Pella sichuanensis Zheng & Zhao

Zheng, Dan-Lin & Zhao, Mei-Jun, 2014, Description of Pella sichuanensis sp. n. (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) from Micang Mountain, Sichuan, China, Zootaxa 3881 (6), pp. 597-599 : 597-599

Pella sichuanensis Zheng & Zhao , sp. n.

( Fig. 1 )

Type material (1♂, 1♀). Holotype: ♂, labeled ‘ China: Sichuan Prov. / Bazhong City / Nanjiang Coun. / Micang- Shan / Daba / N32.39.825, E107.01.788 / Alt. 1798m / 27–28-IV-2008 / HUANG Hao & XU Wang leg. // HOLOTYPE [red] / Pella sichuanensis sp. n. / Zheng and Zhao / det. 2014, SNUC’. Paratype: 1♀, same label data as holotype, all bearing the following label: ‘ PARATYPE [yellow] / Pella sichuanensis sp. n. / Zheng and Zhao / det. 2014, SNUC’.

Description. Body ( Fig. 1 A) length: 4.67–6.06 mm. Coloration: fore body dark brown; elytra bicoloured, with yellowish maculation at anterolateral margin; abdomen castaneous brown, with posterior margins of segments yellowish-brown; legs and antennae reddish-yellow.

Head ( Fig. 1 A) almost 1.18 times as wide as long; widest anteriorly; surface finely reticulate, covered with short golden setae. Antennae ( Fig. 1 B) about 1.79 mm long; shorter than head, pronotum and elytra combined; antennomere VI–X distinctly transverse. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 A) 1.33 times as wide as long and 1.34 times as wide as head; widest around anterior 1/3, narrowed posteriorly; posterior margin almost round; covered with short golden setae, with six macrosetae; hypomera fully visible in lateral view. Elytra ( Fig. 1 A) about 0.87 times as long as pronotum; covered with short golden setae; humeral angle with one macrosetae. Hind wings fully developed. Abdomen ( Fig. 1 A) widest at segments IV–V; surface with transverse microsculpture.

Male. Eighth tergite ( Fig. 1 C) with posterior margin slightly emarginate, its emarginated apex weakly serrate; 8th sternite ( Fig. 1 E) with posterior margin rounded. Aedeagus ( Figs. 1 H–J) oval inventral view; apical lobe curved ventrad, obtuse at apex in lateral view, rounded at apex in ventral view; longitudinal band relatively long; distal crest of aedeagal median lobe gently projected; basal ridge weakly convex, invisible in lateral view; copulatory piece of inner sac as in Fig. 1 J.

Female: Eighth tergite ( Fig. 1 D) with posterior margin truncate; truncate apex weakly crenate; 8th sternite ( Fig. 1 F) with 14 or 15 macrosetae.Spermatheca ( Fig. 1 G) curved three times; basal part almost as long as apical part, acutely curved around middle, slightly dilated apicad; apical part acutely curved around apical 2/5, slightly dilated apicad, its inner wall densely wrinkled from apex to around apical 3/5.

Comparative notes. Based on the shapes of the pronotum, the bicoloured elytra and the morphology of aedeagal median lobe the new species refers to the P. cognata group. The new species can be separated from all other species of the P. cognata by its lighter color, the relatively long aedeagal longitudinal band.

Three species of the P. cognata group have been known from China: P. kishimotoi Maruyama , P. puetzi Assing and P. maoershanensis Song & Li. From these species, P. sichuanensis is additionally distinguished as follows: from P. kishimotoi ( China, Hunan Prov.) by the more transverse antennomeres VI–VIII; from P. puetzi and P. maoershanensis by head lacking sexual dimorphism and the different shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus, especially in ventral view. In addition, the more transverse antennomeres V–X separates the new species from P. puetzi .

Etymology. The new species is named after its type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pella sichuanensis. A. Dorsal habitus; B. Antenna; C. Male tergite VIII; D. Female tergite VIII; E. Male sternite VIII; F. Female sternite VIII; G. Spermatheca; H. aedeagus, in ventral view; I. same, in lateral view; J. ditto, illustration. Scales (mm): A = 2 mm; B = 0.5 mm; C – J = 0.2 mm.