views; 56. spiculum ventrale.

FIGURES 61 – 64. 61 – 62. Itagonia medvedevi, sp. nov.: 61. male, length 12.9 mm; 62. female, length 12.6 mm; 63 – 64. I. elegans Medvedev, 1998: 63. male, length 12.0 mm; 64. female, length 12.2 mm.