Domene (Macromene) reducta Feldmann & Peng

Feldmann, Benedikt, Peng, Zhong & Li, Li-Zhen, 2014, On the Domene species of China, with descriptions of four new species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 456, pp. 109-138 : 127-130

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Domene (Macromene) reducta Feldmann & Peng sp. n. Figs 1, 11C, 14

Type material

(5 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀). Holotype ♂: "China: Sichuan Prov., Tianquan County, Labahe N. R., 30°09'N, 102°27'E, 29.VII.2006 1,900 m, Hu & Tang leg. / Holotypus ♂ Domene reducta sp. n., det. B. Feldmann & Z. Peng 2014" (SNUC). Paratypes: 1 ♂, 5 ♀♀ [all teneral], same label data as holotype (SNUC); 2 ♂♂, 1♀ [1 ♂, 1 ♀ teneral]: same data, but "Liangluxiang, 29°56'N, 102°23'E, alt. 1,500-1,700 m / 10.VII.2012, Dai, Peng & Yin leg." (SNUC); 1 ♀ [teneral]: same data, but "Liangluxiang, 29°56'N, 102°23'E, alt. 1,900-2,000 m, 10.VII.2012, Dai, Peng & Yin leg leg." (SNUC); 1 ♂: "China, Sichuan: Quing-cheng-Shan [ca. 30°53'N, 103°35'E], 1400-1700 m, 22.VI.1996, D. Erber" (cFel); 1 ♀: "China, W.Sichuan, ( Ya’an Pref. Tianquan Co.), Jiajin Shan, valley above Labahe, N.R.ST., 57 km W Ya’an, 30°06'N, 102°25'E (light forest), 1800 m, 12.VII.1999, D.W. Wrase" (cFel); 1 ♀: "China: W-Sichuan, Ya’an Prefecture, Tianquan Co., Jiajin Shan, Tal oberh. Labahe, N.R.St., 57 km W. Ya’an, 30°06'N 102°25'E, Streu, Rinde, Pilze, 1800 m, 12.VII.1999, leg. M. Schülke” (cSch).

Etymology.

The specific epithet (Latin, adjective: reduced) alludes to the minute sclerotized structure in the female genital segments.

Description.

Measurements (in mm) and ratios: BL 8.95-10.84, FL 5.37-5.48, HL 1.42-1.48, HW 1.35-1.41, AnL 3.36-3.56, NW 0.50-0.55, PL 1.57-1.66, PW 1.28-1.35, EL 1.41-1.48, EW 1.63-1.70, TiL 1.81-1.87, TaL 1.28-1.31, AW 1.51-1.57, AL 1.52-1.54, HL/HW 1.04-1.06, HW/PW 1.03-1.05, HL/PL 0.89-0.91, NW/HW 0.37-0.39, PL/PW 1.22-1.24, EL/PL 0.88-0.91.

Habitus as in Fig. 11C. Body dark brown; legs light brown with darker profemora and protibiae; antennae brown to light brown.

Head orbicular, widest behind eyes; punctation (Fig. 14A) moderately coarse, distinctly umbilicate, and very dense, interstices forming very narrow ridges. All antennomeres longer than wide; antennomeres IV–X of equal length; antennomeres I 1.7 times, II 1.1 times, III 1.4 times, XI 1.2 times as long as IV. Maxillary palpus slender, preapical joint 3.2-3.5 times as long as broad.

Pronotum slightly narrower than head, widest in the middle; lateral margins convex in dorsal view; punctation (Fig. 14B) somewhat coarser than that of head; midline with rudiment of a fine glossy line.

Elytra without distinct longitudinal ridges; suture elevated in posterior three-fourths; macropunctation moderately coarse, irregular, partly confluent, and partly somewhat seriate; interstices with irregular micropunctation. Hind wings fully developed. Protarsomeres I–IV distinctly dilated.

Abdomen with fine and dense punctation on tergites III–VIII; posterior margin of tergite VIII broadly and weakly convex (Fig. 14C); interstices with shallow microreticulation; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

Male. Sternites III–VI unmodified; sternite VII (Fig. 14F) distinctly transverse, with median impression of triangular shape posteriorly, this impression with strongly modified, short and stout black setae, posterior margin weakly concave in the middle; sternite VIII (Fig. 14G) with shallow and extensive median impression, this impression with stout black setae, posterior excision moderately deep and V-shaped, on either side of the posterior excision with a dense cluster of dark setae; aedeagus as in Figs 14 H–J, ventral process long, slender, evenly curved and apically acute; dorsal fig with long and distinctly sclerotized apical portion, basal portion long and lamellate.

Female. Posterior margin of sternite VIII (Fig. 14D) broadly convex; genital segments with a small symmetric, weakly sclerotized structure (Fig. 14E).

Comparative notes.

Based particularly on the similar chaetotaxy and shape of the male sternite VIII, and the shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus, Domene reducta belongs to the Domene malaisei species group and is closely related to Domene malaisei . Domene reducta is distinguished from other species of the group by on average larger body size (especially from Domene malaisei ), the shape of the impression on the male sternite VIII, the long, slender, evenly curved ventral process of the aedeagus and by the symmetric, small and moderately sclerotized structure in the female genital segments.

Distribution and natural history.

The species is known from the Qingcheng Shan and Hengduan Shan, central Sichuan (Fig. 1). The specimens were sifted from leaf litter and soil in evergreen broad-leaved forests at altitudes of 1400-1900 m. Nine paratypes found in July are teneral.