Zorotypus huangi Yin & Li, 2017

Yin, Zi-Wei & Li, Li-Zhen, 2017, Zorotypus huangi sp. nov. (Zoraptera: Zorotypidae) from Yunnan, southern China, Zootaxa 4300 (2), pp. 287-294 : 288-292

Zorotypus huangi Yin & Li , new species

( Figs 1–4 )

Type material. Holotype: apteron ♂, labeled ‘ China: Yunnan, Xishuangbanna (西双版纳), Mengla County (勐腊 县), Menglun Town (勐仑镇), forest nr. Menglun Reservoir (勐仑水库), 21°56′16″N, 101°11′25″E, rotten wood, sifted, 710 m, 05.xii.2016, Jiang, Liu, Huang & Liu leg.’ ( SNUC) . Paratypes: 4 apteron ♂♂, 9 apteron ♀♀, same collecting data as the holotype (SNUC).

Diagnosis of apteron form. Length less than 2.5 mm; body dark brown ( Fig. 1 ); curly setae on vertex arranged in “V” shape ( Fig. 3 A); antennomeres I, III and IV darkish, V slightly paler, III and VI–IX pale; metafemur with 9–11 thick bristles on ventral margin ( Fig. 2 E); median projection of male tergite X strongly concave apically, that of tergite XI evenly curved upward, and with a long apical bristle ( Fig. 3 D); aedeagus weakly sclerotized, lacking basal plate or coiled flagellum ( Fig. 3 E–G).

The new species is externally similar to Z. weiweii in the overall body size, V-shape-located curly setae on the vertex, similar portions and relative lengths of the antennomeres, setation on the cercus, and number and position of the metafemoral ventral bristles. These two species can be confidently separated only by the median projection of male T10 being strongly concave at the apex (clearly observed in lateral view), median projection of T11 with a long preapical bristle, and relatively more slender aedeagus in Z. huangi n. sp. Zorotypus weiweii has the median projection of male T10 with a rounded apex, that of T11 lacking a long bristle, and the aedeagus is relatively shorter and more strongly sclerotized. Zorotypus huangi n. sp. shares with Z. impolitus a similarly elongate, weakly-sclerotized aedeagus, but they can be easily distinguished by the absence of V-shape-located setae on the vertex, median projection of T11 lacking an apical bristle, and relatively much stouter antennomeres V–IX in Z. impolitus , as well as their different distributional ranges.

Description. Apteron male ( Figs. 1 A–B). Body length 2.33–2.35 mm (exclusive of antennae), color dark brown except membranous regions and yellowish white cercus; head ( Fig. 3 A) sub-triangular, wider than pronotum; cephalic chaetotaxy as depicted in Fig. 3 A; compound eyes and ocelli absent; maxillary palpus ( Fig. 2 C) five-segmented; labial palpus ( Fig. 2 D) three-segmented; antenna ( Fig. 2 E) nine-segmented, antennomeres II and VI–IX paler than other ones, antennomere I slightly curved outward, antennomere II faintly curved, shortest, about two-thirds length of antennomere III, antennomeres III–IX each elongate; both mandibles with five apical teeth and well-developed molar region ( Figs. 2 A–B).

Pronotum sub-rectangular, slightly narrowed posteriorly; mesonotum trapezoidal, slightly shorter than pronotum; metanotum trapezoidal, distinctly wider than long, shorter than mesonotum; thorax sparsely covered with suberect setae. Legs with setae of moderate length; tibiae and tarsi of all legs paler in color; posterior surface of profemur broadly setose, anterior and dorsal surfaces covered with setae of moderate length only distally; protibia evenly covered with setae of moderate length, bristles arranged like comb in distal half along ventral surface, with two apical spurs; mesofemur slightly narrower than profemur, setae of mesofemur similar to those of profemur; mesotibia covered with setae of moderate length, with two apical spurs; metafemur ( Fig. 2 F) broader than profemur, more swollen proximally than distally, anterior surface broadly setose, posterior and dorsal surfaces covered with setae of moderate length on distal half and several short setae on proximal half, ventral surface with 9–11 long stout bristles; metatibia covered with setae of moderate length, with two apical spurs.

