Laena mounigouica, Wei & Ren, 2023

Wei, Zhonghua & Ren, Guodong, 2023, Two new species of the genus Laena (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Lagriinae) from northern Sichuan in China based on morphological and molecular data, ZooKeys 1173, pp. 71-83 : 71

Laena mounigouica sp. nov.

Fig. 2

Type locality.

China, Sichuan Province, Songpan County, Mounigou.

Type specimens.

Holotype: ♂, China, Sichuan, Songpan County, Mounigou, Tuguanzhai, elev. 2978 m, 2022.VII.21, Zhonghua Wei leg., CWNU. Paratype: 2♂2♀, the same data of holotype, CWNU.

Other examined materials.

1♂ 1♀ (in ethanol), China, Sichuan, Songpan County, Mounigou, Tuguanzhai , elev. 2978 m, 2022.VII.21, Zhonghua Wei leg., CWNU .

Diagnosis.

This is the second species from Mounigou in Songpan County. Laena langmusica Schawaller, 2001 was recorded from Zhaga Waterfall in Mounigou by Schawaller (2008), but the new species can be easily separated by the following characteristics: (1) body small; (2) pronotum with dense punctures; (3) elytral intervals with dense irregular micro-punctures; (4) all tibiae hooked in males; (5) aedeagus with constricted apicale. This new species also similar to L. hengduanica based on the key provided by Wei et al. (2020), but it can be distinguished by the following characters: (1) smaller body (length 4.0-4.3 mm); (2) elytral intervals with dense irregular micro-punctures; (3) male tibiae without granules.

Description.

Male. Body length 4.0-4.3 mm, width 1.4-1.6 mm. Body (Fig. 2A, B ) blackish brown; dorsal surface shining, with dense punctures bearing short setae.

Head trapezoidal, cranial punctate contradicts smooth, with dense, large punctation bearing dense, short setae. Genae distinctly raised, surface without punctures in apical part. Eyes ovate, not reduced, prominent. Epistome nearly trapezoidal, anterior margin weakly emarginated; surface slightly convex, with shallow, large punctures, each lateral part with three longer setae. Fronto-clypeal suture distinct, not depressed, straight at middle. Frons even. Vertex weakly convex at middle, posterior-lateral part of surface each with one longer seta. Antennae moderate, reaching basal margin of pronotum when directed backwards, antennomeres I distinct thicker than II-VIII, antennomere III approximately 1.5 times as long as antennomere II, relative ratio of the length of antennomeres II-XI as follows: 0.65:0.98:0.73:0.64:0.72:0.72:0.78:0.90:1.03:1.68.

Pronotum (Fig. 2A ) widest at anterior 1/3, approximately 1.1 times as wide as long and 1.3 times as wide as head; anterior margin distinctly emarginate at middle, not beaded; lateral margins widened anteriorly and strongly convergent from anterior 1/3 to anterior margin, beading not distinct; basal margin not beaded, not bent downwards; disc evenly convex, with a pair of shallow pits at middle and a longitudinal shallow groove along with middle line, surface with dense punctures bearing short setae, distance between punctures 0-1 times puncture diameter; anterior angles rounded, slightly produced; posterior angles rounded, not produced. Prothoracic hypomera with similar punctures and setae. Prosternal process widest at apices, bent downwards behind coxae; disc impressed between coxae, with dense, large punctures bearing shorter setae.

Elytra elongate-oval, widest at middle, approximately 1.6 times as long as wide; lateral sides nearly paralleled in middle; humeral angles rounded. Elytral surface shiny, with rows of punctures without striate; punctures in rows as large as those of pronotum; intervals weakly smooth and glabrous, with very small punctures nearly invisible, interval IX with three setigerous pores bearing longer setae. Elytral apices prolonged in dorsal view, apex obtuse.

Abdomen long ovoid, widest in middle, 1.8 times as long as wide. Surface convex, glabrous, with smaller punctures than those of dorsal surface; posterior part of sternite IV distinctly convex transversely before posterior margin.

Legs slender, surface shining, with smaller punctures bearing short setae. All femora (Fig. 2C-E ) without teeth near apex on inner sides. All tibiae slightly curved and hooked (Fig. 2C-E ) at inner apex.

Aedeagus (Fig. 2F, G ) subfusiform, length 1.2-1.3 mm, width 0.2-0.3 mm. Parameres with apex blunt, widest at base, lateral margins evenly convergent towards apices, significantly constricted apex at lateral sides of apices.

Sexual dimorphism.

All tibiae of female not hooked at inner apex.

Distribution.

China: Sichuan.

Etymology.

The name of this species is based on type locality.

Biology.

The Laena mounigouica sp. nov. was collected in leaf litter of coniferous forests and mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests from Mounigou, which is the second species found at elevation between 2900-3120 m in this scenic spot.

Figures

Figure 2. Laena mounigouica sp. nov., holotype A, B dorsal and ventral views C profemur and protibia, in ventral view D mesofemur and mesotibia, in ventral view E metafemur and metatibia, in ventral view F, G aedeagus, in dorsal and lateral views.