Nepalota guangdongensis PACE , 2004

Assing, Volker, 2015, On the Nepalota fauna of China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Athetini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (1), pp. 207-248 : 232-233

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5414155

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6632417

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EA87E2-367E-FFB2-28DB-FEA5FD189637

treatment provided by

Marcus

scientific name

Nepalota guangdongensis PACE , 2004
status

 

Nepalota guangdongensis PACE, 2004 View in CoL

( Figs 86-95 View Figs 86-95 , Map 2 View Map 2 )

Nepalota guangdongensis PACE, 2004: 508 View in CoL ff.

Nepalota rougemonti PACE, 2011: 171 View in CoL ; nov.syn.

Nepalota ruficollis PACE, 2011: 170 View in CoL f.; nov.syn.

Type material examined: Holotype ♀: " CHINA Guangdong Pr., Ding Hu Shan Biosphere R. , 6 V.1998 J. Fellowes / Rougemont Collection / Holotypus Nepalota guangdongensis m., det. R. Pace 1998 / Nepalota guangdongensis sp. n., det. R. Pace 1998 / Nepalota guangdongensis Pace , det. V. Assing 2015 " ( IRSNB).

Additional material examined China Yunnan 2♂♂, 3♀♀, NNE Pingbian , 23°01'N, 103°42'E, 1500 m, subtropical broad-leaved forest, litter sifted, 26.VIII.2014, leg. Assing & Schülke (cAss,cSch). GoogleMaps Jiangxi:1♂, 1♀, 1 ex., Jinggang Shan, Shuangxikou, 26°31'N, 114°11'E, 410 m, river valley, moist litter in a sparse forest near a river sifted, 24.IV.2011, leg. Fikáček et al. ( NMP, cAss) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, 1 ex., Jinggang Shan , Xiping, 26°34'N, 114°12'E, 915 m, sparse tree-bamboo bush, moist leaf litter accumulated above bank of a stream sifted, 24.IV.2011, leg. Fikáčeketal. ( NMP,cAss). GoogleMaps Guangdong:2♂♂, 1♀, 11 exs., W Qixing, Heishiding nature reserve, 23°28'N, 111°54'E, 190-260 m, primary lowland forest, moist leaf litter near streams sifted, 1.-3.V.2011, leg. Fikáček & Hájek (MNHNP, cAss) GoogleMaps .

Comment: Nepalota guangdongensis was described from a single female from " China, Guandong Pr., Ding Hu Shan, Biosphere R." ( PACE 2004). The spermatheca of the holotype is somewhat deformed. However, based on the general spermathecal and the identical external characters, there is no doubt that the above material is conspecific with the holotype.

The original description of N. rougemonti is based on a single male collected in " Guangxi, Diding", that of N. ruficollis on two males and one female from two localities in Guangxi ( PACE 2011). The whereabouts of the type material of N. rougemonti and N. ruficollis is currently unknown. According to PACE (2011), it is deposited in the IRSNB, where it was looked for, but not found by the curator in charge (GÉRARD, e-mail 3 Feb., 2015).

In the section on N. rougemonti, PACE (2011) states that the species is distinguished from N. ruficollis only by the shape of the aedeagus; the colour photographs ( PACE 2011: figures 18 and 19) do not show any external differences. An examination of the above material revealed that the median lobe of the aedeagus resembles the illustration provided by PACE (2011: figures 80-81) for the aedeagus of N. rougemonti . There are, however, slight differences in the shape of the ventral process (lateral view) and in the shapes of the internal structures. Similar differences were observed also in the above material from Guangdong, undoubtedly an artefact resulting from the killing and/or preservation method(s) used. The same evidently applies to the aedeagus of the type material of N. ruficollis (see PACE 2011: figures 77-78). The spermatheca of the above material is identical to that of N. ruficollis ( PACE 2011: figure 79) and, as mentioned, to that of N. guangdongensis . As can be inferred from the above records, N. guangdongensis is widespread and not uncommon across South China. It appears most unlikely that three externally identical species of highly distinctive coloration should occur sympatrically in this region. Therefore, it is concluded that the condition of the median lobe of the aedeagus as illustrated by PACE (2011) for N. ruficollis represents an artefact and that the type material of N. guangdongensis , N. ruficollis and N. rougemonti is conspecific. Hence the synonymies proposed above.

