Quedius (Raphirus) nujiang, Smetana, 2011

Smetana, Aleš, 2011, Contributions to the knowledge of the Quediina of China (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylinini). Part 41. Genus Quedius Stephens, 1829. Subgenus Raphirus Stephens, 1829. Section 9, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51 (1), pp. 145-156 : 146-149

Quedius (Raphirus) nujiang sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–7 )

Type locality. People’s Republic of China, Yunnan, Nujiang Lieu Pref., Gaoligong Shan, W ‘Cloud Pass’ 24 km NW Liuku, 25°59′02″N 98°39′56.5″E, 2940 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J (MSC, to be deposited in Naturhistorisches Museum in Berlin), ‘ CHINA: Yunnan Nujiang Lieu Pref., Gaoligong Shan, W “Cloud Pass” 24 km NW Liuku, 25°59′02″N 98°39′56.5″E, 2940 m, small cleft, wet moss & litter sifted, 3.IX. 2009, leg. M. Schülke [ CH 09-24]’. ALLOTYPE: ♀ (ASC), same data as holotype. PARATYPES: 8 JJ 2 ♀♀ (ASC, MSC), same data as holotype.

Description. Head piceous-black, pronotum piceous, somewhat paler laterally, elytra brunneous to brunneopiceous; head and pronotum with faint metallic bronze lustre, abdomen iridescent, dark brunneous to brunneopiceous with apical margins of tergites more or less paler; both maxillary and labial palpi pale testaceous, antennae testaceous, vaguely darkened toward apex, legs uniformly testaceous. Head rounded, wider than long (ratio 1.22); eyes very large and convex, tempora very short, considerably shorter than length of eyes seen from above (ratio 0.15); no additional setiferous punctures between anterior frontal punctures; posterior frontal puncture touching posteriomedian margin of eye, one puncture between it and posterior margin of head; temporal puncture small, touching posterior margin of eye; surface of head with fine, dense microsculpture of transverse and oblique waves gradually changing into meshes on middle of clypeus. Antenna moderately long, segments 2 and 3 subequal in length, segments 4–7 longer than wide, gradually becoming shorter, segments 8–10 about as long as wide, segment 11 as long as two preceding segments combined. Pronotum as long as wide, to vaguely wider than long (ratio 1.08), widely rounded basally, slightly narrowed anteriad, evenly transversely convex; dorsal rows each with three punctures; sublateral rows variable, each usually with three punctures with posterior puncture situated slightly after level of large lateral puncture, or with only two punctures with posterior puncture situated slightly before level of large lateral puncture; surface of pronotum with microsculpture of transverse waves similar to those on head. Scutellum with 5–9 punctures, surface with microsculpture of rudimentary striae. Elytra short, at suture markedly shorter (ratio 0.71), at sides shorter (ratio 0.81) than pronotum at midline; punctation moderately dense, rather coarse, asperate; transverse interspaces between punctures about as large as diameters of punctures; pubescence golden-yellowish; surface between punctures with microscopic irregularities. Wings each reduced to non-functional, narrow stump. Abdomen with tergite 7 (fifth visible) without whitish apical seam of palisade setae; tergite 2 (in front of first fully visible tergite) with a few fine punctures; punctation of tergites markedly finer than that on elytra, dense, rather evenly covering each tergite, becoming in general sparser toward apex of abdomen; pubescence golden-yellowish; surface between punctures with excessively fine microsculpture of transverse striae.

Male. First four segments of front tarsus dilated, subbilobed, each with tenent setae ventrally, segment two narrower than apex of tibia; segment 4 narrower than preceding segments. Sternite 8 with two or three long setae on each side, apical margin with moderately wide and deep, obtusely triangular medioapical emargination, small triangular area before emargination flatteded and smooth ( Fig. 1 ). Genital segment with tergite 10 narrow, evenly narrowed toward arcuate apex, setose as in Fig. 2 ; sternite 9 with narrow basal portion, apical portion emarginate apically, with a pair of differentiated apical and subapical setae, otherwise moderately densely setose ( Fig. 3 ). Aedeagus ( Figs. 4–6 ) small, median lobe subparallel sided in middle portion, anteriorly narrowed into slightly asymmetrical apical portion with narrowly arcuate apex, on face adjacent to paramere, when paramere removed, with rather long median carina forming a fine hook in lateral view ( Fig. 5 ). Apical portion of median lobe quite characteristic in lateral view ( Fig. 5 ). Paramere ( Figs. 4, 6 ) moderately long, slightly fusiform, with narrowly arcuate apex not reaching apex of median lobe; four fine setae at apical margin, median setae somewhat longer than lateral ones, two similar setae at each lateral margin below apex; sensory peg setae on underside of paramere numerous, forming two irregular, fairly long rows ( Fig. 6 ).

Female. First four segments of front tarsus simple, not dilated, without tenent setae ventrally. Tergite 10 of genital segment small, narrow, evenly narrowed toward arcuate apex, with several long setae at and near apex, otherwise only with a few fine setae ( Fig. 7 ).

Length 4.8–5.5 mm.

Etymology. The specific epithet is partial name of the prefecture the species occurs in, a noun in apposition.

Bionomics. The specimens of the original series were taken by sifting wet moss and litter at an elevation just below 3000 m.

Geographical distribution. Quedius nujiang sp. nov. is at present known only from the type locality in Gaoligong Shan, west of Salween river, in westernmost Yunnan.

Recognition and comments. Quedius nujiang sp. nov. is well characterized among the brachypterous species of the muscicola -group, in addition to the shape of the aedoeagus, by the relatively large size, the uniformly testaceous legs, the rather coarse punctation of elytra, and by the golden-yellow pubescence of the elytra and the abdomen. It only may be confused with Q. angustiarum sp. nov., but the latter differs by the entirely different shape of the aedoeagus, and by a few subtle external differences (see under Q. angustiarum sp. nov.).

Figures

Figs. 1–13. 1–7. Quedius nujiang sp. nov. 1– apical portion of male sternite 8; 2 – tergite 10 of male genital segment; 3 – sternite 9 of male genital segment; 4 – aedeagus, ventral view; 5 – apical portion of median lobe, lateral view; 6 – apical portion of underside of paramere with sensory peg setae; 7 – tergite 10 of female genital segment. 8–13. Quedius angustiarum sp. nov. 8 – apical portion of male sternite 8; 9 – tergite 10 of male genital segment; 10 – sternite 9 of male genital segment; 11 – aedeagus, ventral view; 12 – apical portion of median lobe, lateral view; 13 – apical portion of underside of paramere with sensory peg setae.