Neodima cechovskyi Schimmel, 1998

Kundrata, Robin, Sormova, Eliska, Qiu, Lu & Prosvirov, Alexander S., 2019, Revision of the flightless click-beetle genus Neodima Schimmel & Platia (Elateridae: Dimini) endemic to China, with comments on its systematic position, Zootaxa 4604 (1), pp. 42-58 : 42-58

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4604.1.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:42FB8004-F957-45E7-AA3C-58D47E1A8FDD
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A8878B-FF8A-FFFB-FF48-445A8C498AE6
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Neodima cechovskyi Schimmel, 1998
status

Treatment

( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 D–F, 4A–K)

Neodima cechovskyi Schimmel, 1998: 222 ; Cate et al. (2007: 184), Kundrata et al. (2018b: 29).

Type material. Holotype, female, “ China: Sichuan, Qingcheng-shan, Umg. [= Umgebung, i.e., surroundings] Heavenly Old Village [probably located in Qingchenghoushan , see remark below], 1000–1300 m, 18./ 20.VI.1995, Heinzl leg.” ( PCPC).

Diagnosis. This species differs from its congeners by having a relatively uniform coloration of elytra (with distinct dark stripes in other species; Figs 1A, D View FIGURE 1 ; 3A View FIGURE 3 ; 5A, D, G View FIGURE 5 ), more elongate antennomeres IV–X (about four times as long wide; usually up to three times in other species; Figs 2B View FIGURE 2 , 4B View FIGURE 4 , 6B View FIGURE 6 , 7A View FIGURE 7 ), less convex pronotum ( Figs 1C, F View FIGURE 1 ; 5C, F, I View FIGURE 5 ), and relatively long and more convex elytra (about 2.20 times as long as wide; other species 1.65–1.95 times; Figs 1A, D View FIGURE 1 ; 3A View FIGURE 3 ; 5A, D, G View FIGURE 5 ) with large punctures. Neodima sichuanensis has elytra with smaller punctures, and N. belousovi Prosvirov & Kundrata sp. nov. have elytral punctures much smaller.

Redescription. Holotype, female. Body length 7.6 mm; width 2.3 mm. Body ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 D–F) elongate, moderately convex, light brown to dark reddish brown; apical half of elytra somewhat lighter, legs yellowish to light brown; pubescence yellowish.

Head ( Fig. 4A, D View FIGURE 4 ) including eyes about 0.65 times as wide as pronotum; frontoclypeal region apically with almost smooth edge but not forming frontal carina, rounded in lateral view, overhanging base of labrum; surface above antennal insertions elevated but not forming carinae. Head surface densely and coarsely punctate; punctures large, intervals between punctures mostly about half of puncture diameter. Maxillary palpus with palpomere III slightly longer than wide. Antenna ( Figs 1D, F View FIGURE 1 ; 4B View FIGURE 4 ) slightly surpassing midlength of elytra; length ratio of antennomeres II–IV = 1.00: 1.25: 1.50; pedicel shortest, slightly more than twice as long as wide; antennomere III elongate, about three times as long as wide; antennomeres IV–X elongate, about four times as long as wide; ultimate antennomere elongate, about 1.2 times as long as penultimate antennomere, about 4.5 times as long as wide, gradually widened subapically, narrowed apically.

Pronotum ( Figs 1D View FIGURE 1 , 4D View FIGURE 4 ) 1.25 as wide as long if measured along midline (length at midline 1.60 mm; width 2.00 mm), and 0.95 as wide as long if measured between anterior and posterior angles, strongly convex, mainly at posterior 2/5. Anterior angles slightly produced forward; lateral sides slightly rounded; posterior angles short, very slightly divergent. Disc densely punctate; punctures large, moderately deep, mostly oval, near margins smaller; interstices almost smooth. Hypomeron somewhat shiny, moderately densely punctate. Prosternum ( Figs 1E View FIGURE 1 , 4C View FIGURE 4 ) including prosternal process 1.65 times as long as wide, in front of coxal cavities about as long as wide; with puncta- tion similar to hypomeron, punctures larger medially, smaller towards margins; prosternal process about 0.6 times as long as prosternum in front of procoxal cavities. Scutellar shield ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ) suboval, about 1.6 times as wide as long; anterior margin slightly rounded, posterior margin rounded; surface almost smooth, shiny, covered with moderately dense small punctures. Mesoventrite ( Figs 1E View FIGURE 1 , 4C View FIGURE 4 ) transverse, medial prostrusion of frontal margin apically slightly emarginate medially; procoxal rests only indistinct, very shallow, without clear borders. Mesanepisternum with frontal margin slightly rounded, with indistinct and very small lateral extensions of procoxal rests. Metacoxal plate ( Fig. 4F View FIGURE 4 ) strongly reduced towards body edge, from about half forming only narrow strip. Elytra ( Fig. 1D, F View FIGURE 1 ) elongate, distinctly convex, together 2.2 times as long as wide, widest at apical 2/3, from humeri slightly widened to apical 2/3, then gradually narrowed towards apex, with striae formed by lines of large window-like punctures; interstriae reduced to narrow convex ridges; laterally strongly bent downwards after interstria VII at basal half.

Abdomen ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ) with ventrites densely puncate, punctures large, oval; apical ventrite widely rounded apically. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 4K View FIGURE 4 ) subtriangular, slightly wider than long, apically widely rounded, finely punctate, covered with sparse pubescence. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 4G View FIGURE 4 ) subtriangular, about as long as wide, apically widely rounded, spiculum ventrale about five times sternite length. Ovipositor ( Fig. 4H View FIGURE 4 ) with paraprocts about 5.5 times as long as gonocoxites; gonocoxite ( Fig. 4I View FIGURE 4 ) narrowed to apex; stylus elongate. Bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 4J View FIGURE 4 ) elongate, sac-like, without any sclerotized structures.

Male and immature stages unknown.

Distribution. China: Sichuan Province, Dujiangyan City, Qingchengshan ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ).

Remark. Qingchengshan in Sichuan, which is the type locality of N. cechovskyi , is a famous scenery spot which consists of two parts, i.e., Qingchengqianshan and Qingchenghoushan. However, there is no locality known as “Heavenly Old Village” in neither of these parts, and additionally, there are no villages at all in Qingchengqianshan. Instead, two spots named Baiyun Ancient Village and Heaven Bridge, respectively, are situated in Qingchenghoushan. Therefore, we suppose that “Heavenly Old Village” is a mixed spelling of Baiyun Ancient Village and Heaven Bridge, and thus Qingchenghoushan is more likely to be the exact type locality of N. cechovskyi .