Aethina (Aethina) Erichson, 1843

Chen, Xiaoxiao, Zhang, Jianhui & Huang, Min, 2024, New species and records of subgenus Aethina from China (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Zootaxa 5471 (1), pp. 141-147 : 142-147

Aethina (Aethina) Erichson, 1843

Diagnosis. Medium sized, body more or less flat; dorsal and ventral surface with appropriately developed or reduced pubescence; antennal grooves short and convergent; lateral margin of pronotum ciliated; claw simple; pygidium with 8 arc-shaped depressions in the base; ovipositor simple and not divided apically.

Key to species of the subgenus Aethina from China

1. Antennal club rhombic, terminal segment wider than antennomere 10............................................ 2 Antennal club oval, terminal segment narrower than antennomere 10............................................ 4

2. Body blackish, pronotum and anterior margin of elytra covered with yellow coarse seta, posterior margin of elytra with brown fine seta........................................................................... A. (A.) shizhusa sp. nov. Body brownish-yellow, and covered with grayish or light yellow pubescence...................................... 3

3. Antennomere 8 disc-shaped, last segment of labial palpomere oblique truncated apically, scutellum semicircular................................................................................................ A. (A.) aeneipennis Antennomere 8 not disc-shaped, last segment of labial palpomere truncated apically, scutellum subquadrilateral A. (A.) vicina

4. Body rather flat dorsally................................................................................ 5 Body convex dorsally.................................................................................. 8

5. Dorsal surface of pronotum and elytra with color spots........................................................ 6 Dorsal surface of pronotum and elytra without color spots..................................................... 7

6. Anterior and posterior margins of pronotum with two markings not connected, pygidium with an oblong dark brown markings medially................................................................................... A. (A.) argus Anterior and posterior margins of pronotum with two markings connected, pygidium without markings medially................................................................................................... A. (A.) dundai

7. Body covered with grayish pubescence, length of elytra equal to combined width of elytra.................................................................................................................. A. (A.) scutellaris Body covered with red pubescence, length of elytra longer than combined width of elytra..................................................................................................................... A. (A.) testacea

8. Elytra with coppery green luster........................................................... A. (A.) cyaneipennis Elytra without coppery green luster....................................................................... 9

9. Dorsal surface with color spots......................................................................... 10 Dorsal surface without color spots....................................................................... 12

10. Disc of pronotum with a round black spot..................................................... A. (A.) flavicollis Disc of pronotum without round black spots............................................................... 11

11. Body blackish, anterior margin of elytra with symmetrical triangular brown-yellow markings............ A. (A.) lindskogi Body dark brown, elytra with symmetrical “inverted L-shaped” rufous markings..................... A. (A.) rufobasalis

12. Body dark in color, usually black........................................................................ 13 Body light in color, usually light brown to chestnut brown.................................................... 16

13. Length of elytra obvious shorter than combined width of elytra..................................... A. (A.) kabakovi Length of elytra obvious equal to or longer than combined width of elytra....................................... 14

14. Pronotum with posterior margin bisinuate.................................................... A. (A.) inconspicua Pronotum with posterior margin straight.................................................................. 15

15. Pronotum with posterior angles subrectangular, length of elytra equal to combined width of elytra........ A. (A.) kirejtshuki Pronotum with posterior angles prominent, length of elytra longer than combined width of elytra................................................................................................. A. (A.) similinconspicua sp. nov.

16. Body oval, body length significantly shorter than twice the width.............................................. 17 Body oblong, body length longer than twice the width....................................................... 18

17. Pygidium obtuse apically, scutellum semicircular............................................... A. (A.) dubitabilis Pygidium truncated apically, scutellum trapezoidal............................................... A. (A.) concinna

18. Antennae equal to head width................................................................. A. (A.) planta Antennae shorter than head width....................................................................... 19

19. Body brown, length of elytra shorter than combined width of elytra, pronotum strongly carinate............. A. (A.) tumida Body light brown, length of elytra longer than combined width of elytra, pronotum flat................ A. (A.) berezovskyi