Leptusa (Aphaireleptusa) tenuicornis, Assing, 2006

Assing, V., 2006, Six new species and additional records of Leptusa from northern Yunnan, China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 38 (2), pp. 1157-1174 : 1157-1174

Leptusa (Aphaireleptusa) tenuicornis nov.sp. ( Figs 75-88 )

Holotype 3: China: N-Yunnan [C2003-07], Zhongdian Co., 55 km N Zhongdian, 28°19.8'N, 99°45.7'E, 3800 m, primary mixed forest, Rhodod., dead wood, mushrooms, moss, 18.VIII.2003, M. Schülke / Holotypus 3 Leptusa tenuicornis sp. n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss). Paratypes: 11 exs.: same data as holotype ( OÖLL, cSch, cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: In external characters ( Figs 75-78 ) highly similar to L. xuemontis , but distinguished as follows:

Habitus as in Fig. 75 . Puncturation of head slightly more distinct ( Fig. 76 ). Antennae ( Fig. 78 ) shorter and more slender.

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Pronotum slightly smaller in relation to body, slightly more convex in cross-section, and with distinctly coarser puncturation ( Fig. 76 ).

Elytra larger, almost as long and 1.05-1.10 times as wide as pronotum, and with rather pronounced humeral angles. Hind wing rudiments slightly longer than elytra.

Abdomen with coarser puncturation; palisade fringe at posterior margin of tergite VII more or less pronounced.

3: sternite VII of similar morphology and chaetotaxy as in L. xuemontis ( Fig. 79 ); tergite VIII with weakly concave posterior margin ( Fig. 80 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII convexly projecting in the middle ( Fig. 81 ); median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 84-87 ) distinctly smaller than in L. xuemontis (compare Figs 84-85 and Fig. 89 ), ventral process in lateral view only with pronounced dent at base; apical lobe of paramere as in L. xuemontis and L. turgida .

♀: posterior margin of tergite VIII truncate ( Fig. 82 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII obtusely pointed ( Fig. 83 ); spermatheca as in Fig. 88.

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Lat., adj.) refers to the slender antennae, an external character separating this species from L. xuemontis .

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: For characters distinguishing L. tenuicornis from L. xuemontis see the description above. Other Chinese representatives of Aphaireleptusa known to occur in Yunnan are separated from the new species by the male sexual characters, especially the shape of the median lobe of the aedeagus, as well as by the following characters:

In L. chinensis , the antennae are longer, the head and especially the pronotum are much more coarsely punctured, the eyes are more distinctly protruding from the outline of the head in dorsal view, the pronotum is less transverse and more convex in cross-section, the elytra are much longer, the legs are longer and more slender, and the male tergite VIII is distinctly concave posteriorly.

Leptusa yunnanensis has longer, larger, and more sparsely punctured elytra, a more sparsely punctured abdomen with less pronounced microsculpture, a posteriorly only very weakly concave male sternite VII, and an only indistinctly concave posterior margin of the male tergite VII.

In the slighly smaller L. turgida , the forebody (especially the pronotum) is much more finely punctate, the elytra are shorter and more slender, the abdomen is wider in relation to the elytra and more finely and sparsely punctate, the male sternite VIII is more acutely pointed posteriorly, and the posterior margin of the male tergite VIII is not distinctly concave.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s The species is known only from one locality in the mountain range to the north of Zhongdian in northern Yunnan, from where it was erroneously recorded as L. xuemontis by ASSING (2004). The type specimens were collected by sifting the forest floor of a mixed forest at an altitude of 3800 m.

Figures

Figs 75-89: Leptusa tenuicornis (75-88) and paratype of L. xuemontis (89): (75) habitus; (76) forebody; (77) head in lateral view; (78) antenna; (79) 3 sternite VII; (80) 3 tergite VIII; (81) 3 sternite VIII; (82) ♀ tergite VIII; (83) ♀ sternite VIII; (84-86, 89) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (87) apex of median lobe in ventral view; (88) spermatheca. Scale bars: 75: 1.0 mm; 76: 0.5 mm; 77-87, 89: 0.2 mm; 88: 0.1 mm.