Ptomaphaginus newtoni, Wang, Cheng-Bin & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2015

Wang, Cheng-Bin & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2015, Taxonomy of the genus Ptomaphaginus Portevin (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae: Ptomaphagini) from China, with description of eleven new species, Zootaxa 3941 (3), pp. 301-338 : 321

Ptomaphaginus newtoni sp. nov.

( Figs. 12 A–K)

Type material. Holotype: CHINA, Hainan: ♂, Wuzhishan [=Mt. Wuzhi], 620 m, rainforest, sifted from grotten woods, 9.XII.2007, Zhuo Yang leg. (IZ-CAS).

Description. Male. EBL: 2.89 mm. Length of different body parts: HL: AL: PL: ELL = 0.46: 0.82: 0.73: 1.52 mm; width: HW: EW: PW: ELW = 0.77: 0.08: 1.18: 1.20 mm. Proportion of antennomeres from base to tip in µm (length × width): 120 × 38, 108 × 48, 65 × 45, 49 × 48, 52 × 56, 36 × 62, 68 × 78, 24 × 77, 75 × 86, 71 × 88, 128 × 92.

Habitus elongated oval, relatively convex and lustreless. Mildly pigmented: mostly light brown; apical half of ultimate antennomere, base of pronotum somewhat lighter. Dorsum continually clothed with fine, recumbent and sallow pubescence. Insertions of pubescence on dorsal surfaces of pronotum, scutellum, elytra and femora align along transverse striolations.

Head moderately short and gently convex, finely punctured, without visible transverse striolations, HW/HL = 1.65; anterior margin round. Compound eyes normally developed, EW/HW = 0.10. Antennae slender and moderately long ( Fig. 12 A), AL/HW = 1.07; 5th slightly longer than 4th; 6th wider than long; 7th a little longer than wide; 9th and 10th a little wider than long; 11th pear-like.

Pronotum not rather transverse and convex ( Fig. 12 D), widest at about basal 1/5, PW/PL = 1.61. Sides slightly curved, narrowing from widest to anterior and gently narrowing to posterior; hind corners drawn out and blunt. Posterior margin with distinct postero-lateral emargination. Surface transversely striolated, SP: 47–49, interspaces as wide as that on elytra.

Elytra slender and convex, widest near base, ELL/EW = 1.27. Sides feebly curved, gradually narrowing from base to apices; apices somewhat obliquely truncated ( Fig. 12 E). Surface transversely striolated, SE: 79–83. Metathoracic wings fully developed.

Prolegs robust, with basal three protarsomeres strongly expanded ( Fig. 12 B): TW/BTW = 1.30. Spinal arrangement on ventral side of protibia as shown in Fig. 12 C. Profemora wider than protibiae, carried long hairs on ventral side. Mesotibiae moderately arcuate.

Ventrite VII simple. Ventrite VIII moderately emarginate on posterior margin ( Fig. 12 B). Segment IX: spiculum gastrale constricted to a papillary posterior end.

Aedeagus elongated suboval in dorsal view ( Fig. 12 H): median lobe distinctly narrowed towards an asymmetrical apex; right apical expansion weakly sclerotized, subtruncated at apex, stuck out of apical margin of median lobe; parameres relatively narrow, firmly attached to median lobe, each with two setae rather long at apex. Ventral operculum poorly sclerotized, limit inconspicuous, divided in apical half, each lobe straight at apical margin ( Fig. 12 I). In lateral view, median lobe sharply bent ventrad at about apical 1/4, generally thinned towards apex, and several ventrally-oriented long setae inserted below apex ( Fig. 12 J). Internal stylus quite slender.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Etymology. The specific epithet is dedicated to Dr. Alfred F. Newton (FMNH, Chicago, USA), a well-known coleopterologist on Staphyliniformia, for his always generous help to our study.

Remarks. This new species is one of the two species (another one is P. wuzhishanicus sp. nov.) of Cholevinae recorded for the first time from Hainan Island. It well resembles P. assimilis Szymczakowski, 1972 from Vietnam in general appearance, but the new species has median lobe of aedeagus asymmetrical at apex, right apical expansion subtruncated at apex, terminal setae of parameres rather long, median lobe sharply bent ventrad at about apical 1/ 4 in lateral view, and ventral operculum straight at apical margin; whereas the latter has median lobe of aedeagus symmetrical and truncated at apex, right apical expansion rounded at apex, terminal setae of parameres moderately long, median lobe sharply bent ventrad at apical 1/ 3 in lateral view, and ventral operculum widely round at apical margin.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Ptomaphaginus newtoni sp. nov. ♂: A, antenna (dorsal view); B, proleg (dorsal view); C, protibia (ventral view); D, pronotum (dorsal view); E, elytral apex (dorsoapical view); F, ventrite VIII (ventral view); G, abdominal segment IX (ventral view); H, aedeagus (dorsal view); I, aedeagus (ventral view); J, aedeagus (lateral view). Scales: 0.1 mm.