Paratropus fedorenkoi Sokolov, 2019

Sokolov, A. V., 2019, Description of a new species of Paratropus Gerstaecker, 1867 (Coleoptera: Histeridae) from Vietnam, Russian Entomological Journal 28 (2), pp. 146-147 : 146-147

Paratropus fedorenkoi Sokolov , sp.n.

Figs 1–3.

MATERIAL. Holotype, ♀, labeled: “S Vietnam, 120 km NNE Ho Chi Minh, env. Cat Tien Nat. Park h= 150-170m. 19.05 18.06.2005 leg. D. Fedorenko Oк. л. 2 / HOLOTYPE Paratropus fedorenkoi sp. n. A. Sokolov des. 2019.” Holotype is deposited in author’s collection .

DESCRIPTION. Habitus as illustrated ( Figs 1–2). L= 3.6 mm, We= 2.9 mm, H=2.0 mm. Body broadly oval, strongly convex. Colour reddish brown, darker along sutures, shiny, legs and antennae ferrugineous. Dorsal surface smooth, very feeble punctures visible at 60X magnification only. Head ( Fig. 3). Labrum strongly emarginate. Clypeus transversely concave, planes of clypeus and front forming distinct angle. Frontal stria complete, semihexagonal, with rounded angles. Interocular margins slightly divergent anterad. Frontal impression barely marked. Eyes flat in dorsal view.

Lp = 1.6 mm. Wpb = 2.6 mm. Pronotum about 1.6 times wider than long along the median line, convex, pronotal sides strongly convergate to front. Marginal striae obsolete. Lateral stria complete, anterior marginal stria not interrupted, there is pair poorly visible punctures behind the eyes. Antescutellar pronotal impression indistinct.

Le=2.0mm. We = 2.9 mm. Epipleural striae obsolete, epipleurae convex, smooth. Outer subhumeral striae complete. Inner subhumeral stria absent. Dorsal striae reduced, 1- st striae only present, reaching slightly beyond the middle of elytra posteriorly. Humeral stria poorly visible. Propygidium and pygidium smooth, without any punctures and microsculpture. Marginal stria of pygidium fine, interrupted medially at either side, with small fragment present along the apex. Prosternal lobe truncate and slightly emarginated in front, with well impressed marginal stria, abbreviated at middle. Prosternal keel slightly convex in lateral view, carinal striae fine, slightly divergent anteriorly and markedly posteriorly. Lateral prosternal striae absent. Inner lateral metaventral stria abbreviat- ed anterad, not reaching mesometaventral suture, connected with their recurrent arms forming round loop. There is not punctures on ventral surface. Lateral stria of 1-st abdominal ventrite recurved laterally to hind margin. Legs strongly broadened, linear microsculpture present on inner surface of tibia.

COMPARATIVE REMARKS.Easily distinguished from all species of the genus by the absence of punctures and microsculpture, shortened anteriorly inner lateral metaventral stria, reduced elytral striae and marginal pronotal striae.

ETYMOLOGY. The new species is dedicated to Dr. Dmitriy Fedorenko, who collected this specimen and many other interesting hister-beetles.

BIOLOGY. Single specimen (female) was collected by window traps together with other myrmecophilous and termitophilous histerids, Paratropus termitophilus (Desbordes, 1925) and Ceratohister camelus Tishechkin and Sokolov, 2009 . Biotope of collecting is monsoon semidecidous tropical forest.

Acknowledgements. I wish to thank Dr. K.V. Makarov for help with making photographs. Special thanks are due to Dr. A.K. Tishechkin for critical remarks.