Neodima Schimmel & Platia, 1992

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-FF8C-FFF1-FF48-45A28BE189B2
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Neodima Schimmel & Platia, 1992
status

Treatment

Genus Neodima Schimmel & Platia, 1992

Neodima Schimmel & Platia, 1992: 299 .

Type species. Neodima sichuanensis Schimmel & Platia, 1992 ; by original designation.

Diagnosis. Neodima species share the following unique combination of morphological characters: elongate pronotum which is distinctly narrowed before posterior angles ( Figs 2D View FIGURE 2 ; 3C View FIGURE 3 ; 4D View FIGURE 4 ; 6D View FIGURE 6 ; 7B, C View FIGURE 7 ; pronotum usually transverse and not so distinctly narrowed before posterior angles in other Dimini ), pronotal hind angles with their outer margin somewhat rounded so that apex is not oriented apico-laterally but towards base of elytra (hind angles straight, narrowly sharp and divergent in many other Dimini ), prosternal process apico-ventrally strongly declivous and dorsally straight in lateral view ( Figs 1F View FIGURE 1 ; 5C, F, I View FIGURE 5 ; distinctly curved in lateral view in most Dimini ), mesoventrite simple, without distinct deep procoxal rests ( Figs 2C View FIGURE 2 , 3D View FIGURE 3 , 4C View FIGURE 4 , 6C View FIGURE 6 , 7D View FIGURE 7 ; well-developed procoxal rests in all other Dimini ), sides of mesoventrite oblique but straight along the whole length (usually distinctly sinuate in other Dimini except Sinodima Kundrata, Sormova & Qiu, 2018 and some Asian Dima species), mesoventral cavity only with indistinctly defined walls (usually with clearly defined cavity walls in other Dimini genera), mesanepisternum without distinct lateral extensions of procoxal rests (present in most Dimini ), base of elytra typically abruptly distinctly emarginate and narrowed ( Figs 1A, D View FIGURE 1 ; 3A View FIGURE 3 ; 5A, D, G View FIGURE 5 ; usually broader elytral base without such distinct emargination in other genera), and large elytral punctures, which are transformed into window-like deep depressions (usually much smaller elytral punctures in other Dimini ).

Redescription. Body ( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 ; 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ; 5 View FIGURE 5 ) 4.50–7.60 mm long, 1.75–2.30 mm wide, more or less elongate, moderately convex, yellowish brown to dark brown, pronotal disc usually darker than pronotal anterior and posterior margins, elytra more or less concolorous or more often each elytron with dark elongate stripe between stria III and VII running along almost entire elytral length, legs yellowish to light brown; pubescence yellowish to golden.

Head ( Figs 2A, D View FIGURE 2 ; 3C View FIGURE 3 ; 4A, D View FIGURE 4 ; 6A, D View FIGURE 6 ; 7B, C View FIGURE 7 ) including eyes distinctly narrower than pronotum; frons flattened, oriented forward, medially with more or less distinct, wide and shallow triangular depression, apically overhanging base of labrum, with supra-antennal carinae smooth and distinct but not forming sharp frontal carina medially or surface above antennal insertions elevated but not carinate, apically with almost smooth edge, rounded in lateral view, and not forming frontal carina. Head surface sparsely to densely punctate; punctures small to large, rounded to suboval, intervals between punctures about half to three times puncture diameter; covered with moderately dense, long, semi-erect to erect pubescence. Labrum transverse, convex, finely to roughly punctate, frontally rounded, with long semi-erect pubescence. Mandible robust, broad at base, bidentate, laterodorsal face with sparse long pubescence, lateral edge distinctly curved, region between apical teeth short. Maxilla with cardo small, transverse; basistipes and medistipes clearly separated; basistipes subtriangular; medistipes wider than long; both galea and lacinia lobate, densely covered with long setae; maxillary palpus four-segmented, moderately long; palpomere I short, transverse; palpomere II elongate, about 1.8 times as long as wide; palpomere III slightly longer than wide; apical palpomere about as long as combined length of palpomeres I–III, about 1.7 times as long as wide, hatchetlike. Labium with postmentum strongly transverse; prementum longer, setose apically; palpigers almost contiguous; labial palpus three-segmented, short; palpomere I transverse; palpomere II about as long as wide; apical palpomere slightly longer than wide, hatchet-like. Antenna ( Figs 1A, D View FIGURE 1 ; 2B View FIGURE 2 ; 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ; 4B View FIGURE 4 ; 5A, B, D, E, G, H View FIGURE 5 ; 6B View FIGURE 6 ; 7A View FIGURE 7 ) with 11 antennomeres, slender, long, reaching or slightly surpassing midlength of elytra. Scape long, robust, notably thicker than remaining antennomeres; antennomeres II–X elongate, gradually slightly widened apically, pedicel shortest, antennomere III slightly shorter than following antennomeres, antennomeres IV–X subequal in length; ultimate antennomere elongate, slightly longer than penultimate antennomere, gradually widened subapically, more or less obliquely narrowed apically; all antennomeres covered with moderately dense and long, semi-erect pubescence.

