Medhiama puetzi Bordoni, 2003

Zhou, Yu-Lingzi & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2012, Taxonomy of the genus Medhiama Bordoni, 2002 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Staphylininae, Xantholinini) with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 3478, pp. 169-191 : 182-183

5. Medhiama puetzi Bordoni, 2003

( Fig. 7 A, B)

Bordoni, 2003b: 276 (Type locality: China, Sichuan, Daxue Shan, Gongga Shan Mt., Hailougou Glacier Park); Bordoni, 2007b: 71 (catalog).

Material examined: male, with labels as follows: “ PARATYPUS, Medhiama , puetzi sp. n., Bordoni det. 2001”/ “ CHINA (S-Shaanxi) Qinling Shan, mount. range W pass on rd. Xi’an, -Shagoujie, 45 km SSW Xi’an, ‘33˚52'N/ 108˚46'E,’ 2675 m, (N-slope/ Abies, Betula, Larix/, subalp. meadows/along road), 25.VII.2001 Wrase [20] ”; female, with labels as follows: “PARATPUS, Medhiama , puetzi sp. n., Bordoni det. 2001”/ “ CHINA (W-Hubei) Daba Shan, pass E Mt. Da Shennongjia, 12 km NW Muyuping 31˚30' N, ‘110˚21'E,’ 1950 m (dry creek, vall./mix. decid. forest), 16–22.VII.2001 Wrase [13] ” (CS).

Description. Male. Measurement. BL= 6.08 mm, FL= 3.42 mm, HL= 1.16 mm, HW= 0.86 mm, PL= 1.18 mm, PW= 0.76 mm, EL= 0.95 mm, EW= 0.86 mm.

Body nearly cylindrical and medium sized. Entirely dark brown, except legs, last segment of both maxillary palpus and labial palpus, and posterior 1/3 of abdominal segment VII light brown.

Head. Subrectangular (HL to HW ratio 1.36), tempora slightly widened, posterior angles widely rounded. Dorsal integument entirely bearing mixed and shallow microsculpture composed of isodiametric microsculpture and transverse microstriae, and sparsely distributed deep and medium sized punctures, puncture intervals less than puncture diameter. Median longitudinal region impunctate, width equals to 4–5 puncture diameters; frontal region bearing shallow microstriae, and 3 pairs of tiny punctures and 2 irregular larger punctures. Each side of cranium with anterolateral puncture near antennal insertion, midlateral puncture far from dorsal margin of eye (5–6 puncture diameters to eye), temporal puncture rather near lateral margin (at lateral 1/6) and occipital puncture rather near posterior margin (at posterior 1/6). Frontal furrows deep and long, convergent backwards; anteocular furrows indistinct, scarcely observable. Eye quite small and flat, diameter shorter than 1/5 of temporal length (eye: tempora = 0.11: 0.87 mm). Epistoma relatively wide, subrectangular and flat, with a pair of tiny punctures. Distance between antennal insertions 0.23 mm, longer than distance from antenna to eye (0.19 mm).

Antennae. Scape stout, thickened apically, much longer than three subsequent antennomeres combined, 0.44 mm; antennomere II elongate, 0.13 mm; III subglobular, obviously shorter than II, 0.10 mm; IV and V subequal in length, 0.08 mm; last antennomere of medium length, 0.19 mm, subequal to two preceding antennomeres combined.

Mouthparts. Labrum bilobed, with a median longitudinal groove. Maxillary palpus elongate, segment III longest, last segment slender and obconical and shorter than the penultimate. Labial palpus distinctly slender, last segment longest.

Neck. Medium width (0.34 mm), 2/5 of head width, with a transverse substraight ridge on anterior 1/3.

Pronotum. Subrectangular (PL to PW ratio 1.55), of same length as head, but narrower. Widest at anterior 1/4, narrowest at posterior 1/4. Anterior angles widened, lateral margins distinctly sinuate from middle, posterior angles rounded. Integument bearing transverse microstriae, and a pair of admedian row of 13–14 smaller punctures. Areas outside admedian rows with additional, irregular, sparsely set punctures.

Mesoscutellum. Shiny, extensively bearing shallow polygonal reticulum and with a pair of tiny punctures near apex.

Elytra. Subrectangular (EL to EW ratio 1.1), slightly shorter but distinctly wider than pronotum. Humeri well developed, lateral margins widened posteriorly, hind margin rounded. Integument shiny, without microsculpture; each side symmetrically with regular rows of punctures, interspaces between rows 1–2 puncture diameters; deflexed portion of each elytron with 3–4 rows of punctures.

Legs. First four segments stout but not dilated in protarsi and metatarsi, whereas relatively slender in mesotarsi; each last segment as long as the II–IV combined. Protibia with apical ctenidium and subapical ctenidia, meso- and metatibia only with apical ctenidium.

Abdomen. Cylindrical, broadest at segment VII. Tergites III–VII shiny, surface entirely covered with a distinct mixture of extensive microstriae and polygonal reticulum; punctures small, sparsely scattered, interspace between them 3–4 puncture diameters, but slightly denser on tergite VII. Each tergite without distinct basal impression near anterior margin. Surface between two basal transverse carinae of tergites III–VII bearing distinct polygonal reticulum. All abdominal sternites shiny, with transverse microstriae and setiferous punctures as those on tergites.

Female ( Fig. 7 A, B). Head. Subrectangular, lateral margin substraight, posterior angles not dilated; microsculpture distinct, composed of isodiametric microsculpture; punctures dense, puncture intervals half of puncture diameter; the width of median longitudinal impunctate region 2–3 puncture diameters; epistoma sharpened forwards; eyes medium sized, 1/4 of temporal length. Antennae. Antennomere II subequal to length of III, both elongate. Pronotum. Subrectangular, lateral margin substraight, not sinuate. Elytra. Short. Abdomen. Sternite VIII quite broad, with slightly convergent lateral margins, and posterior margin arcuately protruding medially ( Fig. 7 B). Genital segment with a pair of subtriangular supplementary sclerites, and a slightly elongate sternite with unique anterior margin ( Fig. 7 A).

Distribution. China (Shaanxi, Hubei).

Remarks. We examined two paratypes (male and female) and found that they exhibited remarkable differences, which made us to believe those are two different species. Without additional materials, this problem was left open for further study.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Medhiama puetzi Bordoni: A. female genital segment; B. female sternite VIII. Scale bars 0.15 mm.