Amphichroum cuccodoroi, Shavrin, 2022

Shavrin, Alexey V., 2022, Two new species and additional records of Amphichroum Kraatz, 1857 from Nepal China and India (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini), Zootaxa 5104 (1), pp. 143-148 : 147-148

Amphichroum cuccodoroi sp. n.

( Figs. 2 , 5–6 )

Type material examined: HOLOTYPE: CHINA: ♂: ‘CHINA, YUNNAN prov., | 18.6.- 4.7. 1993 | HEISHUI = 35 km N Lijiang | 27,13 N; 100, 19 E | lgt. S. Becvar’ <printed>, ‘HOLOTYPE | Amphichroum | cuccodoroi sp. n. | Shavrin A.V. des. 2022’ <red, printed> ( MHNG).

Paratypes (35 specimens): 19 ♂♂ (two specimens dissected), 10 ♀♀: same data as the holotype (17 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀: MHNG; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀: cSh); 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀: ‘ CHINA, YUNNAN prov., | 1.- 19.7.1992, HEISHUI | 35 km N LIJIANG | 27,13N; 100,19E | lgt. S. BECVAR’ <printed> ( MHNG); 1 ♂ (dissected): ‘China Yunnan, 1-19.VII. | HEISHUI 27.13N 100.19E | 35 km N of Lijiang | lgt.S.Becvar. 1992’ <printed> ( MHNG). All paratypes with red printed label ‘ PARATYPE | Amphichroum | cuccodoroi sp. n. | Shavrin A. V. des. 2022’.

Description. Measurements (n=36): HL: 0.34–0.37; HW: 0.54–0.58; AL: 1.37; OL: 0.13–0.15; PL: 0.54–0.58; PW: 0.84–0.96; ESL: 1.07–1.17; EW: 1.11–1.18; AW: 1.04–1.14; MTbL (holotype): 0.60; MTrL (holotype): 0.48 (MTrL 1–4: 0.26; MTrL 5: 0.22); AedL: 0.50–0.58; TL: 2.60–3.95 (holotype: 2.95).

Habitus as in Fig. 2 . Forebody, mouthparts and antennomeres yellow (sometimes middle portions of head and pronotum slightly darker); abdomen dark brown. Frontal portion of head with dense transverse microsculpture, middle portion with very fine and sometimes indistinct transverse microreticulation, infraorbital ridges with fine, rounded or longitudianl meshes; neck with dense, transverse, isodiametric microsculpture; pronotum without sculpture, but several paratypes with very indistinct transverse meshes in mediobasal third; abdominal tergites with dense and isodiametric microsculpture. Head with very sparse punctation in frontal and middle portions, distinctly denser, larger and deeper in basal portion and with several moderately large punctures between anteocellar foveae and eyes; punctation of pronotum markedly larger, denser and deeper than that in basal portion of head, slightly finer and sparser in medioapical and significantly sparser in mediobasal portions (some paratypes without visible punctures in mediobasal area); punctation of elytra larger, denser and deeper than that in pronotum, distinctly finer in parascutellar area and along suture; abdominal tergites with fine, moderately sparse and sometimes indistinct punctation.

Head 1.5 times as broad as long; anteocellar foveae moderately deep and long, diagonally stretching toward antennal bases to level of anterior margins of very large and convex eyes. Ocelli large, located about level of posterior margins of eyes; distance between ocelli as long as or slightly longer than distance between ocellus and posterior margin of eye. Apical maxillary palpomere 1.2–1.3 times as long as preceding segment, gradually narrowed from middle toward subacute apex. Antenna reaching basal part of elytra when reflexed; basal antennomere oblong, about three times as long as broad, antennomere 2 slightly shorter than basal antennomere, 3 slightly shorter and narrower than 2, 4 slightly broader and distinctly shorter than 3, 5 slightly broader and longer than 4, 6–7 broader and shorter than 5, 8 slightly shorter than 7, 9–10 broader than 8, apical antennomere 1.3 times as long as 10, from middle gradually narrowed toward subacute apex.

Pronotum large, very convex, 1.5–1.6 times as broad as long; lateral portions wide, moderately broadly explanate.

Elytra about as broad as long, gradually broadened apicad, reaching apical margin of abdominal tergite IV or V, about or slightly more than twice as long as pronotum. Hind wings fully developed.

Abdomen with a pair of large transverse tomentose spots in middle of tergite IV, with narrow palisade fringe on apical margin of tergite VII.

Male. Medial margin of inner side of protibia with two parallel rows of eight to ten peg setae; mesotibia strongly curved mediad, with dense row of 16–18 short thorns beginning from basal side of bend and stretching to apex of mesotibia; lateral margins of mesotibia with very long and sparse setae. Apical margin of abdominal tergite VIII truncate or rounded. Apical margin of abdominal sternite VIII slightly concave. Aedeagus with wide basal bulb, sharply narrowed toward middle and from apical third gradually narrowed toward subacute apex; parameres narrow, significantly exceeding apex of median lobe, each with one moderately short apical and preapical setae; internal sac long, with two fields of long thorns in median and apical portions, with small paired sclerotized suboval structures and large, oval structure in basal portion ( Fig. 5 ). Lateral aspect of aedeagus in Fig. 6 .

Female. Medial margin of protibia without peg setae; mesotibia without modifications, slender, with long setae along entire length of lateral margin. Abdominal tergite VIII and sternite VIII with rounded apical margin.

Comparative notes. Based on the shape of anterior angles of the pronotum not protruded anteriad, the general shape of median lobe with subacute apex and narrow parameres, A. cuccodoroi sp. n. is similar to A. subaequale Shavrin & Smetana, 2018 and A. squamosum Shavrin & Smetana, 2018 , described from Shaanxi and Sichuan respectively ( Shavrin & Smetana 2018). It differs from both species by the narrower median lobe, and longer parameres. Regarding the general shape of the body, A. cuccodoroi sp. n. is similar to A. monticola Cameron, 1928 , known from Nepal and Tibet ( Shavrin 2021), from which it can be distinguished by the longer elytra and narrower apical portions of the median lobe and the parameres. From all these species, it differs by the different morphology of the internal sac.

Distribution. The new species is at present known only from the type locality in Heishui County, Yunnan, China.

Etymology. Patronymic, the new species is named after my colleague Giulio Cuccodoro (Genève) for the hospitality and magnificent cheese fondue at the COVID friendly “Bains des Pâquis” near Geneva Lake during my visit to Switzerland in November 2021.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Habitus of Amphichroum (males): 1–A. brachypterum (holotype), 2–A. cuccodoroi (paratype). Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 3–6. Aedeagus of Amphichroum brachypterum (3–4: holotype) and A. cuccodoroi (5–6: paratype): 3, 5–parameral view, 4, 6–lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.