Maladera zhanchaoi Zhao & Ahrens, 2023

Zhao, Ming-Zhi & Ahrens, Dirk, 2023, New species of the tribe Sericini Kirby, 1837 from China, with further updates on their taxonomy and distribution (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericinae), Zootaxa 5361 (2), pp. 181-220 : 208-210

Maladera zhanchaoi Zhao & Ahrens , new species

( Figs 10A , 11A )

Type material examined. Holotype. ♂ ( SCAU), “ CHINA: Guizhou, Libo County, Maolan, Wuyanqiao , 507 m, N 25°17′16″, E 108°4′18″, 2020.V.23, at light, Bao-Xiang Zhan leg.” . Paratype. 1♂ ( CZMZ), “ CHINA: Guizhou, Libo County, Maolan, Wuyanqiao , 507 m, N 25°17′16″, E 108°4′18″, 2020.V.23, at light, Bao-Xiang Zhan leg.” .

Description of the holotype. General. Body ovoid, strongly convex, color generally reddish brown and iridescent, dorsal surface excluding pygidium with greenish toment; elytra, abdomen, and legs iridescent; palpi, antennae and legs reddish brown (excluding pro- and mesofemora, as well as coxae), shiny. Spiniform setae reddish brown, other setae yellowish brown.

Head. Labroclypeus subtrapezoidal, ratio of maximum length/ width: 1/ 1.67; lateral margins straight and strongly convergent anteriad, anterior angle moderately curved, anterior margin straight; surface flat and dull, with moderately dense and large punctures on anterior third, otherwise with smaller and sparser punctures bearing a few minute, erect setae, behind anterior margin shiny; frontoclypeal suture finely incised, curved medially; smooth area anterior to eye large and flat, twice as wide as long; ocular canthus triangular (equal to 1/3 of ocular diameter). Frons flat, with scattered and small punctures, on each side with a short erect seta. Eyes small, ratio diameter/interocular width: 0.54. Antenna with ten antennomeres; antennomere 7 transverse and short; club with three antennomeres, slightly shorter than remaining antennomeres combined and straight. Mentum strongly and transversely elevated anteriorly. Labrum strongly produced, deeply concave medially.

Pronotum subtrapezoidal, widest at base, lateral margins evenly curved and strongly convergent anteriad; anterior angles strongly produced and acute, posterior angles rectangular, rounded at apex; hypomeron carinate at base but not produced ventrally; anterior margin with a fine marginal line interrupted medially; surface with dense and large punctures, lateral margin with sparse and long, erect setae.

Scutellum large, triangular, lateral margin straight, apex obtuse; sparsely punctate basomedially and apically, otherwise with moderately dense and small punctures, glabrous.

Elytra oval, widest shortly behind middle. Striae strongly impressed, with dense and large strial punctures, scarcely bearing minute and recumbent setae; intervals weakly convex, with irregularly distributed large punctures concentrated along striae, otherwise with rather sparse punctures. Epipleura wide, ending shortly behind strongly curved external apical angle of elytron, with a row of sparse and short semi-erect setae; apex with a short spine, posterior margin with a very fine membranous rim composed of microtrichomes.

Ventral thoracic surface. Hypomeron with moderately dense punctures each bearing a short seta; Other portions of ventral thoracic surface including metacoxae with dense and large punctures, mesosternum with recumbent short setae, metacoxa laterally bearing several short spiniform setae. Mesosternum between mesocoxae equal to width of mesofemur, somewhat vertically convex and truncate, with some moderately long and spiniform setae. Ratio of length of metepisternum/ metacoxa: 1/ 1.66.

Abdomen. Abdominal ventrites with dense and large punctures, each ventrite with a transverse row of short and spiniform setae which is broadly interrupted medially but complete on penultimate ventrite and absent on ultimate ventrite; ultimate ventrite at middle almost half as long as penultimate one, with sparse and long setae, posterior margin with dense and minute setae. Pygidium weakly convex, posterior margin weakly reflexed; punctate and setose as on ultimate abdominal ventrite, but long setae only present near margins.

Femora. Profemur dull, with a row of long setae near dorsal margin, another longitudinal row of punctures presented medially, punctures each bearing a short seta. Mesofemur dull, two longitudinal rows of sparse punctures each bearing a short seta, with a ridge near anterior margin. Metafemur shiny and iridescent, with sparse punctures, with two short and spiniform setae preapically; anterior margin sharp, ventral posterior margin carinate and strongly produced at apical half, dorsal posterior margin finely and completely serrate, a sparse row of moderately long and spiniform setae situated between the latter two margins.

Tibiae. Protibia stout, bidentate. Metatibia widest at middle, ratio of width/ length: 1/ 2.64; dorsal margin carinate at apical two fifths; lateral face with sparse and small punctures, dorsally with two groups of spiniform setae not touching the dorsal margin, the basal group at two fifths, distal group at two thirds of metatibial length, basal quarter with a short seta; ventral margin convex, serrate at apical two fifth, with three long, spiniform and equidistant setae, basally with several minute setae and a short spiniform seta; medial face glabrous; apex interiorly serrate, near tarsal articulation concavely emarginate.

Tarsi. Protarsomeres short, pro- and mesotarsomeres with sparse and minute setae ventrally.All metatarsomeres carinate ventrolaterally, strongly serrate ventrally, first metatarsomere slightly shorter than following two tarsomeres combined and as long as dorsal tibial spur. Protarsal claws symmetric, the distal and basal teeth equal in length, basal tooth slightly wider than distal one.

Male genitalia. Fig. 11A .

Variation. Male. The only paratype is generally more reddish.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements. Length: 12.2–12.6 mm (holotype 12.6 mm); length of elytra: 8.8–9.1 mm (holotype 9.1 mm); width: 6.9–7.0 mm (holotype 7.0 mm).

Diagnosis. Maladera zhanchaoi Zhao & Ahrens , new species is similar to the species of the M. granuligera group ( Ahrens & Fabrizi 2016) whose species possess a dorsal apophysis at apical phallobase. The new species is easily distinguished from the so far known species by the extremely widened parameres (lateral view).

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Mr. Chao Zhan, the father of Mr. Bao-Xiang Zhan, who greatly supported his field survey.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Habitus in dorsal view.A, Maladera zhanchaoi Zhao &Ahrens, new species, holotype; B, M.parabikouesis Zhao & Ahrens, new species, holotype; C, M. qianqingtangensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, 2021, female (Fujian); D, M. qianqingtangensis, male (Fujian); E, M. shikengkongensis Zhao & Ahrens, new species, holotype; F, M. shikengkongensis, female paratype. Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURE 11. Aedeagus. A, Maladera zhanchaoi Zhao & Ahrens, new species, holotype; B, M. parabikouesis Zhao & Ahrens, new species, holotype; C, M. shikengkongensis Zhao & Ahrens, new species, holotype; D, M. qianqingtangensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, 2021 (Fujian). a, aedeagus in left lateral view; b, parameres in dorsal view; c, aedeagus in right lateral view; d, aedeagus in dorsal view. Scale bar = 1 mm.