Micropeplus parvulus, 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 : 233-234

Micropeplus parvulus sp. nov.

( Figs 12–17 )

Diagnosis. This species is very similar to Micropeplus rougemonti Watanabe, 1995 from Yunnnan, but it may be distinguished from the latter by body smaller, each elytron only with two discal costae, pseudepipleural costa obsolete between humeral and epipleural costae, and tergite 7 of abdomen only with one longitudinal carina.

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

Length 1.5 – 1.6 mm.

Head subtriangular, very transverse, about 2.0 times as broad as long, narrower than pronotum (ratio 0.53); anterior margin of head broadly arcuate. 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 inner side of each eye, space between carinae granulate. Clypeus visible from above, with slightly deflexed anterior margin and granulate surface. Antennae ninesegmented, 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 segment 1 and narrowed apicad; 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 2.5 times as broad as long, widest at base, shorter than elytra (ratio 0.52) and about equal in width to it; sides irregularly sinuate; 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 six cells enclosed by costae, three in anterior half and remaining three in posterior half.

Scutellum subtriangular, apical margin slightly triangularly produced.

Elytra subquadrate, about 1.25 times as broad as long, slightly widened apicad, discal area strongly convex, abruptly and transversely depressed in apical one fifth along apical margin; each elytron with four costae, one sutural, two discal and one humeral; four costae straight, each extending through whole length of elytra; interspaces of costae with irregular rows of coarse punctures, 1st interspace with two rows, 2nd with two to three rows, 3rd with three to four rows; pseudepipleural costa obsolete between humeral and epipleural costae. Wings developed. Median impression of metasternum slightly broad, elongate, more than half as long as metasternum.

Abdomen gradually narrowed apicad; tergites 4–7 each strongly transversely depressed at basal half; tergites 4–6 each with three longitudinal carinae throughout length of tergite; tergite 7 only with one longitudinal carina abbreviated in apical third; surface of each tergite impunctate, finely granulate and with fine and dense microsculpture of transverse striae; sternite 8 broadly rounded at middle of apical margin.

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype. ♀, China, Sichuan, Yele Nature Reserve, Mianning County (28°50′– 29°00′N, 101°59′– 102°16′E; elev. 3 400 m), 8 August 2005, coll. Dianyuan Song. Paratype. 1♀, the same data as holotype. Type specimens are deposited in the Life Science College, China West Normal University, Sichuan.

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

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin " parvulus "(small), it refers to the smaller size of the new species.

Figures

Figures 12 – 17. Micropeplus parvulus sp. nov. 12. Female, dorsal habitus. 13. Head. 14. Pronotum. 15. Elytra. 16. Abdominal tergites 3 – 7. 17. Female eighth sternite. Scale bars: 12 = 1 mm; 13 – 17 = 0.1 mm.