Dioxeuta rara, Song, Xiao-Bin & Li, Li-Zhen, 2014

Song, Xiao-Bin & Li, Li-Zhen, 2014, Descriptions of three new species of the Termitophilous tribe Termitopaediini in China (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), ZooKeys 424, pp. 91-100 : 93

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Dioxeuta rara sp. n. Fig. 1

Type material.

Holotype: China: ♂ (on slide), labeled 'CHINA: Yunnan, Baoshan City, Mangkuan Town (芒宽乡), Baihualing N. R. (百花岭), 25°17'47"N, 98°48'22"E, alt. 1400 m, 23-IV-2013, Xiao-Bin Song leg. / HOLOTYPE [red], Dioxeuta rara sp. n., Song & Li det. 2014, SNUC’. Paratype: China: 1 ♀, same data as holotype, bearing the following label: 'PARATYPE [yellow], Dioxeuta rara sp. n., Song & Li det. 2014, SNUC’.

Comparative notes.

Dioxeuta rara is most similar to Dioxeuta rougemonti and Dioxeuta yunnanensis described below through its yellowish-brown color and the presence of macrochaetae on abdominal tergite VII. The new species can be readily separated from Dioxeuta rougemonti by the deferent abdominal macrochaetotaxy as well as the shape of aedeagal median lobe. It differs from Dioxeuta yunnanensis by the presence of short macrosetae on abdominal tergites VII; tergite VIII with 5 pairs of macrosetae; sternite VIII almost truncate at apex and the deferent shapes of aedeagal median lobe and spermatheca.

Description.

Body (Fig. 1A) shining, smooth. Coloration: fore body and legs yellowish-brown; antennae yellowish-brown to brown; abdomen yellowish-brown, with mesal area of tergites brown.

Head (Fig. 1A) subquadrate, slightly longer than wide, about 0.89 times as wide as long; sparsely covered with long setae. Pronotum (Fig. 1A) slightly wider than long, about 1.05 times as wide as long; with 7 pairs of macrosetae, with a row of 4 macrosetae along the anterior margin, 6 on disc and 2 each along the lateral margins. Elytra (Fig. 1A) wider than long; disc sparsely covered with macrosetae; hypomera with several long yellow setae along lateral margin. Abdomen slightly physogastric, widest at segments III–V; abdominal tergite VII shaped as in Figs 1 B–C, sparsely covered with long yellow setae, posterior margin with a row of 8 very short setae; tergite VIII (Figs 1 D–E) with 5 pairs of macrosetae. Macrochaetotaxy of abdominal tergites II–VIII: 4, 6, 6, 6, 6, 1-2 (short), 10; inner paratergites without macrosetae but sparsely covered with yellow setae; macrochaetotaxy of outer paratergites III–VII variable: 6-7, 5-7, 4-5, 2-3, 1.

Male. Sternite VIII almost truncate at apex, shaped as in Fig. 1F; with 5 pairs of macrosetae. Median lobe of aedeagus (Fig. 2A) with apical lobe distinctly curved; paramere shaped as in Fig. 2B.

Female. Sternite VIII slightly emarginate at apex, shaped as in Fig. 1G; with 5 pairs of macrosetae. Spermatheca shaped as in Fig. 2C.

Measurements.

Male: BL: 2.63; FBL: 1.06; HL: 0.38; HW: 0.35; PL: 0.41; PW: 0.45; HW/HL: 0.92; PW/PL: 1.05; HW/PW: 0.78. Female: BL: 2.65; FBL: 1.10; HL: 0.40; HW: 0.35; PL: 0.40; PW: 0.43; HW/HL: 0.88; PW/PL: 1.05; HW/PW: 0.81.

Distribution.

Southwest China: Yunnan.

Symbiotic host.

Macrotermes sp.

Etymology.

The Latin adjective rāra means ‘rare’.