Pediacus leei Marris & Ślipiński, 2014

Marris, John W. M. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2014, A revision of the Pediacus Shuckard 1839 (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) of Asia and Australasia, Zootaxa 3754 (1), pp. 32-58 : 47

Pediacus leei Marris & Ślipiński , sp. nov.

Figs. 7 A–D.

Diagnosis. Recognisable by the combination of the following characters: eyes large, strongly projecting, pronotum with strongly projecting and acute anterior denticle, elytra strongly elongate, male genitalia with large, strongly elongate parameres that are distinctly curved basally.

Description. Body length 3.7 mm (n=1), elongate, 3.05× longer than wide; colour dark red-brown, legs slightly paler, tarsi yellow-brown; pubescence moderately long, pale, appressed and inconspicuous; surface weakly glossy. Head transverse, 1.71× wider than long; puncturation moderately impressed and sparse medially, increasing in size and density laterally with punctures separated by about their diameter; setae moderately long and appressed, conspicuous; microsculpture absent, surface glossy; eyes large, strongly projecting, ocular index 0.72, finely faceted, postocular denticle absent; antennae as in Fig. 7 C, antennomere VII larger than VI and VIII. Pronotum transverse, 1.16× wider than long, widest at about posterior 1/3, sides weakly convergent anteriorly; lateral margins explanate, reflexed, anterior denticle strongly projecting and acute, antero-medial and posteromedial denticles small, broadly obtuse, posterior denticle small and acute; disc moderately impressed; puncturation as for head with a narrow, impunctate median strip; setation as for head; microsculpture finely reticulate. Elytra strongly elongate, 2.10× longer than wide, sides subparallel, epipleura moderately explanate; puncturation moderately dense but weakly impressed basally, becoming more dense and deeply impressed laterally; puncturation faintly impressed on disc; setation short, appressed and moderately conspicuous; microsculpture reticulate-coriaceous. Genitalia for male as in Fig. 7 D, parameres very strongly elongate, inwardly curved basally and rounded apically; internal sac with prominent, slender tooth-like projections basally and larger tooth-like projections apically, lacking sclerotized apical section.

Type material. Holotype (male): “N. Taiwan: I Lan [=Yilan] Co. Ming Chi (№m) 121˚27'35"E/24˚38'43"N alt. ca 1020 m by FIT 3/XII–26/I/2005 collr. C.-L. Li // Chi-Feng Lee // HOLOTYPE Pediacus leei Marris & Ślipiński 2013 ”. Genitalia mounted in Hoyer’s solution on slide. Details on slide: “N. Taiwan: I Lan Co. Ming Chi 2005 C. L. L. Pediacus sp. ♂ 1/08 Hoyer’s // HOLOTYPE Pediacus leei Marris & Ślipiński 2013 ”. Deposited in TARI.

Distribution. Taiwan.

Discussion. The left side of the pronotum in the holotype is malformed and the description is based on the right hand side of the pronotum.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Dr Chi-Feng Lee, Curator of the Insect Collection of the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, Taiwan, in recognition of his contribution towards the knowledge of cucujoid beetles.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Pediacus species: (A – D) P. leei sp. nov.; (E – H) P. montivagus Champion. (A, F) Head and pronotum; (C, E) antenna; (B, H) dorsal habitus; (D, G) aedeagus.