Parabolitobius sinensis Yin & Li, 2019

Yin, Zi-Wei & Li, Li-Zhen, 2019, A new species of Parabolitobius Li, Zhao & Sakai, 2000 from central China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Tachyporinae), Zootaxa 4695 (5), pp. 492-496 : 493-495

Parabolitobius sinensis Yin & Li , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 )

Type material. Holotype: CHINA: ♂, ‘China: Henan, Nanyang, Funiu Mountain , 1400–1700 m, 2.viii.2004, L. Tang, L. Zhu & J. Hu leg. ( ƤDZÑ ṀṀDzḪ+Ɯ)’ ( SNUC) . Paratype: CHINA: 1 ♀, same label data as for the holotype ( SNUC) .

Diagnosis. Body medium-sized, total body length (TBL) 6.0– 6.7 mm; fore body length (FBL) 2.72–2.85 mm. Elytral length/width 0.77 (male) and 0.68 (female); disc evenly pubescent, lacking distinct sutural, discal or lateral rows of coarse punctures. Male sternite VIII broadly emarginate at posterior margin. Aedeagus with apices of parameres greatly exceeding that of median lobe, each paramere roundly expanded on mesal margin near apex, bearing one apical and two preapical setae; endophallus with unique, complex structure comprised of multiple sclerites.

Description. Male ( Fig. 1A ). Body medium-sized, total body length (from anterior margin of clypeus to apex of abdomen) 6.7 mm, fore body length (from anterior margin of clypeus to apex of elytra along midline) 2.85 mm. Color in general reddish-brown; head, antennae, mouthparts, pronotum, and legs paler.

Head small, length from anterior margin of clypeus to base 0.69 mm, width across eyes (also maximum width) 0.72 mm; surface vaguely punctate, lacking microsculpture. Eyes moderately large, elliptical, slightly longer than tempora, convex, slightly prominent laterally; with long ocular seta located near inner posterior margin of each eye, separated from margin by distance of twice diameter of one puncture.Antennae elongate, length 2.23 mm, with apex of antennomere 8 reaching posterior margin of pronotum; antennomeres 1–3 more sparsely setose; antennomeres 4–11 densely and finely pubescent and slightly compressed; relative lengths of antennomeres 1–11: 2.3: 1.1: 1.7: 1.1: 1.4: 1.3: 1.1: 1.2: 1.1: 1.0: 1.6. Maxillary palpi with palpomeres 1 small, palpomeres 2–3 much larger, rather widened apically and sparsely pubescent, palpomeres 4 conical, 1.2 times as long as, and 0.8 times as wide as palpomeres 3. Labial palpi with palpomeres 3 largest, 3.7 times as long as, and 2.2 times as wide as palpomeres 2.

Pronotum broadly transverse, length along midline 1.12 mm, maximum width 1.40 mm, widest at basal 1/4, disc moderately convex, less so at basal portion; with arcuate lateral margins; posterolateral corners roundly angulate; disc with punctures as those of head, without microsculpture; anterior, lateral, and basal margins each with four, three, and four coarse punctures; preapical punctures separated from anterior margin, located at apical 1/4; each puncture bearing one long, suberect seta. Scutellum small, subtriangular and impunctate, with transverse microsculpture.

Elytra (2A) moderately transverse, length along suture 1.08 mm, maximum width 1.40 mm, sides slightly divergent posteriorly; conjoint apical margin broadly emarginate at middle, anterolateral corners broadly rounded; surface clothed with fine punctures and evenly pubescent; posterior margin of each elytron with row of 14 punctures, each puncture bearing one seta similar to those of disc. Metathoracic wings strongly reduced.

Legs elongate and slender; apical spines of meso- and metatibiae sub-equal in length; metatibiae 0.55 times as long as metatarsi; relative lengths of metatarsomeres 1–5: 3.7: 1.7: 1.4: 1.0: 1.1.

Abdomen elongate, gradually tapering from base to apex; surface densely punctate and pubescent; punctures moderately coarse; pubescence long and gradually becoming longer posteriorly; microsculpture absent; apical margin of tergites III–VII bearing 4–5 pairs of long bristles. Sternite VII ( Fig. 2B ) with posterior margin truncate and indistinctly emarginate, bearing 12 long bristles; sternite VIII ( Fig. 2C ) with posterior margin broadly emarginate, bearing six long bristles and four much shorter setae.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 2D ) elongate; median lobe evenly tapering apically; parameres rather narrow from base to apical 1/3, then gradually broadened apicad and roundly narrowing at apices, each paramere (Fig. 3F) bearing one apical and two preapical short setae; endophallus ( Fig. 2E ) with complex structure comprised of multiple sclerites.

Female ( Fig. 1B ). General appearance similar to male, with slightly shorter antennae and elytra; sternite VIII with posterior margin broadly rounded. Measurements (as for male): TBL 6.0 mm; FBL 2.72 mm; length/width of head, pronotum, and elytra 0.72/0.70, 1.04/1.29, 0.92/ 1.35 mm; antennae 2.12 mm, relative lengths of antennomeres 1–11: 2.9: 1.3: 1.8: 1.5: 1.4: 1.2: 1.2: 1.2: 1.1: 1.0: 1.6; metatibiae 0.57 times as long as metatarsi; relative lengths of metatarsomeres 1–5: 2.6: 1.7: 1.5: 1.0: 1.2.

Comparison. The new species is similar to P. prolongatus and P. yezoensis in general appearance. It shares with P. prolongatus the strongly reduced metathoracic wings, the presence of many long bristles on tergite and sternite VIII, and the aedeagus with parameres extending far beyond the apex of the median lobe; it shares with P. yezoensis the relatively more elongate elytra of the male, and each paramere with one apical and two preapical short setae. Parabolitobius sinensis is distinctly smaller (TBL 6.0– 6.7 mm; FBL 2.72–2.85 mm) than both P. prolongatus (TBL 6.9–8.5 mm; FBL 2.8–3.0 mm) and P. yezoensis (TBL 6.9–7.3 mm; FBL 3.3–3.6 mm). It can be further separated from P. prolongatus by the relatively more elongate elytra of the male, the broader and shallower posterior emargination of male sternite VIII, and the aedeagal parameres each being much broader at their apices, and bearing one apical and two preapical setae (parameres much thinner at the apices and bearing two apical and one preapical setae in P. prolongatus ); P. sinensis further differs from P. yezoensis in the lack of palisade fringe along the posterior margin of tergite VII, the denser and longer bristles of male tergite and sternite VIII, the broader and shallower posterior emargination of male sternite VIII, and the aedeagus with relatively much longer parameres that are broader at the apices.

Distribution. China: Henan Province.

Etymology. The new specific epithet refers to the country where the type locality is located, i.e., China.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Parabolitobius sinensis sp. nov. A. Male. B. Female. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 2. Diagnostic features of Parabolitobius sinensis sp. nov. male. A. Right elytron. B. Tergite VIII. C. Sternite VIII. D. Aedeagus, ventral. E. Endophallus of aedeagus, dorsal. F. Anterior portion of right paramere. Scale bars: 0.5 mm in A–E, 0.2 mm in F.