Neoserica (s. l.) luxiensis, Liu, Wan-Gang, Fabrizi, Silvia, Bai, Ming, Yang, Xing-Ke & Ahrens, Dirk, 2014

Liu, Wan-Gang, Fabrizi, Silvia, Bai, Ming, Yang, Xing-Ke & Ahrens, Dirk, 2014, A taxonomic revision of the Neoserica (sensu lato) calva group (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sericini), ZooKeys 448, pp. 47-81 : 58

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Scarabaeidae

Neoserica (s. l.) luxiensis sp. n. Figs 5 E–H, 6

Type material examined.

Holotype: ♂ [China] "China (Yunnan) Dehong Dai Aut. Pref., mount. Range 31km E Luxi, 2280m, 24°29'31"N / 98°52'58"E (grassland/ pasture, under stones/ shrubs, in moss/ litter) 3.VI.2007 D.W. Wrase [19]" (ZFMK).

Description.

Body length: 6.1 mm, length of elytra: 4.6 mm, width: 3.2 mm. Body oblong-oval, dark reddish brown, antennal club yellowish brown, dorsal surface dull and nearly glabrous, labroclypeus and anterior half of frons shiny.

Labroclypeus shortly subtrapezoidal, distinctly wider than long, widest at base; lateral margins nearly straight and convergent anteriorly; anterior angles strongly rounded; anterior margin distinctly sinuate medially; margins moderately reflexed; surface slightly elevated medially and shiny, finely and densely punctate, with a few single setae. Frontoclypeal suture invisible. Smooth area anterior to eye narrow, approximately 1.2 times as wide as long. Ocular canthus short and narrow, sparsely punctate, with a single terminal seta. Frons on posterior half dull; finely and moderately densely punctate; with a few long and erect setae beside eyes and behind frontoclypeal suture, with dense, fine setae on posterior half. Eyes small, ratio diameter/interocular width: 0.59. Antenna with ten antennomeres, club with four antennomeres and straight, 1.4 times as long as remaining antennomeres combined. Mentum elevated and slightly flattened anteriorly. Labrum transverse, short, not produced medially, with median sinuation.

Pronotum moderately transverse, widest at base; lateral margins evenly convex and convergent anteriorly; anterior angles distinctly produced and sharp; posterior angles blunt, moderately rounded at tip; anterior margin nearly straight, with a fine and complete marginal line; surface moderately densely and finely punctate, with minute setae in punctures; lateral and anterior border sparsely setose; hypomeron distinctly carinate basally. Scutellum large, with fine, dense punctures, glabrous, on midline punctures less dense.

Elytra short-oval, widest shortly behind middle; striae weakly impressed, finely and moderately densely punctate; intervals weakly convex, with moderately dense punctures concentrated along striae, with minute setae in punctures, lateral odd intervals with a few single, erect setae. Epipleural edge fine, ending at moderately curved external apical angle of elytra; epipleura densely setose; apical border with a fine rim of microtrichomes (visible at 100 × magnification).

Ventral surface dull, finely and densely punctate. Metasternum except long seta on disc nearly glabrous, sparsely covered with minute setae in punctures. Metacoxa glabrous, with a few single setae laterally. Abdominal sternites finely and densely punctuate, glabrous except minute setae in punctures, with a transverse row of coarse punctures each bearing a robust long seta. Mesosternum between mesocoxae as wide as mesofemur. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/1.39. Pygidium weakly convex and dull, coarsely and densely punctate, without smooth midline, with a few long setae near apex.

Legs moderately slender. Femora with two longitudinal rows of setae, finely and sparsely punctate. Metafemur dull, sparsely and finely punctate; anterior margin acute, behind anterior margin without serrated line; posterior margin entirely serrated ventrally and moderately widened at apex; posterior margin finely serrated dorsally, glabrous. Metatibia slender and moderately long, widest at apex, ratio of width/length: 1/3.5; dorsal margin finely carinate, with two groups of spines; basal group at middle, apical group at three quarters of metatibial length; in basal half with a few short robust setae in single robust punctures with serrated margin; external face longitudinally convex, finely and densely punctate, glabrous; ventral margin finely serrated, with three robust equidistant setae; medial face densely and finely punctate, glabrous, apex moderately truncate interiorly near tarsal articulation. Tarsomeres ventrally with sparse, short setae, not carinate laterally, impunctate dorsally; metatarsomeres with a strongly serrated ventral ridge and a few fine punctures dorsally; metatarsomere I as long as following two tarsomeres combined and nearly half of its length longer than dorsal tibial spur. Protibia short, bidentate, not widened before basal tooth; anterior claws symmetrical, basal tooth of inner claw sharply truncate at apex.

Aedeagus. Fig. 5 E–G.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis.

Neoserica luxiensis sp. n. is rather similar to Neoserica koelkebecki sp. n. in general appearance and the shape of the male genitalia. It differs from the latter by the slightly shorter antennal club and the shape of the aedeagus: the process of the apical phallobase is situated dorsolaterally, the right paramere is much wider than that in Neoserica koelkebecki .

Etymology.

This new species is named after its type locality, Luxi.