Phlaeopterus hromadkai Shavrin, 2020

Shavrin, Alexey V., 2020, The Chinese species of the genus Phlaeopterus Motschulsky, 1853 (Coleoptera Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini), Zootaxa 4722 (4), pp. 395-400 : 397-400

Phlaeopterus hromadkai Shavrin , sp.n.

( Figs. 1–9 )

Type material examined: Holotype ♂: ‘ CHINA, Gansu, Dalijia | Shan , 60 km W Linxia | 3475m, 11.VII.1994 | A. Smetana [C8]’ <rectangular label, printed >, ‘ HOLOTYPE | Phlaeopterus | hromadkai sp.n. | Shavrin A. V. 2017 ’ <red rectangular label, printed> ( NSMT) .

Paratypes (59 specimens): 17 ♂♂ [three specimens dissected], 36 ♀♀ [one specimen dissected]: same data as the holotype (13 ♂♂, 34 ♀♀: NSMT, 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀: CS) ; 3 ♂♂ [one specimen dissected], 3 ♀♀: ‘ CHINA, Gansu, Dalijia | Shan , 60 km W Linxia | 3475m, 10.VII.1994. | A. Smetana [C5]’ ( NSMT). All paratypes with additional red rectangular printed label : ‘ PARATYPE | Phlaeopterus | hromadkai sp.n. | Shavrin A. V. 2017 ’.

Description. Measurements (n=50): Maximum width of head including eyes: 0.67–0.75; length of head (from base of labrum to posterior constriction): 0.42–0.55; length of antenna (holotype): 1.43; longitudinal length of eye: 0.15–0.20; length of temple (from posterior margin of eye to posterior constriction of head): 0.07–0.08; length of pronotum: 0.67–0.74; maximal width of pronotum: 0.90–1.05; minimal width of pronotum at base: 0.32–0.47; sutural length of elytra (length of elytra from apex of scutellum to posterior margin of sutural angle): 1.15–1.42; maximal width of elytra: 1.32–1.53; width of segment IV of abdomen: 1.20–1.25; length of hind tarsus (without tarsal claws): 0.07; length of segment 5 of metatarsus (without tarsal claws): 0.32; length of aedeagus: 0.66–0.69; body length: 3.75–4.20 (holotype: 3.86).

Body reddish-brown to brown, usually with paler basal and lateral portions of pronotum, and lateral margins of elytra (sometimes very narrow portions along elytral suture slightly paler, and some paratypes with very indistinct narrow reddish spot in medioapical portion of each elytron); apical segment of maxillary palpus, apical portion of antennomere 2 and antennomeres 4–11 brown; mouthparts, antennomere 1, basal portion of antennomere 2, and legs yellow-brown. Punctation of head dense, fine, and regular, punctures moderately deep, interstices 1-2 times as broad as diameter of punctures; punctation on temples and near neck markedly finer and denser, and sometimes sparser between ocelli; neck with fine punctation, slightly denser and coarser than that of median portion of head; punctation of pronotum dense, slightly coarser and deeper than that of head, denser in medioapical portion, with interstices as broad as diameter of nearest puncture, and usually sparser in lateral and mediobasal portions; scutellum with dense, very indistinct, fine punctures; punctation of elytra dense, coarser and deeper than that of pronotum, finer in prescutellar area; punctation of abdominal tergites regular, fine, and dense. Forebody glossy, without microreticulation; abdomen with indistinct isodiametric microsculpture. Pubescence of forebody dense, decumbent, long, and yellow; pubescence of abdomen distinctly shorter. Habitus as in Fig. 1 .

