Horaeomorphus chinensis Franz, 1985

Zhou, De-Yao, Zhang, Su-Jiong & Li, Li-Zhen, 2016, Contributions to the knowledge of the genus Horaeomorphus Schaufuss (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae) in mainland China, ZooKeys 572, pp. 51-70 : 52

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Horaeomorphus chinensis Franz, 1985 Figs 1A, 6 B–E, 6 G–K

Horaeomorphus chinensis Franz, 1985: 116.

Material examined.

2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, labeled 'China: Fujian Province, Wuyishan City [武夷山市], Tongmu Village [桐木村], Guadun [挂墩], 27°44'03"N, 117°38'40"E, decaying log, 1178m, 2.x.2015, Yan,Tu, Shen, Jiang& Zhou leg.'; 2 ♂♂,2 ♀♀, labeled 'China: Zhejiang, Lishui City [丽水市], Qingyuan Hsien [庆元县], Baishanzu [百山祖], Huangpi Swamp [黄皮湿地], 27°49'38"N, 119°11'29"E, decaying log, 1429m, 25.iv.2015, Song&Yan leg.'; 1 ♀, labeled 'China: S.Zhejiang, Qingyuan, Mt nr. Liyang Village [栗洋村], 27°49'38"N, 119°11'22"E, leaf litter, sifted, 29.iv.2014, 990-1160m, Peng, Song, Yan&Yu leg.'.

Description of male.

Males (Fig. 1A) similar to females in external morphology, but metatrochanter (Fig. 6J) modified, with distal part protruded; slightly longer than half of metafemur, apex spiculate. BL 2.52-2.76 mm; HL 0.40-0.43 mm; HW 0.53-0.58 mm; AnL 1.05-1.17 mm, relative lengths of antennomeres: 1.0: 0.9: 1.4: 1.1: 1.1: 1.0: 1.0: 1.0: 1.1: 1.1: 2.0; PL 0.75-0.81 mm; PWb 0.46-0.52 mm; PWm 0.65-0.71 mm; EL 1.37-1.53 mm; EW 0.89-0.94 mm; EI 1.54-1.63.

Aedeagus (Fig. 6 C–E) elongate, AeL 0.48 mm; endophallus (Fig. 6 H–I) very complicated, with large bell-shaped central complex surrounded at each side by weakly sclerotized, elongate lateral structures; parameres (Fig. 6G) slender, longer than median lobe, each with three apical setae and two subapical setae.

Distribution.

Eastern China: Fujian, Zhejiang (new provincial record).

Comments.

Horaeomorphus chinensis shares many characters with several congeners: Horaeomorphus punctifrons Jałoszyński, 2006 (Malaysia: Pahang), Horaeomorphus jeraianus Jałoszyński, 2006 (Malaysia: Kedah), Horaeomorphus jaechi Jałoszyński, 2006 (Malaysia: Sarawak), Horaeomorphus tiomanensis Jałoszyński, 2006 (Malaysia: Tioman Is.), Horaeomorphus caverniventris Jałoszyński, 2006 (Malaysia: Pahang), Horaeomorphus endauensis Jałoszyński & Nomura, 2007 (Malaysia: Pahang), Horaeomorphus imitator Jałoszyński, 2009 (the Philippines: Mindanao), Horaeomorphus solodovnikovi Jałoszyński, 2014 (Laos: Champasak), Horaeomorphus sakishimanus Jałoszyński, 2002 (Japan: Iriomote-jima and Ishigaki-jima islands), Horaeomorphus hainanicus sp. n. (China: Hainan) and Horaeomorphus pengzhongi sp. n. (China: Yunnan), all of them have elongate and convex habitus, the pronotum with three pits connected by a groove, the base of elytra barely wider than the basal margin of pronotum and protruded, recurved metatrochanters in males. Among these species, Horaeomorphus hainanicus sp. n. and Horaeomorphus pengzhongi sp. n. have a similar shape of the aedeagus, structures of endophallus and slender parameres each with two subapical setae, as those in Horaeomorphus chinensis . The character combination of the pronotum and elytra with a dense and distinct punctation, the recurved metatrochanters without expansions on their ventral margins in male, the parameres longer than median lobe and the structures of the endophallus can be used to distinguish Horaeomorphus chinensis from the two species mentioned above.

Bionomics.

Specimens from Guadun were collected by sifting material from an ant nest (Fig. 10B) in a relatively dry rotten trunk in a bamboo forest; four specimens from Baishanzu were collected from under bark of a rotten tree.