In view of the misleading illustrations of the aedeagus and the incomplete description of external and secondary sexual characters in PACE (2004, 2011), a redescription and new illustrations are provided.

Redescription: Body length 3.7-4.1 mm; length of forebody 1.5-1.7 mm.

Coloration: head blackish; pronotum yellowish-red; elytra reddish-yellow with a more or less extensive darkish spot reaching lateral margins, but not suture and posterior margins; abdomen reddish, with segment VI sometimes somewhat infuscate; legs pale-yellowish; antennae dark-reddish, apically and basally more or less extensively paler.

Head ( Fig. 86 View Figs 86-95 ) transverse; dorsal surface with shallow microreticulation and with very fine and moderately dense punctation. Eyes moderately large, slightly longer than postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna ( Fig. 87 View Figs 86-95 ) slender, approximately 1.2 mm long; preapical antennomeres weakly transverse; antennomere XI longer than the combined length of IX and X, but shorter than the combined length of VIII-X.

Pronotum ( Fig. 86 View Figs 86-95 ) 1.30-1.35 times as broad as long and 1.3-1.4 times as broad as head, without sexual dimorphism; disc with shallow microreticulation and with fine and rather dense punctation.

Elytra ( Fig. 86 View Figs 86-95 ) approximately 0.90-0.95 times as long as pronotum; punctation dense and moderately fine; interstices with distinct microreticulation and somewhat subdued shine. Hind wings fully developed.

Abdomen with shallow transverse microsculpture; anterior portions of tergites III-VII impunctate; posterior portions of tergites III-V with moderately sparse, those of tergites VI-VII with sparse punctation; pubescence predominantly composed of thin setae; tergites III and VII without sexual dimorphism.

♂: tergite VIII ( Fig. 88 View Figs 86-95 ) oblong and with distinctly convex posterior margin; sternite VIII ( Fig. 89 View Figs 86-95 ) oblong, somewhat longer than tergite VIII, and strongly convex posteriorly; median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 90-91 View Figs 86-95 ) approximately 0.45 mm long, ventral process apically not deeply incised, acute (ventral view), and of distinctive shape in lateral view; internal sac with long dark structures; paramere ( Fig. 92 View Figs 86-95 ) slightly longer than median lobe (0.48 mm), with slender and rather short apical lobe.

♀: tergite VIII ( Fig. 93 View Figs 86-95 ) approximately as long as broad and with distinctly convex posterior margin; sternite VIII ( Fig. 94 View Figs 86-95 ) weakly transverse and with broadly convex posterior margin, middle of posterior margin weakly concave; spermatheca ( Fig. 95 View Figs 86-95 ) approximately 0.38 mm long.

Comparative notes: This species is readily distinguished from other Nepalota species particularly by the conspicuous coloration and by the shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus, which is bifid only at its apex.

Distribution and natural history: Nepalota guangdongensis is now known from Yunnan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, and Guangdong provinces ( Map 2 View Map 2 ). Thus, the species is evidently widespread across South China. The material from Yunnan was collected together with N. fellowesi and N. crocea .

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Staphylinidae

Genus

Nepalota

Loc

Nepalota guangdongensis PACE , 2004

Assing, Volker 2015
2015
Loc

Nepalota rougemonti PACE, 2011: 171

PACE R 2011: 171
2011
Loc

Nepalota ruficollis

PACE R 2011: 170
2011
Loc

Nepalota guangdongensis

PACE R 2004: 508
2004
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