Head 1.3–1.5 times as wide as long, with convex, moderately small eyes and short temples; eyes slightly more than twice as long as temples; median portion of head slightly convex, with a pair of moderately deep, small impressions between anterior margins of eyes; surface in front of ocelli without longitudinal furrows or foveae. Ocelli as large as combined diameter of the three nearest punctures, situated at level of postocular ridges; distance between ocelli slightly less than twice as long as distance between ocellus and posterior margin of eye. Nuchal constriction distinctly marked. Labrum as in Fig. 2 . Mandibles as in Fig. 3 . Labium as in Fig. 4 . Mentum as in Fig. 5 . Maxillary palpus as in Fig. 6 ; lengths × widths of segment 3 of maxillary palpi (holotype): 0.04 × 0.03; lengths × widths of segments 4 of maxillary palpi (holotype): 0.20 × 0.03. Antennae short, reaching humeral angles of elytra when reclined; lengths × widths of antennomeres (holotype): 1: 0.16 × 0.07; 2: 0.12 × 0.05; 3: 0.15 × 0.05; 4: 0.11 × 0.06; 5–6: 0.13 × 0.06; 7: 0.12 × 0.06; 8: 0.11 × 0.06; 9: 0.10 × 0.07; 10: 0.12 × 0.08; 11: 0.18 × 0.08.

Pronotum convex, 1.3–1.4 times as wide as long and 1.3–1.4 times as wide as head, widest above middle, evenly narrowed anteriad towards the broadly rounded apical angles and strongly narrowed posteriad; posterior angles approximately rectangular; median portion with or without indistinct wide longitudinal impression, this impression (if present) usually markedly deeper in mediobasal third; lateral margins with fine crenulation; lateral portions with moderately small and deep pits in middle.

Elytra slightly wider than long, gradually widened posteriad from middle, 1.7–1.9 times as long as pronotum, posterior angles broadly rounded, with hind margins truncate at suture; medioapical portion of each elytron usually with distinct wide impression. Wings fully developed.

Abdomen convex, narrower than elytra, with distinct large and transverse wing-folding patches (tomentose spots) in middle of tergite IV, and smaller, oval patches in middle of tergite V; apical margin of tergite VII with very narrow palisade fringe.

Male. Pronotum slightly narrower. Protarsomeres 1–4 weakly dilated. Apical margins of abdominal tergite VIII and sternite VIII slightly emarginated. Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 7 ) moderately wide, gradually narrowed towards the narrowed apex; parameres wide, long, significantly exceeding apex of median lobe, with two long apical and three preapical setae; internal sac divided into two very long clusters of acute spines. Lateral aspect of aedeagus as in Fig. 8 .

Female. Pronotum distinctly transverse. Protarsomeres 1–4 narrow. Apical margins of abdominal tergite VIII and sternite VIII straight.

Comparative notes. Regarding the presence of crenulate lateral margins of the pronotum and the general shape of the aedeagus, P. hromadkai Shavrin , sp.n. is similar to P. czerskyi and P. rufimarginatus . It differs from P. czerskyi by the coloration, a smaller pronotum with more regular lateral crenulation, markedly longer elytra, and the presence of fully developed wings. Regarding the general shape of the body and the lateral crenulation on the pronotum, as well as the presence of fully developed wings, P. hromadkai Shavrin , sp.n. is most similar to other species recorded from China, from which it differs by the absence of distinct spots on the elytra, slightly narrower pronotum and elytra, and smaller and less deeper lateral pits on the pronotum.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of the Czech staphylinidologist Lubomír Hromádka (1931–2016).

Distribution. The new species is at present known only from the type locality ( Fig. 9 ) in the Dalijia Shan range in Gansu, China.

Bionomics. The type specimens were collected at an elevation of 3475 m a.s.l.. They were taken from soaking wet moss on a seepage on an almost vertical wall (location: C8); six specimens were found under stones quite close to the water, or collected from wet moss near a small river in a pasture formation (location: C5).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Distributions of Phlaeopterus hromadkai (black circle), P. rufimarginatus (black squares), P. ruzickai (black diamond), and P. septemmaculatus (black triangles) in China.

FIGURES 1–8. Phlaeopterus hromadkai: 1—habitus, 2—labrum (dorsal view), 3—left and right mandibles (dorsal view), 4—labium (dorsal view), 5—mentum (dorsal view), 6—left maxilla (dorsal view), 7—aedeagus (parameral view), 8—aedeagus (lateral view).