Laena kenyirica, Schawaller, Wolfgang, 2006

Schawaller, Wolfgang, 2006, New species of the genus Laena Latreille (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Southeastern Asia *, Zootaxa 1325, pp. 369-384 : 370-371

Laena kenyirica n. sp. ( Figs 5 , 19 )

Holotype (♂): Malaysia, Lake Kenyir, 5 km SW Dam, 50 km SW Kuala Terengganu, 350 m, 7.–12.VII.2001, leg. A. Schulz & K. Vock, SMNS.

Paratypes: Same data as holotype, 2 ex. SMNS.

Etymology: Named after Lake Kenyir, in whose vicinity the types were collected.

Diagnosis: The species can be recognized by the lack of prominent eyes, distinctly crenulate lateral margins of the pronotum, rows of elytral punctures without setation, distinctly convex elytral intervals, distinctly crenulate lateral intervals in the humeral region, and aedeagus with joint subquadrate parameres. Laena kenyirica n. sp. runs in the key of the Malaysian species ( Schawaller 1995) to the species Laena gentingica Schawaller, 1995 and Laena brinchangensis Schawaller, 1995 ; both with a smaller body size, distinctly prominent eyes, a different shape of the pronotum, a different dorsal punctation and setation, and a different shape of the aedeagus with joint triangular parameres. Laena kenyirica n. sp. differs from the syntopic Laena schulzi n. sp. by the bigger body size, by a different shape of pronotum and elytra, by distinct dorsal setation and by a different shape of the aedeagus.

Description: Body length 3.8–4.8 mm. Eyes not prominent. Pronotum ( Fig. 5 ) with large punctures, distance between 0.5–3 diameters, most punctures bearing long erect seta; surface flat, shining; lateral margin distinctly bordered, crenulate; propleura with similar punctation but without setation. Elytra ( Fig. 5 ) with complete rows of punctures without striae, punctures equal in size to pronotal punctures, without setae; intervals with row of fine punctures each bearing long, erect seta; all intervals convex, shining, external intervals near humeral region serrate by punctures; interval 7 in the humeral region with indistinct setiferous pore, interval 9 with 4 indistinct setiferous pores. Femora in both sexes without distinct tooth or other modification. Tibiae in males without distinct sexual character. Aedeagus see Fig. 19 .

Remarks: Laena kenyirica n. sp. (and the syntopic Laena schulzi n. sp., see below) populates lowland forest in the northeastern part of the Malayan Peninsula, thus living disjunctly from the type localities of all the other known Malaysian species in the central mountain ranges above 1000 m. This different distributional and biological patterns might be considered as further arguments for the specific validity.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Dorsal view of Laena species. 1 Laena champasaka n. sp., Ψ holotype CSBC, Laos. 2 Laena gialaica n. sp., Ψ holotype CSBC, Vietnam. 3 Laena inthanonica n. sp., ♂ holotype MHNG, Thailand. 4 Laena jocheni n. sp., ♂ holotype SMNS, Laos. 5 Laena kenyirica n. sp., ♂ holotype SMNS, Malaysia. 6 Laena khaolaka n. sp., ♂ holotype SMNS, Thailand. 7 Laena kiyoshii n. sp., ♂ holotype SMNS, Laos. 8 Laena kurbatovi n. sp., Ψ holotype HNHM, Myanmar / Burma.

FIGURES 17 – 26. Aedeagus of Laena species. 17 Laena inthanonica n. sp., ♂ holotype MHNG, Thailand. 18 Laena jocheni n. sp., ♂ holotype SMNS, Laos. 19 Laena kenyirica n. sp., ♂ holotype SMNS, Malaysia. 20 Laena khaolaka n. sp., ♂ holotype SMNS, Thailand. 21 Laena kiyoshii n. sp., ♂ holotype SMNS, Laos. 22 Laena moguntia n. sp., ♂ holotype CKAO, Vietnam. 23 Laena schulzi n. sp., ♂ holotype SMNS, Malaysia. 24 Laena rolandi n. sp., ♂ holotype CRGT, Thailand. 25 Laena tamdaoensis, ♂ holotype NSMT, Vietnam. 26 Laena vietnamica, non­type ♂ HNHM, Vietnam.