Pseudolathra biungulata, Assing, 2013

Assing, V., 2013, A revision of Pseudolathra of the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions. II. Six new species and additional records, with notes on some New World species, Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (1), pp. 205-227 : 205-227

Pseudolathra biungulata nov.sp. (Figs 7-11, Map 3)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: "Laos-CE, 1-18.v.2001, Boli Kham Xai prov. , 18°21'N 105°08'E, Ban Nape (8 km NE), ~ 600 m, P. Pacholátko leg. / Holotypus 3 Pseudolathra biungulata sp. n., det. V. Assing 2013" ( NHMB).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from the Latin noun ungula (claw) and refers to the two long, protruding, claw-shaped internal spines of the aedeagus.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 6.8 mm; length of forebody 3.8 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 7. Coloration: head blackish; pronotum bright red; elytra blackish-brown, with the

Figs 7-11: Pseudolathra biungulata nov.sp.: (7) habitus; (8) forebody; (9) male sternite VII; (10) male sternite VIII; (11) aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 7-8: 1.0 mm; 9-11: 0.5 mm.

suture and adjacent portions diffusely dark-reddish; abdomen reddish-brown with reddish apex; legs reddish-yellow; antennae pale-reddish.

Head (Fig. 8) 1.05 times as long as broad, broadest across eyes; posterior angles rather weakly marked; dorsal surface with sparse coarse punctures on vertex and in posterior portion; microsculpture absent. Eyes moderately large, approximately as long as postocular region in dorsal view. Antennae approximately 2.4 mm long and slender.

Pronotum (Fig. 8) distinctly oblong, 1.2 times as long as broad and 1.15 times as broad as head; impunctate midline broad, delimited by somewhat irregular series of approximately 15 punctures on either side; lateral portion with moderately sparse punctation.

Elytra (Fig. 8) 0.95 times as long as pronotum; humeral angles marked; punctation somewhat irregularly seriate, a narrow band on either side of suture impunctate. Hind wings fully developed. Metatarsomere I approximately as long as II.

Abdomen narrower than elytra; punctation conspicuously dense and fine on all tergites; interstices with distinct microsculpture and subdued shine; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe; posterior margin of tergite VIII convexly produced in the middle.

3: posterior margin of sternite VII convex and with U-shaped excision in the middle (Fig. 9); sternite VIII distinctly oblong, posterior excision very narrow and deep, approximately half as long as sternite (Fig. 10); aedeagus (Fig. 11) 1.55 mm long (length from apex of ventral process to basal capsule: 1.4 mm) and of distinctive morphology; ventral process long and slender, somewhat laterally compressed, at base of dorsal side with long and straight process; internal sac with two long and strongly sclerotized clawlike apical spines.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Based on the external and male sexual characters, P. biungulata undoubtedly belongs to the P. unicolor group (see ASSING 2012a). Among the species of this group, it is most similar to P. pulchella in size, proportions, and coloration. It differs from all its congeners by the conspicuous shape of the male sternite VII and by the distinctive morphology of the aedeagus, from P. pulchella additionally by smaller eyes, a slightly more oblong head, a relatively larger and broader pronotum with sparser punctation, the presence of an impunctate band on either side of the elytral suture, and by the deeper and much narrower posterior incision of the male sternite VIII.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Thetypelocality is situated in central Laos (Map 3) at an altitude of approximately 600 m.