Phellopsis yulongensis Foley and Ivie

Foley, Ian A. & Ivie, Michael A., 2008, A revision of the genus Phellopsis LeConte (Coleoptera: Zopheridae), Zootaxa 1689, pp. 1-28 : 23-24

Phellopsis yulongensis Foley and Ivie n. sp.

( Figs. 1 B, 3D, 4D, F, 5B, 6D, 7B, 8E)

Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished from P. amurensis by having reduced tuberculation on the ventral surface of the head ( Fig. 7 B), the humeri flattened not notched, and the elytral punctures elongate rather than rounded. It is distinguished from P. chinensis by having a more uniformly tuberculate pronotal disc, reduced sculptural intensity ( Figs. 3 D, 4D), smaller and more frequent tubercles on the ventrites ( Fig. 4 F), the reddish vestiture composed of thin setae ( Fig. 5 B), and the presence of a distinct stop at the base of the male parameres ( Figs. 8 E).

Description (male): 14–19 mm long. Reddish to black; dorsal vestiture consisting of thin reddish thread like setae, red especially on vertex of head and pronotum ( Fig. 5 B); elytral sculpture consisting of sinuate ridges and distinct nodules.

Head with dorsal surface with tuberculation almost completely reduced ( Fig. 6 D); lateral margin of epistoma anterior to suprantennal ridge long (0.34–0.37 mm); antennomeres 9 and 10 with elongate sensilla patch extending partially around base of previous segment; antennomere 11 conical at apex; tubercles on ventral surface of head large and flattened creating a relatively smooth surface; gular sutures weakly defined; gula wide, narrowest point at gular pits; subgenal ridge produced apically, rounded margin; subgenal ridge shorter, not extending below eye; eye at same level as gena.

Mandible with molar surface smooth without distinct ridges, membranous prostheca with short dense fringe of setae; maxilla with galea, palpifer, and basistipes weakly sculptured; galea with secondary row of setae; lacinia with two small hooks laterally in the same plane, surrounded by a whorl of setae restricted to the margin creating hollow space in lateral width; palpifer with four thick setae, twice as wide as setae on galea and lacinia; basistipes with two thinner setae set in small fossae. Post occipital suture shallow and broad.

Pronotum with tuberculation uniformly distributed and similar in size; pronotal disc between and anterior to lyriform ridges with distinct tubercles; paired elevations on apical margin of pronotum broad and weakly divide by midline, nearly fused; lateral margin of pronotum arcuate to weakly bisinuate, weakly explanate; hypomeron with moderate sized tubercles, lacking intertuberculate setae; prosternal process bisinuate. Lateral profile of elytra flattened medially in dorsal plane; lateral margin weakly serrate; humerus flattened; scutellum oval, scutellary striole shallow; ridge in 5th elytral interval starting approximately at mid point of metasternum and extending to the midpoint of ventrite 3; paired nodules of declivity not overlapping for a considerable width in the same lateral plane, strongly offset; median subapical nodule larger than lateral or apical ones; nodule at apex subequal in size to lateral subapical nodule. Metasternum bituberculate, with moderate and small sized tubercles.

Tubercles on ventrites average sized and rounded ( Fig. 4 F); laterotergite 3 not greatly expanded, in dorsal view with elytron removed; intercoxal process of V1 broad, flattened at the apex, strongly elevated. Tarsus with ventral setae slightly thickened, not distinctly spur like, heavier than dorsal setae.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 8 E); basal stop of parameres with well developed fringe of setae; apical margin concave medially.

FEMALE: Similar to male but lacking setose pit on submentum.

LARVA: Unknown.

Variation: The type series is morphologically very consistent.

Distribution: CHINA: YUNNAN.

Types: HOLOTYPE: CHINA-Yunnan 24.-29.6; 50 km N Lijang, 1993; Yulonshan Nat. Res.; E. Jendek & O. Sausa leg/ red rectangular label with a box around text " PARATYPE; Phellopsis yulongensis ; ɗ; Foley & Ivie 2007" (from MAIC, deposited in Center of Zoological Evolution and Systematics, Zoological Museum of China, Academia Sinica, Beijing). PARATYPES; CHINA-Yunnan 24.-29.6; 50 km N Lijang, 1993; Yulonshan Nat. Res.; E. Jendek & O. Sausa leg/ red rectangular label with a box around text " PARATYPE; Phellopsis yulongensis ; Foley & Ivie 2007" (4 MAIC). CHINA-Yunnan 1.-19.VII; HEISHUI, 35 km N Lijang; 27º13'N 100º19'E; 1993; E. Jendek leg 1992/ blue rectangular label with a box around text " PARATYPE; Phellopsis yulongensis ; Foley & Ivie 2007" (4 MAIC --1 disarticulated). CHINA-Yunnan 1.-19.VII; HEISHUI, 35 km N Lijang; 27º13'N 100º19'E; 1993; S. Becvar lgt. 1992/ blue rectangular label with a box around text " PARATYPE; Phellopsis yulongensis ; Foley & Ivie 2007" (1 HNHM). CHINA, N.W. Yunnan, 3200m; Haba Shan - Haba; N 27°22’54.3”, E 100°06’03,2”; 15.7.2006, lgt. Janata M./ BMNH{E}; 2006-157; M. Janata (2 BMNH).

Etymology: This species is named for the type locality, the Yulongshan Nature Reserve, in acknowledgement of the role that the conservation of old growth habitat areas will play in the preservation of so many rare animals in all regions of the world. The persistence of relatively natural boreal and temperate forest ecosystems will be vital to the continued survival of this genus.

Notes: The two species found to occur in China are narrowly divided by the boundary between the Southwest China and Central China zoogeographic regions ( Jäch and Ji 1995). The area of Southwest China where P. yulongensis is found has been considered one of the most diverse temperate regions in the world (UNESCO 2007).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Dorsal habitus photos of the Asian Phellopsis spp. A. Phellopsis amurensis; B. P. s u b e re a; C. P. chinensis; D. P. yulongensis.

FIGURE 4. Elytral sculpture of Asian Phellopsis spp. A. Phellopsis amurensis; B. P. s u b e re a; C. P. chinensis; D. P. yulongensis; Ventrites 2 – 5 of Phellopsis spp. found in China. E. Phellopsis chinensis; F. P. yulongensis.

FIGURE 5. Pronotal surface seatation of Phellopsis sp. found in China. A. Phellopsis chinensis; B. P. yulongensis.

FIGURE 6. Dorsal head surface of the Asian Phellopsis spp. A. Phellopsis amurensis; B. P. s u b e re a; C. P. chinensis; D. P. yulongensis.

FIGURE 7. Ventral head surface of Phellopsis spp. A. Phellopsis suberea; B. P. yulongensis.

FIGURE 8. Lateral view of male parameres of Phellopsis spp. A. Phellopsis obcordata; B. P. porcata; C. P. s u b e re a; D. P. chinensis; E. P. yulongensis.

FIGURE 1. A. Map of specimen records for North American Phellopsis spp. P. p o rc a t a, green circles; P. obcordata red diamonds. B. Map of specimen records for Asian Phellopsis spp. P. yulongensis red diamonds; P. chinensis green circles; P. a m u re n s i s red cross; P. suberea green triangles.