Pronotum (2D; 3C; 4D; 6D; 7B, C) widest at about half, slightly wider than long if measured along midline, and about as wide as long if measured between anterior and posterior angles, strongly convex. Anterior margin widely concave; anterior angles slightly produced forward; lateral sides rounded; posterior angles short to moderately long, relatively sharp, very slightly to notably divergent, with outer margin somewhat rounded so that apex is oriented towards base of elytra; posterior margin medially shallowly emarginate; emargination more or less rounded, about as long as width of scutellar shield. Lateral and sublateral carina close to each other; lateral carina distinct, complete; sublateral carina distinct posteriorly, becoming less distinct to obsolete in anterior third to half. Disc sparsely to densely punctate; interstices almost smooth; surface with moderately dense, long, semi-erect pubescence. Hypomeron somewhat shiny, moderately densely to densely punctate, with punctures large, distinct, rounded to oval. Prosternal sutures almost straight, slightly curved inwards. Prosternum ( Figs 2C View FIGURE 2 , 4C View FIGURE 4 , 6C View FIGURE 6 , 7D View FIGURE 7 ) elongate, including prosternal process slightly more than 1.5 times as long as wide, in front of coxal cavities (i.e., excluding prosternal process) 0.9–1.0 times as long as wide. Prosternal lobe short, slightly wrinkled, with anterior margin slightly rounded. Prosternal process moderately long, about 0.6–0.7 times as long as prosternum in front of procoxal cavities, with sides subparallel-sided basally and narrowed towards apex, arcuate, distinctly bent inwards; surface uneven, coarsely punctate; apex ventrally strongly declivous and dorsally straight in lateral view. Scutellar shield ( Figs 2E View FIGURE 2 ; 3C View FIGURE 3 ; 4E View FIGURE 4 ; 6E View FIGURE 6 ; 7E, F View FIGURE 7 ) slightly convex, suboval, transverse; anterior margin more or less rounded or slightly extended medially, with distinct edge; posterior margin truncate to rounded; surface almost smooth, shiny, covered with small punctures and sparse long pubescence. Mesocoxae open to both mesanepisternum and mesepimeron. Mesoventrite ( Figs 2C View FIGURE 2 , 3D View FIGURE 3 , 4C View FIGURE 4 , 6C View FIGURE 6 , 7D View FIGURE 7 ) transverse, widened posteriorly, almost smooth, shiny, frontal margin medially produced forward to form narrow prostrusion, its apex more or less emarginate medially; sides straight, oblique, posterior margin medially narrowly projected between mesocoxae; procoxal rests indistinct or reduced, very shallow and without clear borders; mesoventral cavity elongate, shallow and with indistinct borders anteriorly, widened and with more distinct borders posteriorly. Mesanepisternum with frontal margin medially gradually emarginate or straight, without distinct lateral extensions of procoxal rests. Mesepimeron transverse, smaller than mesanepisternum. Metanotum with indistinct apodemes. Metaventrite reduced, transverse, moderately densely and coarsely punctate, almost smooth. Metacoxal plate ( Figs 2F View FIGURE 2 , 3E View FIGURE 3 , 4F View FIGURE 4 , 6F View FIGURE 6 ) with lateral half strongly reduced towards body edge, forming only narrow strip. Elytra ( Figs 1A, D View FIGURE 1 ; 3A View FIGURE 3 ; 5A, D, G View FIGURE 5 ) oval-elongate to elongate, together 1.65–2.20 times as long as wide, widest at apical 2/3; each elytron anteriorly shortly excavate, basally narrowed; with striae formed by lines of large rounded to rectangular window-like punctures; interstriae reduced to more or less narrow, smooth and convex ridges; laterally more or less strongly bent downwards after interstria VII at basal half, so that only seven interstriae are visible basally from dorsal view; pubescence moderately dense, semi-erect to erect, long, longer than distance between interstriae; elytral apices conjointly rounded. Hind wings absent. Leg slender, moderately long; each tibia with paired tibial spurs; tarsomere I longest, slightly shorter than tarsomere II and III combined, tarsomere II elongate, slightly longer than tarsomere III, tarsomere III ventrally with relatively short lobe, tarsomere IV shortest, ventrally with elongate lobe, apical tarsomere elongate, about twice as long or slightly longer than tarsomere IV; pubescence moderately dense and long, usually semi-erect; pretarsal claw simple, moderately curved.

