Lathrobium mawenliae Peng

Peng, Zhong, Li, Li-Zhen & Zhao, Mei-Jun, 2013, A new species of Lathrobium Gravenhorst (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) from Shaanxi, Central China, Zootaxa 3608 (2), pp. 158-160 : 158-160

Lathrobium mawenliae Peng & Li, new species

( Fig. 1 )

Type material. (4 3). HOLOTYPE: 3, labeled ‘ CHINA: Shaanxi Prov. / Ningshan County / Huoditang / 33°26'N, 108°27'E / 12.vii.2012, alt. 1,500–1,700 m / Chen, Li, Ma, Zhao & Pan leg.’. PARATYPES: 2 3, same label data as holotype; 1 3, same label data, but ‘Zhouzhi County / Qinling / Sangongligou / 33°50'N, 107°48'E / 17–19.v.2008, alt. 1350 m / Huang & Xu leg.’.

Description. Measurements and ratios: BL 7.06–7.51, FL 2.95–3.10, HL 0.78–0.86, HW 0.82–0.95, PL 1.13–1.26, PW 0.88–0.95, EL 0.72–0.82, HL/HW 0.94–0.97, HW/PW 0.91–0.95, HL/PL 0.68–0.69, PL/PW 1.28–1.33, EL/PL 0.64–0.65.

Habitus as in Fig. 1 A. Body dark reddish-brown, abdomen with apex paler; legs light brown with yellowish-brown; antennae reddish.

Head subquadrate, 0.94–0.97 times as long as broad; posterior angles weakly pronounced; punctation moderately coarse and sparse, even sparser in median dorsal portion; interstices on average broader than punctures, with distinct microreticulation. Eyes moderately small, composed of> 50 ommatidia, approximately 1/4 length of postocular region in dorsal view, and approximately 0.28–0.30 times length of postocular region in lateral view. Antenna 1.5–1.7 mm long.

Pronotum approximately 1.28–1.33 times length of broad, broader than head; punctation similar to that of head, but somewhat sparser; midline broadly impunctate; interstices without microsculpture.

Elytra short, approximately 0.64–0.65 times as long as pronotum; punctation relatively dense and defined; interstices without microsculpture. Hind wings completely reduced.

Abdomen with fine punctation, punctures on tergites III-VI dense, those on tergites VII and VIII distinctly sparser; interstices with very shallow, almost obsolete microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

Male. Sternites III–VI unmodified; sternite VII ( Fig. 1 B) strongly transverse, with short modified setae in shallow posterior impression, posterior margin weakly concave at middle; sternite VIII ( Fig. 1 C) weakly transverse and impressed along middle, this impression with sparse short setae, with cluster of conspicuously dense black setae on either side of postero-median impression, posterior excision small; sternite IX as in Fig. 1 D; aedeagus ( Figs 1 E–F) 1.3–1.4 mm long; apical half of ventral process of aedeagus conspicuously straight, slender, and acute in lateral view; dorsal plate lamellate, thin, sclerotized, apically acute; internal sac with dark membranous structures.

Female. Unknown.

Remarks. From other described Lathrobium species known from Shaanxi ( L. heteromorphum Cheng et al., 2005 and L. shaanxiense Cheng et al., 2005 ), L. mawenliae is readily separated by its larger body size, the completely different shape and chaetotaxy of the male sternite VIII and by the symmetric aedeagus with a ventral process of distinctive shape.

Distribution. Central China: Qinling Shan range.

Habitat. The specimens were collected from the floor of a hardwood forest by sifting moist to wet leaf litter and humus.

Etymology. The species is named after Wen-Li Ma, who collected the holotype.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lathrobium mawenliae. A – habitus; B – male sternite VII; C – male sternite VIII; D – male sternite IX; E – aedeagus in lateral view; F – aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: A: 1.0 mm, B – F: 0.5 mm.