Stenus flammeus Tang & Puthz

Liang, Tang, Zhao, Yun-Long & Puthz, Volker, 2008, Six new Stenus species of the cirrus group (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from China with a key to species of the group, Zootaxa 1745, pp. 1-18 : 10-12

Stenus flammeus Tang & Puthz , sp. nov.

( Figs. 5 , 25–29 )

Type material. Holotype: CHINA: Sichuan Prov.: ɗ, Tianquan County, Labahe Nature Reserve, alt. 2400– 2600 m, 31.VII.2006, HU Jia-Yao & TANG Liang leg. ( SHNU). Paratypes: CHINA: Sichuan Prov.: 3ɗɗ, 5ΨΨ, same data as for the holotype ( SHNU); 6ɗɗ, 2ΨΨ, Tianquan County, Labahe Nature Reserve, alt. 2000 m, 30.VII.2006, HU Jia-Yao and TANG Liang leg. ( SHNU); ɗ, Labahe Nature Reserve, Tianquan County, Sichuan Prov., alt. 1900 m, 29.VII.2006, HU Jia-Yao & TANG Liang leg. ( SHNU); ɗ, Ψ, Erlangshan, Tianquan County, Sichuan Prov., alt. 1600–2000 m, 29.VII.2006, HU Jia-Yao & TANG Liang leg. ( SHNU); ɗ, Erlang Shan, E side 3 km below pass, ca. 3000 m, 29o52’N, 102o17’E, sifted, 19.V.1997, A. Pütz (cPut, cPüt); Ψ, Erlang Shan, E Ssutao-kiao-pass, 3000 m, 29o53.13’N, 102o17.08’E, 19.V.1997, M. Schülke (cPut, cSch); 2ɗɗ, E. Erlang Shan pass, 2600 m, 7 km SSE Luding, 29o51’N, 102o15’E, 20–29.VI.1999, D. W. Wrase (cPut, cSch); ɗ, 2ΨΨ, ibidem, Pinus, Corylus, flowers, 21.VI.1999, M. Schülke (cPut, cSch); 3ɗɗ, Ψ, ibidem, broadleaf forest litter, fungi, 29.VI.1999, M. Schülke (cPut, cSch); 2ΨΨ, E Erlang Shan Pass, 2900 m, 9 km SE Luding, 29o52’N, 102o18’E, 20.VI.1999, M. Schülke (cPut, cSch); ɗ, 3ΨΨ, ibidem 22.VI.1999, M. Schülke (cPut, cSch).

Description. BL: 4.0– 5.7 mm; FL: 2.0– 2.1 mm.

Proportional measurements of holotype: HW: 38, PW: 30.5, PL: 31, EW: 35, EL: 33.5, SL: 23.

Brachypterous, reddish brown, head and abdomen somewhat infuscate, moderately glossy; forebody coarsely, rugosely sculptured, abdominal punctation very coarse, dense anteriorly, moderately coarse and moderately dense posteriorly; pubescence long, semierect. Antennae yellowish, club infuscate. Maxillary palpi reddish yellow. Legs reddish yellow. Clypeus and labrum reddish brown, moderately densely pubescent.

Head 1.09 times as wide as elytra; clypeofrontal area densely punctate and pubescent; basiantennal tubercles small; interocular area with deep longitudinal furrows, median portion strongly convex, distinctly extending beyond the level of inner eye margins; punctures round, larger and sparser on median area than those near inner margins of eyes, diameter of large punctures about as wide as medial cross section of 2nd antennal segment, interstices between punctures smooth, distinctly smaller than half diameter of punctures. Antennae when reflexed slightly extending beyond posterior margin of pronotum; 3rd to 8th segments much narrower than 2nd; 9th to 11th gradually broadened, forming loose club; relative length of segments from base to apex as 9.0: 5.5: 14.0: 8.0: 7.5: 5.5: 6.0: 4.0: 4.5: 4.5: 6.0. Paraglossae coniform.

Pronotum 1.02 times as long as wide, 0.87 times as wide as elytra, widest a little before middle and constricted at base; disk conspicuously uneven, with broad and deep median longitudinal furrow which is about 4/ 5 the length of pronotum, two deep impressions in anterior half each with an outer tubercle, two distinct impressions in about middle each with an inner tubercle, two deep impressions in posterior half each with an outer tubercle; punctures round and confluent, mostly slightly less coarse than those on frons, interstices smooth, much smaller than half diameter of punctures except in median furrow, which is broadly impunctate.

Elytra 0.96 times as long as wide, distinctly constricted at base, lateral margins gently divergent posteriad; posterior conjoint margins roundly and distinctly emarginate at middle; disk uneven with deep humeral impression, distinct postero-lateral impression and deep sutural impression, median portion between humeral impression and sutural impression distinctly convex; punctation irregular, punctures very rugose and confluent, slightly larger than those on pronotum, interstices smooth, much smaller than half diameter of punctures.

Legs elongate, hind tarsi 0.85 times as long as hind tibiae, 4th tarsomeres strongly bilobed.

Abdomen cylindrical; paratergites very narrow and punctate, present only in 3rd segment, no apical membranous fringe at tergite 7; punctures round to elliptic, slightly becoming smaller posteriad, each puncture with long and suberect seta, interstices smooth, almost smaller than diameter of punctures.

Male. Sixth sternite ( Fig. 25 ) with shallow emargination at middle of posterior margin; 7th sternite ( Fig. 25 ) impressed at posteromedian part with emargination along posterior margin of impression; 8th sternite ( Fig. 25 ) with triangular emargination at middle of posterior margin; 9th sternite ( Fig. 26 ) with very long apicolateral projections, posterior margin smooth with broad serrate median projection. Aedeagus ( Fig. 27 ) with median lobe broadest at about basal 1/5 and gradually tapering apicad, apical sclerotized area with an apical cuspidate projection, expulsion clasp ( Fig. 28 ) large, strongly sclerotized; parameres distinctly shorter than median lobe, strongly swollen at apex, each with about 12–14 setae on apico-internal margins.

Female. Abdomen broader than that in male; 8th sternite entire; strongly sclerotized spermatheca as in Fig. 29 , infundibulum conspicuously large.

Remarks. This new species may be easily distinguished from all hitherto described species of Stenus cirrus g roup by coniform paraglossae and a distinct shape of the genitalia. Stenus flammeus differs from the following species, S. bostrychos sp. n., in having reddish brown coloration and unicolorous elytra. In general facies S. flammeus resembles also S. toppi Zhao & Zhou, 2005 but has an unmargined abdomen (as in species traditionally placed in Hypostenus ).

Distribution. China (Sichuan Province).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word “ flammeus ” referring to the reddish brown coloration of this species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Stenus cirrus group, habitus. 1 — S. zhulilongi sp. nov., female; 2 — S. lijinweni sp. nov., male; 3 — S. jiulongshanus sp. nov., male; 4 — S. shenshanjiai sp. nov., male; 5, S. — flammeus sp. nov., male; 6 — S. bostrychus sp. nov., male. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 25 – 29. Details of Stenus flammeus sp. nov. 25 — male 6 th – 8 th sternites; 26 — male 9 th sternite; 27 — aedeagus in ventral view; 28 — expulsion clasp of aedeagus; 29 — spermatheca. Scale bars 0.25 mm.