Abdominal tergite I (T1) with single transverse row of short setae along posterior margin and a few small setae laterally; T2–8 with short and moderate-length setae and pair of longer setae along posterior margin; T9 short, weakly sclerotized; T10 ( Fig. 3 B) separated into anterior and posterior parts, anterior half sclerotized, with short and moderate-length setae laterally, posterior half mostly membranous, central region with median wrench-like, slightly upcurved projection ( Fig. 3 D); apex of projection strongly concave; T11 laterally sclerotized with long, evenly upcurved median projection ( Fig. 3 D), with its apex above level of projection of T10, preapically with long preapical bristle; epiproct and paraproct unsclerotized; cercus ( Fig. 3 C) unsegmented, conical, with one long apical seta, four to five subapical moderate-length setae, several short setae, and very long, fine setae; surface covered with numerous minute spicules except at base and apex.

Abdominal sternite I (S1) scarcely sclerotized, S2 weakly sclerotized centrally, with transverse row of short setae along posterior margin, S3 with two transverse rows of short setae along, S4 with three transverse rows of short setae, S5–7 with short setae evenly scattered, S5 with pair of scarcely sclerotized circular areas; S8 and 9 fused, with shallow furrow, subtriangular, with evenly scattered, moderate-length setae, posterior margin of S8 with pair of longer setae, S10 invisible externally, beneath S8–9, S11 with two lateral hemitergites, each with several setae of short and moderate length. Genitalia ( Fig. 3 E–G) asymmetric, lacking elongate coiled flagellum or well-defined basal plate, composed of three weakly sclerotized sclerites.

Apteron female ( Figs. 1 C–D). Body length 2.42–2.45 mm (exclusive of antennae). General features corresponding to those of males. Head lacking curly setae on vertex; T10 and 11 lacking median projection, T10 uniformly sclerotized, posterior margin with pair of moderate length setae on each side, and with several short setae, T11 uniformly sclerotized, with small setae and pair of long setae; S8 and 9 not fused, S8 wider than long, with short setae evenly scattered and two pairs of moderate-length setae, posteromedially with round membranous region, S9 short and trapezoidal; several small setae and two pairs of moderate-length setae along posterior margin.

Alate form. Unknown.

Distribution. Southern China: Yunnan.

Etymology. The specific epithet is dedicated to the Chinese entomologist Fu-Sheng Huang (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing), who described the first two Zorotypus species from China in the 1970s.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Zorotypus huangi n. sp. A – B. Male, in dorsal (A) and lateral (B) views. C – D. Female, in dorsal (C) and lateral (D) views. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 2. Morphological details of Zorotypus huangi n. sp. A. Left mandible. B. Right mandible. C. Maxilla and maxillary palpus. D. Labial palpus. E. Antenna. F. Right hind leg. Scale bars: 0.1 mm in A – D, 0.5 mm in E – F.

FIGURE 3. Morphological details of Zorotypus huangi n. sp. A. Head, in dorsal view, with setal pores on right half of the head capsule highlighted. B. Posterior segments of abdomen in apteron male. C. Cercus. D. Projections of abdominal tergites X – XI, in lateral view. E – G. Aedeagus, in dorsal (E), lateral (F), and ventral (G) views. Scale bars: 0.2 mm in A – B, 0.1 mm in C – G.

FIGURE 4. Distribution and habitat of Zorotypus species. A. Distribution of Zorotypus in China (square— Z. medoensis; triangle— Z. sinensis; star— Z. huangi n. sp.; circle— Z. hainanensis; rhombus— Z. newi); base map produced using Google Earth 7.1. 8.3036. B. General environmental of the type locality of Z. huangi n. sp. C. Fallen decomposing log from where all individuals of Z. huangi were collected.