Eulichas funebris ( Westwood, 1853 )

Hájek, Ji Ř Í, 2007, Revision of the genus Eulichas Jacobson, 1913 (Coleoptera: Eulichadidae) I. Introduction, morphology of adults, key to subgenera and species groups, and taxonomy of E. funebris species group, Zootaxa 1620, pp. 1-35 : 11-13

Eulichas funebris ( Westwood, 1853)

( Figs. 15 , 19 , 35 , 51–53)

Lichas funebris Westwood, 1853: 238 (original description, Hong Kong); Gemminger & Harold 1869: 1614 (catalogue)

Lichas davidis Deyrolle & Fairmaire, 1878: 111 (original description, central China)

Eulichas davidi ( Deyrolle & Fairmaire, 1878) : Jacobson 1913: 727 (subsequent incorrect spelling, catalogue)

Eulichas davidis ( Deyrolle & Fairmaire, 1878) : Pic 1914: 11 (catalogue); Wu 1937: 504 (catalogue); Jäch 1995: 364 (lectotype designation, in synonymy)

Eulichas funebris ( Westwood, 1853) : Jacobson 1913: 727 (catalogue); Pic 1914: 11 (catalogue); Wu 1937: 504 (catalogue); Jäch 1995: 364 (lectotype designation, description)

Eulichas impressicollis Pic, 1939: 2 (original description, China: Yaosan); Jäch 1995: 364 (lectotype designation, in synonymy)

Eulichas sp. (Guangxi A) cf. funebris et undulata: Jäch 1995: 370 (partim, description)

Type locality. “ China, prope Hong Kong ” [ Hong Kong Island, see also Jäch (1995: 364)] ( E. funebris ); “ Chine centrale” ( E. davidis ); “ Chine: Yaosan” [Dayaoshan, Guangxi, China] ( E. impressicollis ).

Type material. Lichas funebris : Lectotype ɗ ( BMNH), designated by Jäch (1995), labelled: “Hong / Kong [round label, handwritten] // Eulichas / funebris [handwritten] // LECTOTYPUS / Eulichas / funebris WESTW. / des. M. Jäch 1992 [red label, handwritten]”. Lichas davidis : Lectotype ɗ ( MNHN), designated by Jäch (1995), labelled: “ Chine / A. DAVID [printed] // Lycas / Davidis / nsp [handwritten] // Ex-Musaeo / Mniszech [black frame, printed] // TYPE [red label, printed] // Museum Paris / ex Coll. / R. Oberthur [yellow label, printed] // LECTOTYPUS / Eulichas / davidis DEYR. & FAIR. / des. M. Jäch 1994 [red label, handwritten] // Eulichas / funebris WESTW. / det. Jäch 1994 [printed]”. Lichas impressicollis : Lectotype ɗ ( MNHN), designated by Jäch (1995), labelled: “Bup. no. 3 / Yaosan (Kwangsi) / 10.VII.34 / H.G.Tao [handwritten] // P. / 455 [typewritten] // type [handwritten] // Museum Paris / Coll. M. Pic [printed] // TYPE [red label, printed] // impressicollis / nsp [handwritten] // LECTOTYPUS / Eulichas / impressicollis PIC / des. M. Jäch 1993 [red label, handwritten] // Eulichas / funebris WESTW. / det. Jäch 1994 [printed]”.

Additional material studied (only precisely localised material is presented). 79 specimens — CHINA: 8ɗɗ, Guangxi A.R., Nanning [ca. 22°49’N 108°18’E], coll. Le Moult ( ISNB, NHMW); 1ɗ, Guangxi A.R., Jaochan, vii.1928, G. Sin leg. ( ZMHB); 1ɗ, Guangxi A.R., Yaosan, 8.vii. [19]34, H.G. Tao leg. ( MNHN); 3ɗɗ, Guangxi A.R., Dayao Shan [Mts.], Jingxiu, 100 km SE Liuyhou, 23°45’N 109°45’E, 1200 m, iv.2005, team of V. Siniaev leg. ( NMPC); 1ɗ, Guangdong prov., Canton [Guangzhou], v.–vii.1911, S.V. Mell leg. ( ZMHB); 1ɗ, Guangdong prov., Canton [Guangzhou], Su Liu Kum, vii.1911, S.V. Mell leg. ( NMPC); 6ɗɗ 5ΨΨ, Guangdong prov., Tsha-jiu-san, 1400 m; v.–vi.[19]12, S.V. Mell leg. ( NMPC, ZMHB); 3ɗɗ 2ΨΨ, Hong Kong ( MNHN, SMTD, ZMHB); 1ɗ, Hong Kong, 1912, P. Kibler leg. ( SMNS); 2ΨΨ, Hong Kong, vi.1927 ( MNHN); 1ɗ, Hong Kong, Krulun [mt.], 7.v.1903, S.G. Kreyenberg leg. ( ZMHB); 1ɗ, Hong Kong, Lo Fau [most probably = Lau Fau, ca. 22°17’N 113°56’E], vii.1912, S.V. Mell leg. ( ZMHB); 1ɗ, Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau [ca. 22°27’N 114°10’E], Dudgeon leg. ( NHMW); 1ɗ, Hong Kong, New Territories, Lam Tsuen river, 25.vi.1992, M.A. Jäch leg. ( NHMW); 1ɗ 2ΨΨ, Fujian prov. ( MNHN); 1ɗ 2ΨΨ, Fujian prov., Yun-ling-shan, coll. G. Hauser ( NMPC, ZMHB); 1ɗ, Fujian prov., Kienning [Jian’ou, ca. 27°02’N 118°18’E], coll. G. Hauser ( ZMHB); 1ɗ 1Ψ, Fujian prov., Amoy [Xiamen, ca. 24°27’N 118°04’E] ( BMNH); 1ɗ 2ΨΨ, Fujian prov., Foochou [Fuzhou, ca. 26°04’N 119°18’E] ( MNHN); 1Ψ, Fujian prov., Foochow [Fuzhou], San Chiang, 1927, C.H. Pope leg. ( BMNH); 13ɗɗ 6ΨΨ, Fujian prov., Kuatun, iv–vi.1946, Tshung Sen leg. ( NHMW, NMPC, ZMHB); 1Ψ, Fujian prov., Kuatun [ca. 27°40’N 117°40’E], 29.vii. [19]46, Tschung-Sen leg. ( MNHN); 1ɗ, Fujian prov., Kuatun, 15.viii. [19]46, Tschung-Sen leg. ( MNHN); 1ɗ, Fujian prov., Shaowu env. [ca. 27°20’N 117°28’E], 23.–27.vi.1991 ( NHMW); 1ɗ, Fujian prov., Sangang env. [ca. 27°45’N 117°40’E], 3.–5.vii.1991 ( NMPC). 1Ψ, Shanghai prov., Shanghai ( MNHN). The following specimens were identified with doubt: 3ɗɗ 1Ψ, China, Guangxi A.R., Nanning, coll. Le Moult ( ISNB, NHMW).

Description. Habitus elongate, fusiform. Body colouring brown-blackish. Pale part of setation consists of recumbent yellowish setae forming typical ocellations on pronotum, elytra and abdominal ventrites, where setae are darker and sparser (Fig. 51). In some specimens, the pale setae cover uniformly whole dorsal surface (Fig. 52).

Measurements. Males: 20–23 mm; females: 20–28 mm.

Head punctation consists of irregularly distributed large setigerous punctures. Punctures sparse on frons, but become somewhat smaller and densely distributed on vertex. Antenna robust, last antennomere 1.88–2.33 times as long as wide ( Fig. 35 ), its ventral side smooth with numerous small tubercles.

Pronotum transverse, ca. 1.92–2.07 times as wide as long. Sides almost regularly rounded in basal half, and skewed and straight anteriorly ( Fig. 15 ). Dorsal surface convex. Punctation consists of moderately large setigerous punctures on the disc, which become coarser and denser laterally.

Elytra with numerous longitudinal rows of large setigerous punctures, and very fine interstitial punctures.

Ventral part almost uniformly densely punctured with fine punctures. Last abdominal ventrite with indistinct sinuation before apex.

Male. Aedeagus with phallobase longer than parameres. Parameres short, parallel and simple, their subbasal and subapical hook well developed. Median lobe narrow, subparallel ( Fig. 19 ).

Female. Similar to male in habitus, but on average larger. Antenna shorter and more slender.

Remarks. The four specimens from Guangxi (Fig. 53) were listed by Jäch (1995: 370) as “ Eulichas sp. (Guangxi A) cf. funebris et undulata ”. They fit well with the sympatrically occurring typical E. funebris in habitus and body setation, but differ in their body length (males: 25–28 mm; female: 32 mm). Also the proportion of the last antennomere (1.68–1.80) falls behind the lowest extreme in E. funebris . Finally, parameres are comparatively longer than phallobase, thus more closely resembling E. undulata , than E. funebris . However, mainly because only four specimens are known and E. funebris is a very variable species, I have found no strong argument to refer these specimens to a separate taxon, and instead believe, that the characters mentioned may change allometrically with body length.

Collection circumstances. Imagoes collected mostly at light. One specimen from Hong Kong was captured on a tree trunk near the river (M.A. Jäch pers. comm., 2006). The larvae have been collected in a stream with sandy substrate ( Jäch 1995).

Distribution. The species occurs predominately in south-eastern China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Jiangxi, Zhejiang). There are also old records without precise localities from northern and central China.

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 18. Pronotum of Eulichas. 15 – E. funebris; 16 – E. undulata; 17 – E. mediocris; 18 – E. minuta sp. nov. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 19 – 26. Aedeagus of Eulichas in dorsal view. 19 – E. funebris; 20 – E. meghalayensis sp. nov.; 21 – E. tenuicornis; 22 – E. tonkinensis; 23 – E. undulata; 24 – E. haucki sp. nov.; 25 – E. kubani sp. nov.; 26 – E. pacholatkoi. Scale bar 1.5 mm.

FIGURES 35 – 50. Male antennomeres IX – XI of Eulichas. 35 – E. funebris; 36 – E. meghalayensis sp. nov.; 37 – E. tenuicornis; 38 – E. tonkinensis; 39 – E. undulata; 40 – E. haucki sp. nov.; 41 – E. kubani sp. nov.; 42 – E. pacholatkoi; 43 – E. birmanica sp. nov.; 44 – E. jaechi sp. nov.; 45 – E. strbai sp. nov.; 46 – E. tanahrata sp. nov.; 47 – E. janbezdeki sp. nov.; 48 – E. milleri; 49 – E. mediocris; 50 – E. minuta sp. nov. Scale bar 1 mm.