Syntelia mazuri Zhou

Zhou, Hong-Zhang & Yu, Xiao-Dong, 2003, Rediscovery of the Family Synteliidae (Coleoptera: Histeroidea) and Two New Species from China, The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (3), pp. 265-273 : 269-271

Syntelia mazuri Zhou , new species

( Fig. 2 )

Diagnosis. This species is relatively large and stout, with three long dorsal striae on each elytron, so that we can distinguish it from S. sinica Zhou , new species and S. davidis Fairmaire. The main difference from S. histeroides Lewis is the sculpture patterns and the length of the third dorsal stria of elytra: the new species has a longer third dorsal stria that is only interrupted on basal 1/6 near the humerus.

Description. Female. Body 17.0 mm long (between apex of head and apex of pygidium); head 5.2 mm long, pronotum 4.2 mm long, elytron 7.4 mm long (from humerus to apex). Body 5.1 mm wide between elytral humeri; head 4.1 mm wide; pronotum 4.9 mm wide. Body large, stout and near cylindrical, slightly depressed, with black and shining cuticle. Palpi, ventral parts of legs, and tarsi rufopiceous.

Head vertex evenly convex, dorsal surface glabrous, punctures much less dense and scattered laterally, microscopic punctures irregularly distributed. Front margin truncate and nearly straight, with a marginal stria triangularly curved posteriorly. A medial longitudinal fossa extends gradually posteriorly, fading, but extending beyond bases of antennae. Maxillae robust, with three short blunt teeth medially, surface punctation smaller and more regular than that on vertex. Eyes shorter than genae, laterally not protruding beyond head outline. Ventral surface less glabrous than dorsal and more closely punctured, but punctation on submentum less dense and more irregular than that on postgenae. Antennae geniculate and clubbed, joint 1 (scape) robust and longer than the others, 2 and 3 longer than the five following ones, apical one-half of joint 8 and 9–11 combined to form an oval but depressed club, length to width ratio 1.22. Joint 1 to 8 glabrous, 9 to 11 dull and covered with golden pubescence and a few long lateral setae.

Pronotum glabrous, not punctured except along marginal stria, which extends continuously along lateral and posterior margins and curves inwards to form a triangular fossa behind each anterior angle. Punctures along the stria larger and more irregular anteriorly. Anterior margin densely fringed with equal short golden setae, slightly arcuate medially and strongly arcuate laterally, forming large, projecting anterior angles. Posterior angles rounded and indistinct. Sides convergent posteriorly, with lateral margins narrowed medially and thickened in anterior one-half.

Scutellum oblong apically between elytra, length to width ratio 0.29, slightly constricted between elytral basal margins, disc glabrous, basal portion normally concealed beneath pronotum broadly triangular and densely covered with coarse setigerous punctures.

Elytra nearly rectangular. Humeri slightly elevated and protruding anteriorly. External subhumeral stria complete, with punctures coarse and deep in basal 2/3, basal end united with lateral marginal stria under humerus, apical end slightly curved medially and not connected to hind marginal stria. Internal subhumeral stria only represented by a few punctures distributed irregularly on elytral apex. First dorsal stria nearly complete, but abbreviated on basal 1/5 (humeral area), its apical end inwardly sinuate. Second dorsal stria longer than the other dorsal striae, its basal end connected to basal marginal stria, forming the medial boundary of humeral area. Third dorsal stria long, nearly complete, but interrupted in basal 1/6. Fourth dorsal stria short, only apical 1/5 obvious, and a very short basal rudiment. Fifth dorsal stria nearly absent, only represented by a short line of small punctures on apex and, occasionally, base. Sutural stria complete, its basal end connected to basal marginal stria and its apical end united with hind marginal stria. Elytral apex punctured, dorsal striae not reaching hind margin. Epipleura long and extending to elytral apex, basal 1/5 broadened under humeral area, where setigerous punctures in two rows, the outer row longer than the inner row; the setae long and stout, golden-colored.

Pygidium depressed near each side, the basal end of the depression broadened and not attaining anterior angle; outside the depression, a carina extends from base to apex, uniting with the opposite one and forming a distinct edge; surface densely punctured, but less dense on disc.

Prosternal lobe impunctate, evenly elevated medially; anterior margin fringed with long golden setae and extending forwards to form a median triangle. Prosternum coarsely punctured, punctures united to form transverse rugulae before procoxae, punctation less dense laterally and even less toward anterior angles. Broad, median keel impunctate and interrupted in the posterior one-half between procoxae, anteriorly elongate, bearing a pair of long setae in anterior 1/3, the posterior part with oblong disc smooth and glabrous; posterior margin fringed with long golden setae. Hypomeron coarsely punctured. Mesosternal punctures more dense than on other ventral surfaces, coarse and rugose; moderately convex medially and slightly concave in posterior 1/3; posterior margin narrow and connected to metasternum between mesocoxae. Metasternum mostly impunctate, but densely punctured around the anterior angle and lateral margins. A deep, triangular, median fossa extends posteriorly between mesocoxae; median longitudinal suture distinct and deeper posteriorly; posterior margin interruped by a stria from metasternum and medially slightly expanded between metacoxae. Abdominal sterna coarsely and densely punctate, except the medial portions of segments 2–3 and the hind one-half of the medial portion of segment 1; medial punctation of segment 5 small and sparse.

Protibia expanded and robust, outer margin with four stout denticles, apex with two long but unequal ones. Dorsal surface near the outer denticles with tarsal groove limited by a short row of brown setae intally; ventral surface with a long, sinuate, longitudinal keel and setigerous punctures along intal margin. Outer margin of mesotibia with three denticles and metatibia with two.

Specimens Examined. Holotype $. CHINA: Sichuan Province, Emei Mt. (278019N, 1038199E), 1,800–1,900 m, 25 July 1957, You-cai Lu collected.

Etymology. Named for Dr. Slawomir Mazur, histeridologist from Warsaw Agricultural University, Poland.

Figures

Fig. 2. Syntelia mazuri Zhou, new species. A) Dorsal habitus; B) ventral habitus; C) head; D) left protibia, dorsal view; E) pygidium.