Micropeplus piankouensis, Fake Zheng, Xianghui Yan & Yujie Li, 2016

Fake Zheng, Xianghui Yan & Yujie Li, 2016, Two new species of the genus Micropeplus Latreille (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from Sichuan, China, Zoological Systematics 41 (2), pp. 231-235 : 232-233

Micropeplus piankouensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–11 )

Diagnosis. The new species is very similar to M. dentatus Zhao & Zhou, 2004 from Zhejiang, China, but it can be distinguished from the latter by humeral costa of elytra distinctly sinuate, male mesotibia with series of 5 – 6 larger denticles on inner margin at apical half, and aedeagus obviously different in shape. This species is also similar to M. yunnanus Watanabe & Xiao, 1996 from Yunnan and M. nitidipennis Campbell, 1995 from Taiwan, but its each elytron has 2 discal costae, pseudepipleural costa obsolete between humeral and epipleural costae

Description. Male. Head black, pronotum, elytra and abdomen reddish brown to blackish brown; antennae, maxillary and labial palpi, and legs yellowish brown to reddish brown.

Length 1.8 – 1.9 mm.

Head subtriangular, very transverse, about 1.8 times as broad as long, narrower than pronotum (ratio 0.57); vertex with longitudinal median carina extending from level of middle of eyes to base of head, area on each side of carina slightly impressed, one oblique carina at middle of inner side of each eye, and space between carinae granulate; clypeus visible from above, with slightly deflexed anterior margin and granulate surface. Antennae nine-segmented, usually receding onto the ventral surface of pronotum for their reception; segment 1 robust than segments 2–8, lightly opaque and shorter than segments 2 and 3 combined; segment 2 slightly shorter and narrower than 1; segment 3–6 gradually decreasing in length, longer than broad and narrower than segment 2; segment 7–8 transverse; apical segment largest and oval, with dense pubescence.

Pronotum subtrapezoidal, about 2.47 times as broad as long, widest at base, shorter than elytra (ratio 0.56) and slightly narrower than elytra (ratio 0.96); sides irregularly sinuate, with some small teeth; anterior margin broadly emarginated and almost straight in middle, posterior margin bisinuate; anterior angles produced forwards, posterior ones almost rectangular; surface finely granulate; lateral areas broadly explanate; median area elevated dorsally, with eight cells enclosed by costae, three in anterior half and remaining five in posterior half.

Scutellum subtriangular, apex slightly rounded.

Elytra subquadrate, about 1.31 times as broad as long, slightly widened apicad, diacal area strongly convex, abruptly and transversely depressed in apical fourth along apical margin; each elytron with four costae, one sutural, two discal and one humeral; sutural costa and two discal costae straight, each extending through whole length of elytra; humeral costa distinctly sinuate and abbreviated in front of apical margin; interspaces of costae impunctate; pseudepipleural costa obsolete between humeral and epipleural costae. Wings developed.

Median impression of metasternum slightly broad, elongate, more than half as long as metasternum. Mesotibia with series of 5-6 short denticles on inner margin at apical half.

Abdomen gradually narrowed apicad, tergites 3–7 each strongly transversely depressed at basal half, tergites 4–6 each with three longitudinal carinae throughout length of tergite, tergite 7 only with one median longitudinal carina abbreviated in apical third; apical margin of sternite 8 shallowly triangularly emarginated, and slightly depressed before emargination.

Aedeagus almost symmetrical; median lobe curving to ventral side in apex; parameres each fused with median lobe, slender and almost as long as median lobe, each with four or five apical setae.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype. ♂, China, Sichuan, Piankou Nature Reserve, Beichuan County (32°02′– 32°12′N, 104°10′– 104°26′E, elev. 1 535 m), 24 September 2005, coll. Cuicui Wang. Paratype. 1♂, the same data as holotype. Type materials are deposited in the Life Science College, China West Normal University, Sichuan.

Habitat and Distribution. The species was found in the dead weeds, it is present known from the type locality in Western Sichuan.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Piankou, the type locality.

Figures

Figures 1 – 11. Micropeplus piankouensis sp. nov. 1. Male, dorsal habitus. 2. Head. 3. Pronotum. 4. Elytra. 5. Epipleura. 6. Mesotibia. 7. Abdominal tergites 3 – 7. 8. Male eighth sternite. 9. Aedeagus, ventral view. 10. Aedeagus, lateral view. 11. Aedeagus, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 = 1 mm; 2 – 11 = 0.1 mm.