Neoserica yanyuan, Ahrens, 2023

Ahrens, Dirk, 2023, Updates on the Neoserica vulpes group (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Sericini): new species and records, European Journal of Taxonomy 888 (1), pp. 97-110 : 104-106

Neoserica yanyuan sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:91B0585F-FCD7-4582-BDD0-A58A0B56196A

Fig. 2F–I

Diagnosis

Neoserica yanyuan sp. nov. is in external and genital shape very similar to N. rubellula Ahrens, Liu & Fabrizi, 2014 . Neoserica yanyuan differs from N. rubellula by the shape of the ventral phallobasal process, which has a slightly more extended apical convexity and being more sharply pointed, as well as by the shape of both parameres: the right paramere has a shorter basal piece, with the lateral branch being longer and more curved; the left paramere is more strongly curved (lateral view).

Etymology

The new species is named (name: noun in apposition) after its type locality, Yanyuan, China.

Type material examined

Holotype CHINA • ♂; “China S Sichuan 2017 S of Yanyuan, Cguandongzi Massiv , ca. 27:21:04-34 / 101:30:25- 33, 3200m 8-19.6. leg. C. Reuter / 1155 Sericini : Asia spec.”; ZFMK.

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Length: 9.2 mm, length of elytra: 7.1 mm, width: 5.2 mm.

HABITUS AND COLORATION ( Fig. 2I ). Body oblong, reddish brown, ventral surface light reddish brown, antenna yellow, dorsal surface dull and glabrous.

HEAD. Labroclypeus subtrapezoidal, widest at base, lateral margins weakly convex and convergent to moderately rounded anterior angles, lateral border and ocular canthus producing a distinct, blunt angle, margins weakly reflexed, anterior margin moderately sinuate medially; surface convex and moderately shiny, coarsely and densely punctate, with a few long setae; frontoclypeal suture feebly incised and medially bluntly angled; smooth area in front of eye approximately 1.5 times as wide as long; ocular canthus moderately long and slender, very finely and sparsely punctate, terminal seta absent. Frons dull, with fine and sparse punctures, glabrous. Eyes large, ratio of diameter/ interocular width: 0.8. Antenna with ten antennomeres; club with four antennomeres, nearly 1.3 times as long as remaining antennomeres combined. Mentum convexly elevated anteriorly.

PRONOTUM. Moderately wide, widest at base, lateral margins evenly curved and narrowed anteriorly, anterior angles well produced and sharp, posterior angles blunt; anterior margin convexly produced medially, broad marginal line widely missing; basal margin without marginal line; surface with moderately dense and fine punctures, with minute setae, otherwise glabrous; anterior and lateral borders sparsely setose; hypomeron distinctly carinate at base. Scutellum narrow and long, sharp at apex, punctures sparse on basal midline, with minute setae in punctures only.

ELYTRA. Oblong, widest in posterior third, striae finely impressed, finely and densely punctate, intervals weakly convex, finely and moderately densely punctate, on odd intervals with a few short adpressed setae, otherwise with minute setae; epipleural edge robust, ending at strongly curved external apical angle of elytra, epipleura densely setose, apical border membranous, with short microtrichomes.

VENTRAL SURFACE. Dull, with large and dense punctures, sparsely and shortly setose, setae partly adpressed; metacoxa glabrous, with fine setae laterally, apical margin convex and external apical angle rounded; each abdominal sternite with a distinct transversal row of coarse punctures each bearing a short seta between fine and moderately dense punctation. Mesosternum between mesocoxae nearly half as wide as mesofemur, with irregularly scattered, fine setae. Ratio of length of metepisternum / metacoxa: 1/ 1.33. Pygidium moderately convex, finely and densely punctate, without smooth midline, with short and sparse setae on apical half.

LEGS. Slender; femora with two longitudinal rows of setae, finely and moderately densely punctate; metafemur ventrally dull, anterior margin sharply carinate, without a submarginal serrated line, posterior margin moderately convex, with a few strong setae medially, only weakly widened externally in apical half and not serrated ventrally in distal half, finely serrated dorsally, with dense, short setae. Metatibia slender and long, widest at apex, ratio width/ length: 1/ 4.1, dorsal margin sharply carinate, with two groups of spines, basal group shortly before middle, apical one at about four fifths of metatibial length, between them with another or two robust spines, basally with a few single, fine spines; external face longitudinally convex, with coarse, sparse punctures, glabrous; ventral margin finely serrated, with four fine, equidistant spines; medial face impunctate, apex concavely truncate interiorly near tarsal articulation. Tarsomeres dorsally impunctate, with sparse, short setae ventrally; metatarsomeres glabrous dorsally, with a strongly serrated ridge ventrally, and with a fine longitudinal carina immediately beside it; first metatarsomere little longer than following two tarsomeres combined and distinctly longer than dorsal tibial spur. Protibia long, bidentate, protarsal claws symmetrical, basal tooth of inner protarsal claw bluntly truncate apically.

AEDEAGUS. Fig. 2F–H .

Female

Unknown.

Figures

Fig. 2. A–E. Neoserica daxue sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (CP). F–I. N. yanyuan sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (ZFMK). A, F. Aedeagus, left side lateral view. B. Distal phallobase, dorsal view. C, G. Parameres, dorsal view. D, H. Aedeagus, right side lateral view. E, I. Habitus (not to scale). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.