Quedius (Microsaurus) altus, Cai & Zhao & Zhou, 2015

Cai, Yan-Peng, Zhao, Zong-Yi & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2015, Taxonomy on Quedius euryalus group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini: Quediina) from China with description of eight new species, Zootaxa 3966 (1), pp. 1-70 : 15-18

Quedius (Microsaurus) altus sp. nov.

( Figs. 4, 4-1 )

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA: Sichuan Province: North of Jiulong County, 3825 m, 11–14. VII. 2001, coll. Xiaodong Yu and Hongzhang Zhou. Paratypes: CHINA: Sichuan Province: 1 ♂, Southwest of Jiulong County, 3740 m, 10–13. VII. 2001, coll. Xiaodong Yu and Hongzhang Zhou ; 1 ♂, North of Jiulong County, 3825 m, 11–14. VII. 2001, coll. Xiaodong Yu and Hongzhang Zhou.

Description. Head black; pronotum, scutellum and elytra dark brown; abdomen dark brown, each tergite with posterior margin slightly paler; antennae dark brown, labrum and mandibles dark reddish brown, maxillary and labial palpi brown; legs dark brown.

BL = 8.5 mm, BW = 1.6 mm, MHWL = 2.1 mm, HL/PL/EL/MHWL = 1.00: 1.32: 1.37: 1.95, HW/PW/EW/ AW = 1.00: 1.23: 1.26: 1.25

Head ( Fig. 4A ) round, wider than long, HW/HL = 1.17; eye large and convex, in dorsal view tempora shorter than length of eye, sharply narrowed posteriad, HEL/HTL = 3.13; posterior frontal setiferous puncture situated slightly before level of posteriomedial margin of eye, separated by distance shorter than diameter of puncture; one smaller setiferous puncture between it and temporal setiferous puncture at posterior margin of eye; temporal setiferous puncture situated very close to posterior margin of eye, separated by distance about equal to diameter of puncture, with several small setiferous punctures arranged in an oblique curve behind it; 2–3 basal setiferous punctures situated close to nuchal constriction; head with fine and dense microsculpture of transverse waves and irregular meshes. Antenna moderately long with segment I longer than segment II or III, segment III slightly longer than segment II, segments IV–VII, XI slightly longer than wide, segments VIII–X slightly wider than long.

Pronotum ( Fig. 4B ) slightly wider than long, PW/PL = 1.09, slightly narrowed anteriad, lateral margins nearly parallel-sided, posterolateral and posterior margins continuously and broadly rounded, lateral margins not explanate; three setiferous punctures in each dorsal and sublateral row, last sublateral row puncture situated behind level of large lateral setiferous puncture; surface of pronotum with microsculpture similar to that of head but finer and denser.

Scutellum ( Fig. 4C ) with very fine and dense microsculpture of transverse waves, impunctate.

Elytra ( Fig. 4C ) short, slightly wider than long, EW/EL = 1.08, ESL/EL = 0.54, barely broadened posteriad, surface of each elytron covered with moderately dense and fine setiferous punctures, transverse interspaces between punctures nearly equal to diameter of puncture, surface between punctures without microsculpture.

Abdominal tergite II impunctate, with several fine setae along posterior margin laterally; setiferous punctures of other tergites slightly finer and denser than those of elytra, becoming slightly sparser toward posterior margin of each tergite, and generally becoming so toward apex of abdomen; tergite VII without whitish apical seam of palisade setae.

Male first four segments of fore tarsus moderately dilated, sub-bilobed, each heavily covered with modified pale setae ventrally, segment II about as wide as apex of tibia; tergite VIII with basal ridge complete and straight, with four long setae on each side; sternite VIII ( Fig. 4-1A ) with basal ridge complete, widely arched backward in middle, with 7–9 long setae on each side, apical margin with a wide and moderately deep medioapical emargination, an acute triangular area in front of the emargination impunctate; sternite IX ( Fig. 4-1B ) with basal portion wide and straight, with apex widely rounded; tergite X ( Fig. 4-1C ) with basal side broadly and moderately deeply concave, apical margin rounded; paramere of aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 4-1D ) with lateral margins of middle half strongly curved and expanded toward median lobe, and with apex distinctly protruding beyond that of median lobe, median lobe with a small hook-shaped process at apex; aedeagus in parameral view ( Fig. 4-1E ) with paramere wide, almost entirely covering middle and apical portions of median lobe, gradually narrowed to apical portion, apex with very deep medioapical emargination, hook-shaped process of median lobe fitting into this emargination, median lobe wide at base, then narrowed to about basal 2/3, with apical third narrow, nearly parallel-sided, apex subacute ( Figs. 4E, 4-1G ). apical portion of paramere with two small apical setae at each side of apical emargination, and two longer subapical setae on each lateral side below apex, underside with 6–7 sensory peg setae arranged in curved group far below apex at each side of apical emargination ( Figs. 4D, 4-1F ).

Female unknown.

Hind wings. Male with hind wings extremely reduced, not functional, MHWL/BL = 0.24. Female not examined.

Distribution. China (Sichuan).

Diagnosis. This new species is most similar to Q. duh Smetana in male genitalia. But it can be distinguished from the latter by having paramere of aedeagus gradually narrowed to apical portion, underside of paramere with 6–7 sensory peg setae far below apex at each side of apical emargination; whereas the latter has paramere of aedeagus arcuately widened in apical third and then narrowed into short, almost parallel-sided apical portion, underside of paramere with 10–12 sensory peg setae quite near apex at each side of apical emargination.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin adjective altus (having great extension upwards), referring to aedeagus with apex of paramere distinctly protruding beyond that of median lobe.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Quedius (Microsaurus) altus 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 lengths in parentheses)