Rhagonycha (s.str.) nigricolor Y. Yang, Liu & X. Yang, 2024

Xiao, Yun-Feng, Liu, Hao-Yu, Yang, Xing-Ke & Yang, Yu-Xia, 2024, Taxonomic review of the Rhagonycha flava species group (Coleoptera, Cantharidae), with descriptions of fourteen new species from China, Zootaxa 5534 (1), pp. 1-69 : 27-28

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5534.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C36ED8DA-FCF2-44FE-A38E-41112A1C0D6D
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14023618
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F9023D04-FFE0-FFD9-FF69-E55F3AE9EA0B
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Rhagonycha (s.str.) nigricolor Y. Yang, Liu & X. Yang
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Rhagonycha (s.str.) nigricolor Y. Yang, Liu & X. Yang , sp. nov.

( Figs 15A‒B View FIGURE 15 , 16A‒C View FIGURE 16 , 17A View FIGURE 17 , 18A View FIGURE 18 , 41 View FIGURE 41 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ ( IZAS), CHINA, Sichuan: Emeishan , 18.VI.1955, leg. K.R. Huang & Y.T. Jin. PARATYPES: CHINA, Sichuan: 1♂, 4♀♀ ( IZAS), Emeishan , 20.VI.1955, leg. K.R. Huang & Y.T. Jin ; 1♀ ( IZAS); same data as the preceding, 17.VI.1955 ; 3♂♂ ( IZAS), same data as the preceding, 18.VI.1955 ; 1♂ ( IZAS), same data as the preceding, 23.VI.1955 ; 1♀ ( IZAS); same locality as the preceding, 1600‒2100 m, 24.VI.1955, leg. X.K. Bu ; 1♀ ( IZAS), Emeishan, Xixiangchi , 1800‒2000 m, 25.Ⅴ.1957, leg. K.R. Huang ; 1♀ ( IZAS), Emeishan, Jiulaodong , 1800‒1900 m, 6.VII.1957, leg. F.X. Zhu. Guizhou: 4♀♀ ( MHBU), Leigongshan, Xiaodanjiang , 860‒ 1300 m, 31.V–1.VI.2005, leg. Q.R. Liao ; 4♀♀ ( MHBU), Leigongshan, Lianhuaping , 1300‒2178 m, 2‒3.VI.2005, leg. Y.H. Song ; 1♀ ( MHBU), same data as the preceding, leg. Z.H. Zhou. Chongqing: 1♂ ( MHBU), Wuxi, Lanying, Lanying , 31°24′24.54″ N, 109°53′7.92″ E, 1764 m, 24.VI.2022, leg. L.Y. Wang GoogleMaps ; 1♂ ( MHBU), Wuxi, Lanying, Yintiaoling Nature Reserve , Huangcaoping , 31°24′50.13″ N, 109°55′40.2″ E, 2039 m, 24.VI.2022, leg. L.Y. Wang GoogleMaps ; 1♀ ( MHBU), Wuxi, Yintiaoling Nature Reserve, Zhuanping Management and Protection Station , 31°29′56.9889′′ N, 109°56′59.2115′′ E, 1973.24 m, 18.VIII.2022, leg. L.Y. Wang, T.Y. Ren GoogleMaps et al.

Differential diagnosis. This species can be easily distinguished from all others by its uniformly black head and pronotum, as well as its aedeagus shape, which is strongly swollen laterally and ventrally at basal part (while at most moderately swollen in other species).

Description. Body length: 7.8‒8.7 mm (8.6 mm in holotype); width: 1.9‒3.5 mm (2.1 mm in holotype).

Male ( Fig. 15A View FIGURE 15 ). Coloration. Body black except for elytra pale yellow, each elytron with a wide longitudinal median black band that extending from humerus to apex and narrower in the anterior part than the posterior part. Surface sparsely and finely yellow pubescent, anterior margin of clypeus fringed with pale bristles.

Head rounded, surface densely and finely punctate; eyes moderately protruding, head width across eyes about as wide as anterior margin of pronotum; terminal maxillary palpomeres subtriangular, widest at apical third; antennae extending to basal 3/4 length of elytra when reclined, antennomeres II shortest, about 2.5 times as long as wide at apices, III about 1.8 times longer than II, V longest, XI feebly longer than X and pointed at apices.

Pronotum subquadrate, about 0.9 times as long as wide, anterior margin rounded, anterior angles subrounded, lateral margins feebly diverging posteriorly, posterior margin nearly straight, posterior angles sub-rectangular, disc strongly convex on posterolateral parts, surface finely and sparsely punctate.

Elytra with lateral margins feebly diverging posteriorly, about 3.7 times as long as humeral width, 5.6 times longer than pronotum, surface finely rugulose-lacunose, almost lustrous at basal parts.

Aedeagus feebly swollen laterally near middle ( Fig. 16A, B View FIGURE 16 ) and strongly swollen ventrally in lateral view ( Fig. 16C View FIGURE 16 ); ventral processes of parameres abruptly and strongly thinned apically near bases, with apices rounded and bent to each other in ventral view ( Fig. 16A View FIGURE 16 ), narrow and almost straight in lateral view ( Fig. 16C View FIGURE 16 ); conjoint dorsal plate of parameres feebly longer than ventral processes ( Fig. 16C View FIGURE 16 ), with apical margin roundly and shallowly emarginate in middle, lateral margins nearly parallel, latero-apical angles truncate in dorsal view ( Fig. 16B View FIGURE 16 ), feebly inclined ventrally in lateral view ( Fig. 16C View FIGURE 16 ); emargination between conjoint dorsal plate and ventral process about 1/3 length of aedeagus ( Fig. 16C View FIGURE 16 ).

Female ( Fig. 15B View FIGURE 15 ). Similar to male, but with larger and stouter body, eyes less protruding, head width across eyes 0.9 times as wide as anterior margin of pronotum, antennae shorter and extending to apical third length of elytra when reclined, pronotum wider and about 1.3 times as wide as long, anterior margin more arcuate, disc feebly convex on posterolateral parts, elytra about 3.5 times as long as humeral width, with lateral margins moderately diverging posteriorly.

Internal organ of reproductive system ( Fig. 17A View FIGURE 17 ): vagina stout and abruptly thinned at ventroapical portion into a very short and stout tube, where diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising separately; diverticulum very short and spiral, evenly thin along the whole length; spermathecal duct very short; spermatheca provided with a spiral tube, progressively thinned apically and about twice longer than diverticulum; accessory gland extremely long, about five times longer than spermatheca.

Abdominal sternite VIII ( Fig. 18A View FIGURE 18 ) moderately narrowed posteriorly, widely triangular at latero-apical angles, and small-triangularly emarginate in middle of posterior margin.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin niger (black) and color (colour), referring to its black body colouration.

Distribution ( Fig. 41 View FIGURE 41 ). China (Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou).