Leptusa (Heteroleptusa) discolor, 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 (Heteroleptusa) discolor nov.sp. ( Figs 46-57 )

Holotype 3: China: N-Yunnan [C2005-07], Diqing Tibet. Aut. Pref., Deqin Co., Meili Xue Shan , E-side, 12 km SW Deqin, 2890 m, 28°25.30'N, 98°48.47'E / small creek valley, mixed forest with bamboo, leaf litter, moss, dead wood, sifted, 9.VI.2005, leg. M. Schülke [C2005-07] / Holotypus 3 Leptusa discolor sp. n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss). Paratype ♀: China: N-Yunnan [C03-11], Zhongdian Co., 48 km N Zhongdian, 28°16.6'N, 99°45.7'E, 3220 m, creek valley, devastated primary forest, dead wood, moss, mushrooms, 21.VIII.2003, leg. M. Schülke (cSch).

D e s c r i p t i o n: 2.6-3.1 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 46 . Distinctly bicoloured species: whole body rufous, with the head, abdominal segment VI and anterior half of segment VII blackish brown to black.

Head approximately as wide as long; puncturation dense, punctures moderately large, but shallow; microsculpture weakly pronounced; eyes relatively large, weakly protruding from lateral outline of head, approximately as long as postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 47 ). Antenna with antennomere III slightly shorter than II, IV weakly transverse, V- X of increasing width and increasingly transverse, X approximately twice as wide as long ( Fig. 48 ). Penultimate joint of maxillary palpus approximately 3 times as long as wide.

Pronotum distinctly convex in cross-section and relatively slender, approximately 1.2 times as wide as head and 1.2 times as wide as long, maximal width in anterior half ( Fig. 47 ); posterior angles obtuse; puncturation dense, fine, and ill-defined; microsculpture very shallow, barely noticeable.

Elytra approximately 1.15 times as wide and at suture as long as pronotum; near posterior angles distinctly sinuate; puncturation coarsely granulose; microsculpture absent ( Fig. 47 ). Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen approximately 0.9 times as wide as elytra, subparallel; puncturation on tergite III coarse and dense, on tergites IV-V less coarse and less dense, and on tergites VI-VII fine and rather sparse; microsculpture shallow ( Fig. 49 ); tergite VII with sexual dimorphism, its posterior margin with palisade fringe.

3: tergite VII with pronounced long median tubercle ( Fig. 49 ); sternite VII unmodified; tergite VIII with short oblong median tubercle, its posterior margin in the middle weakly concave and distinctly serrate ( Fig. 50 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII broadly convex ( Fig. 51 ); median lobe of aedeagus as in Figs 53-55 , ventral process apically of distinctive shape; apical lobe of paramere as in Fig. 56 .

♀: posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly concave in the middle ( Fig. 52 ), that of sternite VIII broadly convex; spermatheca as in Fig. 57 .

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E t y m o l o g y: The name (Lat., adj.: colourful) refers to the distinctive coloration of this species.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Four species of Heteroleptusa PACE were previously known from China: L. shaanxiensis PACE , L. flagellata ASSING , L. hastata ASSING , and L. titillans ASSING. From all of them, as well as from all other species of the genus, the

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new species is readily separated by the distinctive shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus. From the other species of Heteroleptusa it is additionally distinguished by the coloration (distinctly bicoloured body; bright reddish pronotum, elytra, and anterior segments of abdomen). For illustrations of the male genitalia of these species see PACE (1999) and ASSING (2002).

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 two localities are separated by a deep valley, suggesting that the species is probably more widespread in northern Yunnan. The type specimens were sifted from the forest floor in mixed forests at altitudes of about 2900 and 3200 m.

Figures

Figs 46-57: Leptusa discolor: (46) habitus; (47) forebody; (48) antenna; (49) 3 abdominal segments IV-VII; (50) 3 tergite VIII; (51) 3 sternite VIII; (52) posterior part of ♀ tergite VIII; (53- 54) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (55) apex of median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (56) apical lobe of paramere; (57) spermatheca. Scale bars: 46: 1.0 mm; 47, 49: 0.5 mm; 48, 50-52: 0.2 mm; 53-57: 0.1 mm.