Haroldius turnai Král, 2003

Jiang, Ri-Xin, Xu, Yi-Yang & Wang, Shuo, 2019, Description of male and habitat of Haroldius turnai Král (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae Scarabaeinae), Zootaxa 4679 (3), pp. 571-576 : 572-574

Haroldius turnai Král, 2003

( Figs 1–11 , 18–21 )

Haroldius turnai Král, 2003: 194 (type locality: “ China, SE, Hubei, 29.4N, 114.6E, Jiugongshan forest park, 1000 m ”). Material examined (9 specimens): 7 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, labeled: “ China: Jiangxi Prov. (ỮMẘ), Nanchang City (ĦḆ m), Qingshanhu District (ṘƜaeữ), 28°46′25.89″N, 115°48′46.19″E, H: 79 m, 02.V.2019, in nest of Brachyponera chinensis, Yi-Yang Xu leg.” (1 ♂ in LQCC; 6 ♂♂, 2 ♀ in QUST).

Redescription. Male ( Figs. 1, 2 , 5, 6, 8, 9, 11–14 ). Measurements: BL: 2.56–2.79 mm; HL: 0.36–0.43 mm, HW: 1.10–1.18 mm; PL: 0.77–0.86 mm, PW: 1.50–1.62 mm; EL: 1.43–1.50 mm, EW: 1.83–2.05 mm; ML: 1.17 mm.

Body ( Figs. 1, 2 ) small, almost hemispherical, widest at middle of elytra, strongly convex above, noticeably depressed in medial part; dorsal surface shining and covered with sparse weak punctations; color black with brown areas on anterior margin of head, anterior angles of pronotum and legs.

Head ( Fig. 5 ) rather flat, widely semicircular, distinctly microsculptured and covered with sparse shallow punctures on dorsal surface. Clypeal margin gently reflexed, anterior margin denticles separated by pair of subrectangular emarginations at middle. Eyes slender and oblique in dorsal view with inner margin ridged. Antennae with eight antennomeres, basal antennomere longest, narrowed at middle.

Pronotum convex, about twice as wide as long, covered with shallow punctures and microsculptured as in head. Anterior margin bisinuate; anterior angles rounded; lateral margins curved. Basis rounded, margin part distinctly, densely obliquely striate.

All legs expanded. Profemora ( Fig. 12 ) widest near middle of their length, ventral surface with a tuft of long setae at about basal 1/3, left lateral margin with several small teeth near apex; protibiae ( Fig. 12 ) widest at apex, with a strong and curved spine and three teeth, the middle one much larger than other two. Mesofemora ( Fig. 13 ) and metafemora ( Fig. 13 ) widest at apical 1/3 of their length; mesotibiae ( Fig. 14 ) long triangular with apex strongly expanded; metatibiae ( Fig. 14 ) slightly curved and expand at apical. Tarsus short, all claws degenerative, much short.

Scutellum not visible.

Elytra ( Fig. 9 ) convex, inner basis distinctly depressed. Each elytron with seven distinct and long striae, base of stria III ( Fig. 9 ) with a distinct depression. Elytral intervals flat, intervals I and III-VIII with several short and posteriad curved scaly hairs basally, interval II without setae.

Hind wings ( Fig. 11 ) well developed.

Pygidium ( Fig. 6 ) widest near basal third and rounded apically.

Aedeagus. Parameres ( Fig. 8 ) symmetrical, with a pair of strongly curved lobes.

Female ( Figs. 3, 4 , 7, 10 ) similar to the male. Elytral base ( Fig. 10 ) with more numerous scaly setae, elytral interval II with two scaly hairs. Spermatheca ( Fig. 7 ) bended orthogonally, narrowed at middle. Measurements: BL: 2.5–2.62 mm; HL: 0.31–0.34 mm, HW: 1.00– 1.10 mm; PL: 0.76–0.80 mm, PW: 1.50–1.52 mm; EL: 1.43–1.48 mm, EW: 2.00– 2.02 mm; SL: 0.33 mm.

Distribution. China: Hubei, Jiangxi (new provincial record).

Biological notes. All adults were collected in the nest of Brachyponera chinensis ( Figs. 15, 16 ) under a rock ( Figs. 18–21 ).

Comments. Previously no biological information had been recorded in Haroldius turnai . The newly collected samples in this study indicate that this species has an intimate relationship with ants. Some specimens appear to be nibbled with broken tarsus maybe by ants ( Figs. 3, 4 ), this phenomenon was also mentioned by Krikken & Huijbregts (2006). Though the examination of the intestinal contents from several dissected specimens, we found many short bristles. Currently we could not identify the exact source of these bristles, but based on them we conjecture that Haroldiu turnai could hardly be mycophagous. Biology and ecology of the genus Haroldius are still mysterious, which means more need works to be done, especially on their larvae, feeding habits and life history.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Habitus of Haroldius turnai Král, 2003. 1, dorsal view of male; 2, ventral view of male; 3, dorsal view of female; 4, ventral view of female. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for Figs. 1–4.

FIGURES 5–16. Diagnostic features of Haroldius turnai Král, 2003. 5, head; 6, pygidium; 7, spermatheca; 8, aedeagus; 9, elytra base of male; 10, elytra base of female; 11, hind wing; 12, profemur and protibia; 13, mesofemur and mesotibia; 14, metafemur and metatibia; 15, host ant: Brachyponera chinensis, dorsal view; 16, Host ant, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm for Fig. 7; 0.25 mm for Figs. 5, 6, 9, 10; 0.5 mm for Figs. 11–14; 1.0 mm for Figs. 15, 16.

FIGURES 18–21. Habitat of Haroldius turnai Král, 2003. 18, general environment; 19, ant nest exposed after the stone was turned over; 20, ant nest and living H. turnai; 21, a closer view of ant nest and three living H. turnai walking on the surface of ant nest.