Leptusa (Aphaireleptusa) turgida, 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) turgida nov.sp. ( Figs 21-30 )

Holotype 3: China: N-Yunnan [C2005-01], Diqing Tibet. Aut. Pref., Zhongdian Co., Bitai Hai lake area, 29 km ESE Zhongdian / 27°43.65'N, 99°58.97'E, 3540 m, creek valley, devast. mixed forest, litter, moss, dead wood, 1.VI.2005, leg. M. Schülke [C2005-01] / Holotypus 3 Leptusa turgida sp. n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss). Paratypes: 2♀♀: China: N-Yunnan, [C03-13], Zhongdian Co., 36 km ESE Zhongdian, overgrown rock hillside with old mixed forest, bamboo, dead wood, mushrooms, 27°40.9'N, 100°01.5'E, 3500-3550 m, 23.VIII.2003, leg. M. Schülke (cSch).

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

Slightly smaller, 2.5-3.0 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 21 . Antennae ( Fig. 23 ) shorter, more slender, and of paler coloration, reddish brown, with the 3-4 basal antennomeres reddish yellow. Puncturation of head less dense ( Fig. 22 ).

3: posterior margin of sternite VII broadly, but not very deeply concave, densely furnished with long thin setae, of similar morphology and chaetotaxy as in L. xuemontis ; tergite VIII with truncate posterior margin ( Fig. 24 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII obtusely angled in the middle ( Fig. 25 ); median lobe of aedeagus as in Fig. 28 , ventral process in lateral view only with small dent at base; apical lobe of paramere as in Fig. 29 .

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♀: posterior margin of tergite VIII very shallowly concave in the middle ( Fig. 26 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII obtusely pointed ( Fig. 27 ); spermatheca as in Fig. 30.

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Lat., adj.: swollen) refers to the short and stout body shape.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: For characters distinguishing L. turgida from L. xuemontis , its most similar consubgener, see the description above. Other geographically close Chinese representatives of Aphaireleptusa 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 , whose aedeagus is highly similar, the antennae are longer and darker, 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 elytra are much longer, the legs are longer and more slender, and the male tergite VIII is distinctly concave posteriorly.

Leptusa yunnanensis is distinctly larger, its antennae are longer and darker, the head and the pronotum are more coarsely punctured, the eyes are more distinctly protruding from the outline of the head in dorsal view, the elytra are much longer, the legs are longer and more slender, and the ventral process of the aedeagus is more distinctly dentate at base (see Figs 1-6).

In the slightly smaller L. daxuemontis PACE from Sichuan, the body is of paler coloration, the forebody is much more coarsely punctured, and the aedeagus is of different shape (more slender, more distinctly dentate at base of ventral process, more pronounced crista apicalis). For illustrations of the aedeagus of this species see PACE (1997).

In L. jiudingensis PACE from Sichuan, the eyes are more distinctly protruding from the outline of the head in dorsal view, the elytra are longer, and the aedeagus is of stouter morphology and more distinctly dentate at the base of the ventral process. For illustrations of the aedeagus of this species see PACE (1999).

In L. xuemontis PACE from Yunnan, the antennae are longer, the head and the pronotum are more distinctly punctured, the elytra and the legs are longer, the male sternite VII is more strongly concave posteriorly, the posterior margin of the male tergite VIII is distinctly concave, and the aedeagus is more distinctly dentate at the base of the ventral process. The aedeagus and the male sternite VII of this species are illustrated by ASSING (2004).

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 mountain range to the east-southeast of Zhongdian in northern Yunnan. The specimens were collected by sifting the forest floor of mixed forests at an altitude of 3500-3550 m.

Figures

Figs 21-31: Leptusa turgida (21-30) and L. xuemontis (31): (21) habitus; (22) forebody; (23) antenna; (24) 3 tergite VIII; (25) 3 sternite VIII; (26) ♀ tergite VIII; (27) ♀ sternite VIII; (28) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (29, 31) apical lobe of paramere; (30) spermatheca. Scale bars: 21: 1.0 mm; 22: 0.5 mm; 23-27: 0.2 mm; 28-31: 0.1 mm.