Abdomen ( Figs 1B, E View FIGURE 1 ; 3B, F View FIGURE 3 ; 5B, E, H View FIGURE 5 ) with ventrites variously puncate; ventrite 1 with abdominal process slender, short, subacute apically; apical ventrite slightly truncate to widely rounded apically; surface of all ventrites covered with long semi-erect pubescence, usually denser at margins. Male terminalia: tergite VIII ( Fig. 6G View FIGURE 6 ) broadly triangular, apically rounded; sternite VIII ( Fig. 6H View FIGURE 6 ) tranverse, apically emarginate; tergites IX–X ( Figs 2H View FIGURE 2 , 6I View FIGURE 6 ) connected by membrane, tergite IX transverse or slightly longer than wide, apico-medially deeply emarginate, tergite X small, rounded apically; sternite IX ( Figs 2G View FIGURE 2 , 6J View FIGURE 6 ) more or less elongate, apically rounded, apico-laterally finely punctate, with rather dense pubescence; sternite X ( Fig. 6K View FIGURE 6 ) membranous, connected by membrane to sternite IX. Aedeagus ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 I–K, 6L–N) elongate, 2.8–3.5 times as long as wide. Median lobe elongate, slightly to distinctly surpassing tip of parameres, basal half usually thick, with short basal struts, apical half variously shaped, apex narrowly rounded. Paramere elongate, variously shaped, with or without subapical hook. Phallobase relatively small, transverse or U-shaped. Female terminalia: tergite VIII ( Figs 3G View FIGURE 3 ; 4K View FIGURE 4 ; 7G, H, J, K View FIGURE 7 ) narrowly to broadly subtriangu- lar, apically narrowly to widely rounded, finely punctate, covered with sparse pubescence; sternite VIII ( Figs 3G View FIGURE 3 ; 4G View FIGURE 4 ; 7G, H, J, K View FIGURE 7 ) usually subtriangular, about as long as wide or longer than wide, apically widely rounded, medially and apico-laterally finely punctate, covered with sparse pubescence, spiculum ventrale about four to six times sternite length. Ovipositor ( Figs 3H View FIGURE 3 , 4H View FIGURE 4 , 7L View FIGURE 7 ) relatively long; paraprocts about 4.0–5.5 times as long as gonocoxites; gonocoxite ( Figs 3H View FIGURE 3 , 4I View FIGURE 4 , 7I View FIGURE 7 ) moderately sclerotized, narrowed to apex, with several setae; stylus elongate, distinct, attached subapically. Vagina simple. Bursa copulatrix ( Figs 3H View FIGURE 3 , 4J View FIGURE 4 , 7M View FIGURE 7 ) elongate, sac-like, without any sclerotized structures.