Leptusa (Drepanoleptusa) emplenotoides, 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 (Drepanoleptusa) emplenotoides nov.sp. ( Figs 32-45 )

Holotype 3: China (N-Yunnan), Diqing Tibet Aut. Pref., Zhongdian Co., Bitai Hai Lake area , 29 km ESE Zhong-dian, 3540 m, 27°43.65'N, 99°58.97'E, creek vall., devast. mixed forest, bamboo, 1.VI.2005, D. W. Wrase [01] / Holotypus 3 Leptusa emplenotoides sp. n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss). Paratypes: 333: China: N-Yunnan [C2005-02], Diqing Tibet. Aut. Pref., Zhongdian

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Co., Xue Shan , 23 km S Zhongdian, 3675-3725 m / 27°36.3'N, 99°41.5'E, devastated mixed forest, sifted from leaf litter, dead wood, 2. VI.2005, M. Schülke [C2005-02] (cSch, cAss) ; 1♀ [macropterous]: China: N-Yunnan [C2005-03], Diqing Tibet. Aut. Pref. , Zhongdian Co., 35 km ESE Zhongdian, 3450 m / 27°41.00'N, 100°01.47'E, devastated mixed forest nr. small creek, litter, moss, dead wood sifted, 3. VI.2005, M. Schülke [C2005-03] (cSch) ; 433, 4♀♀: China: N-Yunnan, Diqing Tibet Aut. Pr. , Zhongdian Co., Xue Shan nr. lake, 23 km S Zhongdian, 27°37.1'N, 99°38.5'E, 3850 m, 6. VI.2005, A. Smetana (C153a) (cSme, cAss) ; 13, 1♀: same data, but " 3895 m, 5. VI.2005, ... C152" (cSme, cAss); 13, 2♀♀: same data, but " 15. VI.2005 ... C161" (cSme, cAss) .

D e s c r i p t i o n: 3.0- 4.2 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 32 . Coloration: head dark brown to blackish brown; pronotum reddish brown to dark brown; elytra rufous; abdomen rufous, with the central area of tergite VI and the anterior 1/3-2/3 of tergite VII infuscate; legs reddish yellow; antennae rufous.

Head approximately as wide as long or weakly transverse; puncturation dense, punctures moderately large, but very shallow; microsculpture distinct; eyes rather small, very weakly protruding from lateral outline of head, approximately half the length of postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 33 ). Antenna with antennomere III almost as long as II, IV approximately as wide as long, V subquadrate to weakly transverse, VI-X of increasing width and increasingly transverse, X approximately 1.5 times as wide as long. Penultimate joint of maxillary palpus approximately 3 times as long as wide.

Pronotum moderately convex in cross-section, approximately 1.2 times as wide as head and 1.25 times as wide as long, maximal width in anterior half ( Fig. 33 ); posterior angles obtuse, lateral margins often weakly sinuate near posterior angles; puncturation moderately dense and fine, barely noticeable; microsculpture distinct.

Elytra slightly (brachypterous morph) or distinctly (macropterous morph) wider than pronotum, at suture either slightly shorter (brachypterous morph) or slightly longer (macropterous morph) than pronotum; near posterior angles distinctly sinuate; puncturation coarsely granulose; microsculpture absent or very shallow, much less distinct than that of pronotum. Hind wings either fully developed (macropterous morph) or reduced (brachypterous morph).

Abdomen approximately as wide as (brachypterous morph) or slightly narrower (macropterous morph) than elytra, widest at segment IV; puncturation fine and moderately dense; microsculpture somewhat variable, but always distinctly visible; tergite VII with sexual dimorphism, its posterior margin with palisade fringe.

3: tergite VII with pronounced long median tubercle ( Fig. 34 ); sternite VII unmodified; tergite VIII with pronounced microreticulation, its posterior margin convex, in the middle truncate and weakly crenulate ( Fig. 35 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII truncate ( Fig. 36 ); median lobe of aedeagus of highly distinctive morphology ( Figs 39-42 ), at base of ventral process with pair of characteristic processes; apical lobe of paramere as in Fig. 43 .

♀: posterior margin of tergite VIII very weakly sinuate in the middle ( Fig. 37 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII weakly pointed ( Fig. 38 ); spermatheca as in Figs 44-45.

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Lat., adj.) refers to the pair of processes of the median lobe of the aedeagus, which, in this respect, bears some resemblance to the aedeagi of Aleochara species of the subgenus Emplenota CASEY.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: From all its congeners, the L. emplenotoides is readily distinguished by the male sexual characters, especially the distinctive shape of the me-

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dian lobe of the aedeagus. Based on the similarly derived aedeagal morphology, it appears to be the adelphotaxon of L. sichuanensis PACE from the Gongga Shan (Sichuan), from which it is distinguished particularly by the presence of a pair of processes at the base of the ventral process of the aedeagus. For illustrations of the male genitalia of L. sichuanensis see PACE (1997).

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 localities are situated in the Xue Shan near Zhongdian in northern Yunnan ( China). Since the species is wing-dimorphic, it may be more widespread. The type specimens were sifted from leaf litter and dead wood in degraded mixed forests at altitudes of 3450-3900 m.

Figures

Figs 32-45: Leptusa emplenotoides: (32) habitus; (33) forebody; (34) 3 abdominal segments IV- VII; (35) 3 tergite VIII; (36) 3 sternite VIII; (37) ♀ tergite VIII; (38) ♀ sternite VIII; (39-41) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (42) apex of median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (43) apical lobe of paramere; (44-45) spermatheca. Scale bars: 32: 1.0 mm; 33-34: 0.5 mm; 35-38: 0.2 mm; 39-45: 0.1 mm.