Paederus jianyueae Peng & Li

Peng, Zhong, Li, Li-Zhen & Zhao, Mei-Jun, 2014, New data on the Paederus biacutus species group from mainland China (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Paederinae), ZooKeys 419, pp. 117-128 : 120-123

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Paederus jianyueae Peng & Li sp. n. Figs 7-8

Type material.

(14 ♂♂, 28 ♀♀). Holotype: ♂, labelled 'China: Zhejiang Prov., Lin’an, Qingliangfeng, 30°05'48"N, 118°51'36"E, alt. 1500-1700 m 22.v.2012, Yi & Zhang leg.' (SNUC). Paratypes: 12 ♂♂, 28 ♀♀, same label data as holotype (SNUC); 1 ♂, same data, but 'Anhui Prov. Huang Shan, 30°07'51"N, 118°09'51"E, 18.v.2005 alt. 1700 m, Wen-Xuan Bi leg.' (SNUC).

Description.

Measurements (in mm) and ratios: BL 9.23-10.34, FL 4.56-4.78, HL 1.30-1.41, HW 1.52-1.61, AnL 2.78-2.95, PL 1.59-1.67, PW 1.54-1.66, EL 1.02-1.13, EW 1.52-1.61, AW 1.70-1.85, AL 1.04-1.09, HL/HW 0.85-0.89, HW/PW 0.95-0.98, HL/PL 0.81-0.85, PL/PW 0.98-1.03, EL/PL 0.64-0.68, diameter of eye: 0.37-0.44.

Habitus as in Fig. 7. Coloration: head, pronotum and abdomen black; elytra black with faint blueish hue; legs and antennae dark-yellowish, apices of femora and tibiae not infuscate.

Head transverse; shape without apparent sexual dimorphism; widest across eyes; punctation moderately coarse and very sparse; interstices glossy. Eyes distinctly convex, 0.6-0.8 times as long as postocular region in dorsal view. All antennomeres oblong.

Pronotum nearly globulous, strongly convex in cross-section; punctation similar to that of head, very sparse.

Elytra trapeziform; punctation coarse, moderately defined, and dense. Hind wings completely reduced. Metatarsomere I as long as combined length of metatarsomeres II and III.

Abdomen distinctly broader than elytra; punctation sparse; interstices with shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe; posterior margin of tergite VIII (Fig. 8E, H) strongly convex.

Male. Labrum (Fig. 8C) distinctly sinuate, anterior margin with two pairs of obtuse teeth; mandibles (Fig. 8 A–B) long and robust, inner margin with one bicuspidate tooth. Sternite VII unmodified; sternite VIII (Fig. 8I) weakly transverse and with deep and narrow posterior incision, this incision approximately 0.4 times as long as sternite VIII; sternite IX (Fig. 8J) asymmetric; aedeagus as in Fig. 8 K–M; dorsal plate of median lobe asymmetric, curved in lateral view and not reaching apices of parameres, its base broad and narrowed posteriad; parameres symmetric and slender; internal sac with three distinctive sclerotized spines.

Female. Labrum as in Fig. 8D. Posterior margin of sternite VIII symmetric and trifurcate as in Fig. 8F; sternite IX (Fig. 8G) symmetrical and stout.

Distribution and natural history.

The species was found in two geographically close localities: Qingliangfeng, western Zhejiang and the Huang Shan, southeastern Anhui. The specimens were sifted from leaf litter and moss in coniferous forests at altitudes of 1500-1700 m.

Etymology.

The species is named after Jian-Yue Qiu, who lent extensive support to our research.

Comparative notes.

Paederus jianyueae belongs to the Paederus biacutus group, as can be inferred both from the sexual characters and from the external morphology (special color pattern, four protrusions on anterior margin of labrum, morphology of the aedeagus, shape of the male sternite IX and the female sternite VIII). This new species is distinguished from other species of this group by the shape of female sternite VIII and the morphology of the aedeagus (more slender dorsal plate of the median lobe; slender parameres; three distinctive sclerotized spines in the internal sac). Based on the similar morphology of the aedeagus, Paederus jianyueae may be most closely related to Paederus biacutus Li, Zhou & Solodovnikov, 2013.