Quedius (Microsaurus) medius, Cai, Yan-Peng, Zhao, Zong-Yi & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2015

Cai, Yan-Peng, Zhao, Zong-Yi & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2015, Taxonomy of the Quedius mukuensis group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini: Quediina) with descriptions of four new species from China, Zootaxa 4013, pp. 1-26 : 7-10

Quedius (Microsaurus) medius sp. nov.

( Figs. 3, 3-1 )

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA: Hubei Province: Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, Shennongding, 2890 m, 26. VII–9. VIII. 1998, coll. Haisheng Zhou (IZ-CAS). Paratypes: CHINA: Hubei Province: 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, same data as holotype.

Description. Entirely brown, with head darker; abdomen slightly iridescent, with posterior margin of each tergite slightly paler.

BL = 7.6 mm, BW = 1.6 mm, HL/PL/EL = 1.00: 1.21: 1.33, HW/PW/EW/AW = 1.00: 1.29: 1.36: 1.30, HW/ HL = 1.04, HEL/HTL = 0.88, PW/PL = 1.11, EW/EL = 1.06, ESL/EL = 0.54.

Head ( Fig. 3 A) rounded quadrangular, almost as wide as long; eye relatively small, only slightly convex, in dorsal view tempora slightly longer than length of eye, gradually narrowed posteriad; no additional setiferous puncture between anterior frontal setiferous puncture and posterior frontal setiferous puncture; posterior frontal setiferous puncture situated distinctly behind level of posteriomedial margin of eye, closer to posteriomedial margin of eye than to nuchal constriction of head, with one additional setiferous puncture at posterior margin of eye before it, with two basal setiferous punctures posteriad of it, situated very close to nuchal constriction, and 1–2 additional setiferous punctures which cannot be confused with basal punctures posteriomediad of it; temporal setiferous puncture situated distinctly closer to nuchal constriction than to posterior margin of eye, with several small setiferous punctures arranged in an oblique group around it; head with fine and dense microsculpture of transverse waves and meshes. Antenna moderately long with segment I longer than segment II or III, segment III slightly longer than segment II, segments IV–V, XI slightly longer than wide, segments VI–X slightly wider than long.

Pronotum ( Fig. 3 B) wider than long, narrowed anteriad, posteriolateral and posterior margins continuously rounded, lateral margins not explanate; three setiferous punctures in each dorsal and sublateral row, one smaller additional setiferous puncture between each dorsal and sublateral row, last sublateral row puncture situated behind level of large lateral setiferous puncture; one smaller additional setiferous puncture situated slightly anteriomediad of each large lateral puncture; surface of pronotum with very fine and dense microsculpture of transverse and oblique waves.

Scutellum ( Fig. 3 C) with very fine and dense microsculpture of transverse waves, impunctate.

Elytra ( Fig. 3 C) shorter and narrower than usual, slightly wider than long, slightly broadened posteriad, surface of each elytron covered with dense and coarse setiferous punctures, transverse interspaces between punctures slightly wider than diameter of puncture, surface between punctures without microsculpture. Wings reduced, slightly longer than elytra.

Abdominal tergite II impunctate; setiferous punctures of other tergites slightly finer than those of elytra, becoming slightly sparser toward posterior margin of each tergite, and in general toward apex of abdomen; tergite VII with inconspicuous whitish apical seam of palisade setae.

Male with first four segments of fore tarsus moderately dilated, sub-bilobed, each heavily covered with tenent setae ventrally, segment II nearly as wide as apex of tibia; tergite VIII with basal ridge complete and straight, surface without long seta; sternite VIII ( Fig. 3-1 A) with basal ridge complete, slightly arched backward in middle, with four long setae on each side, apical margin with a moderately deep and wide medioapical emargination, a small triangular area in front of the emargination impunctate; sternite IX ( Fig. 3-1 B) with basal portion moderately wide and long, with a shallow medioapical emargination apically; tergite X ( Fig. 3-1 C) with basal side broadly and shallowly concave, apex subacute; aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 3-1 F) with apex of paramere almost reaching that of median lobe, median lobe with a large tooth-shaped process at apex facing parameral side; aedeagus in parameral view ( Fig. 3-1 G) with paramere relatively wide, covering most of median lobe, vaguely narrowed in middle portion, then slightly widened in about apical 1/3, apex with shallow medioapical emargination; median lobe elongate, slightly asymmetrical, with narrowly arcuate apex ( Figs. 3 E, 3-1D); apical portion of paramere with two moderately long apical setae at each side of apical emargination, and two similar subapical setae on each lateral side below apex, underside with about five sensory peg setae arranged in two groups near apex at each side of apical emargination ( Figs. 3 D, 3-1E).

Female with first four segments of fore tarsus similar to those of male, but less dilated, segment II narrower than apex of tibia; tergite VIII with basal ridge complete and straight, surface without long seta; sternite VIII with basal ridge complete and straight, with three long setae on each side; tergite X ( Fig. 3-1 H) with basal side broadly and shallowly concave, apex subacute, slightly protruded, more strongly sclerotized and pigmented, with long setae along protruded portion, and some shorter ones anteriorly.

Distribution. Quedius medius sp. nov. is at present known only from the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve in western Hubei Province, at an altitude of 2890 m. The specimens were collected using pitfall traps from July to August.

Diagnosis. This new species can be easily distinguished from other similar species by the pale body color, the reduced nonfunctional wings, and the inconspicuous whitish apical seam of palisade setae on the tergite VII.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin adjective medius (situated at the center), referring to the position of the smaller additional setiferous puncture between each dorsal and sublateral row on the pronotum.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Quedius (Microsaurus) medius sp. nov.: A. head (1.0 mm); B. pronotum (1.0 mm); C. elytra (1.0 mm); D. underside of paramere (0.2 mm); E. apical portion of median lobe, parameral view (0.2 mm). (Scale in parentheses).