Chinecallicerus schuelkei, Assing, Volker, 2004

Assing, Volker, 2004, A revision of Callicerus Gravenhorst, Pseudosemiris Machulka, and related genera. III. A new genus and species from China, and additional records (Insecta: Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 767, pp. 1-8 : 7-8

Chinecallicerus schuelkei sp. n.

Type. Holotype Ψ: China: N­Yunnan [C03­14], Zhongdian Co., 33 km ESE Zhongdian, creek valley with old mixed forest, dead wood, bamboo, moss, mushrooms, 27°51.5´N, 100°00.7´E, 3200 m, 24.VII.2003, leg. M. Schülke (cAss).

Description (see also description of genus). Measurements (in mm) and ratios: AL: 2.06; AxL: 0.14; AxiL: 0.24; HW: 0.36; PW: 0.45; PL: 0.45; EL: 0.42; HTiL: 0.53; HTaL: 0.38; TL: 4.70; PW/HW: 1.25; PW/PL1.02; EL/PL: 0.95; HTaL/HTiL: 0.71; AxiL/AxL: 1.68.

Facies as in Fig. 1 . Head blackish brown; pronotum dark brown with paler margins; elytra light brown; abdomen light brown with the central parts of the anterior impressions of tergites III–V, and with segment IV slightly infuscate; legs yellowish brown; antennae reddish brown.

Head approximately as wide as long (length measured from anterior margin of clypeus), shape similar to that of Callicerus species; eyes weakly projecting from lateral outline of head in dorsal view and moderately large, slightly more than half the length of postocular region in dorsal view; puncturation fine, but distinct, and moderately dense ( Fig. 6 ); interstices with rather distinct microreticulation. Antenna highly distinctive, very long and massive ( Fig. 6 ); antennomere XI 1.7 times as long as X.

Pronotum 1.25 times as wide as pronotum and approximately as wide as long; posterior angles weakly marked; puncturation dense and finely granulose ( Fig. 7 ).

Elytra much wider than and at suture almost as long as pronotum; puncturation dense and finely granulose, but more distinctly so than that of pronotum; posterior margins weakly sinuate near exterior angles ( Fig. 8 ). Hind wings fully developed.

Abdomen slightly narrower than elytra ( Fig. 5 ); widest at segment V; puncturation fine, its density decreasing from anterior to posterior tergites; anterior impressions of tergites III–V and anterior margins of tergites VI and VII impunctate; integument only with indistinct traces of microsculpture and distinctly shining ( Fig. 8 ); posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

Male: unknown.

Female: sternite VIII posteriorly broadly rounded and with short, weakly modified marginal setae ( Fig. 11 ); spermatheca as in Fig. 13 .

Etymology. This remarkable species is dedicated to Michael Schülke, Berlin, who collected the holotype.

Comparative notes. Chinecallicerus schuelkei is readily distinguished from all other Eastern Palaearctic Athetini by the highly distinctive, conspicuously long and massive antennae (with long coniform antennomere III and distinctly cylindriform antennomeres IV–X) alone.

Distribution and bionomics. The species is known only from one locality in northern Yunnan, China, where the holotype was collected in an old mixed forest near a stream at an altitude of 3200 m ( Fig. 18 ). The fully developed wings suggest that C. schuelkei may be more widespread.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Type locality of Chinecallicerus schuelkei sp. n.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Pseudosemiris atavia Assing, male: 1 — facies; 2 — forebody; 3 — posterior part of tergite VIII; 4 — median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2: 0.5 mm; 3 – 4: 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 5 – 17. Chinecallicerus schuelkei sp. n.: 5 — facies; 6 — head and pronotum; 7 — pronotum, 8 — elytra and abdomen; 9 — female tergite VIII; 10 — female sternite VIII; 11 — posterior part of female sternite VIII; 12 — female tergite X; 13 — spermatheca; 14 — labium; 15 — prementum; 16 — maxilla; 17 — labrum. Scale bars: 5, 6, 8: 1.0 mm; 7, 9, 10: 0.5 mm; 12: 0.2 mm; 11, 13 – 17: 0.1 mm.