Zopherobatrus lusciosus, Yin, 2020

Yin, Zi-Wei, 2020, New species of karst-dwelling Pselaphinae from southwestern China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 60 (1), pp. 163-168 : 167-168

Zopherobatrus lusciosus sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE:, ‘ CHINA: SW China: Chongqing, Fengjie County ( Ŧ ṂH), Xinglong Town (ĽDẘ), Da-ban-qiao Stockaded Village (L ṞŘḂ), Taoyuan Village ( ḢḎIJ), Zhangjiagou (KẎ NJ), Chuan Cave (ŶḌT), N30°46 ′ 60 ′′, E109°28 ′ 10.2 ′′, ca. 905 m, 22.iii.2016, Yun-Chun Li leg.’ ( SNUC) . PARATYPE: CHINA: 1 ♀, same label data except ‘14 th Commune (14 "), anonymous cave (XZḌ), N30°50 ′ 42 ′′, E109°34 ′ 21 ′′, ca. 905 m’ ( SNUC).

Diagnosis. Body length 3.3–3.5 mm; vertex lacking sulcus connecting foveae, mediobasal ridge faintly present; eyes strongly reduced, with only a few ommatidia; pronotum lacking median longitudinal sulcus, with thin lateral longitudinal sulci; elytra moderately constricted at base, with distinct discal sulcus; mesotibia with long apical spine in male; tergite IV with sides nearly parallel, narrowed at middle; median lobe of aedeagus with ventral lobe at right side, dorsal lobe weakly sclerotized.

Description. Male ( Fig. 3A ). length from anterior margin of clypeus to apex of abdomen 3.46 mm. Body reddish brown, antennae, mouthparts and tarsi lighter in color; most part of dorsal surface covered with long pubescence. Head ( Fig. 3B ) lengthily oval, length from anterior margin of clypeus to head base 0.76 mm, maximum width across eyes 0.52 mm; surface finely punctate; vertex slightly convex, foveae below level of posterior margins of eyes, lacking U-shaped sulcus connecting vertexal foveae, faint median carina extending from head base to anterior margin of eyes; eyes strongly reduced, indicated by three small ommatidia; postocular margins rather long, narrowing from eyes towards base; length of antennae 2.30 mm, antennomeres each elongate; maxillary palpi with minute palpomere 1 and elongate palpomeres 2–4; palpomere 4 lacking obvious thickened setae at anterolateral margins, with small apical palpal cone. Pronotum ( Fig. 3C ) wider than long, with round lateral margins, length along midline 0.62 mm, maximum width 0.77 mm, disc finely punctate; lacking antebasal sulcus. Elytra approximately as long as wide, length along suture 1.08 mm, maximum width 1.0 mm; each elytron with two small basal foveae; disc finely punctate, covered with long setae. All legs elongate, mesotibiae ( Fig. 3D ) with long, slightly curved apical spine. Abdomen slightly longer than wide, length along midline 1.0 mm, maximum width 0.85 mm. Tergite IV (first visible tergite) longest, lacking modification; tergites V–VI combined much shorter than tergite IV; tergite VII as long as V and VI combined; tergite VIII semicircular. Sternite VIII semicircular, emarginate at middle of posterior margin. Aedeagus ( Figs 3 F–G) asymmetrical, length 0.42 mm; basal capsule with triangular foramen; with moderately long basoventral projection; ventral lobe broadened at apical part, split to two major parts at apex; broad articulated dorsal lobe elongate, strongly sclerotized at base and weakly so apically; parameres fused to flattened, lamellate ventral membrane.

Female. Similar to male in general appearance; mesotibiae lacking apical spine; each eye composed of five ommatidia. Measurements (as for male): body length 3.38 mm; length of head 0.79 mm, width across 0.53 mm; length of antennae 2.25 mm; length of pronotum 0.63 mm; maximum width 0.74 mm; length of elytra 1.09 mm, maximum width 1.0 mm; length of abdomen 1.03 mm, maximum width 0.87 mm.

Comparative notes. The new species can be readily separated from Z. tianmingyii by the weakly developed vertexal sulcus and mediobasal ridge of the head, the presence of eyes in both sexes, the lack of median longitudinal sulcus of the pronotum, a relatively much border elytral base, a much more elongate apical spine of the male mesotibiae, and a totally different structure of the aedeagus.

Etymology. The Latin lusciosus (- a, - um) is an adjective meaning ‘purblind, dim-sighted’, referring to the strongly reduced eyes of the new species.

Distribution. Southwestern China: Chongqing.

Comments. Both individuals were found under a rock in relatively moist environments of the dark zones in the two caves (Y.-C. Li, pers. comm.).

Figures

Fig. 3. Zopherobatrus lusciosus sp. nov., male. A – habitus; B – head dorsum; C – pronotum; D – apex of left mesotibia; E – sternite IX; F–G aedeagus, ventral (F) and lateral (G). Scale bars: 1.0 mm in A; 0.2 mm in B–E; 0.1 mm in F–G.