Merarius korinae Trýzna & Baňař, 2021

Trýzna, Miloš & Baňař, Petr, 2021, Review of the genus Merarius Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Anthribidae), with description of two new species from China, Zootaxa 5020 (2), pp. 367-383 : 371-374

Merarius korinae Trýzna & Baňař sp. nov.

( Figs 6–20 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:992277DB-826F-4248-949A-A60E36907C52

Type locality. China, Shaanxi prov., Quinling Shan mts. , 6 km E of Xunyangba, 1000–1300 m [ca. N 33°33´, E 108°33´]

Type material. Holotype (male). CHINA: ‘ China, 1000–1300 m / Shaanxi [prov.], Quinling Shan mts. , / 6 km E of Xunyangba, / 23.v.–13.vi.2001, C. Holzschuh leg. [p]’ ( MMBC) . Allotype (female): the same data as holotype ( MTDC) . Paratypes (4 males, 7 females): 4 males, 5 females: the same data as holotype ( MTDC, 1 female each in BMNH, CMNC, MMÚL, ZSMC) ; 2 females: ‘China, central Hubei / Dahong Shan, 29.–30.iv. / 31.5N, 113.0E, road/forest / V. Ryjáček leg., 2005 [p]’ ( MTDC) .

Red label [p] ‘ HOLOTYPE / ALLOTYPE / PARATYPE / Merarius / korinae sp. nov. / M. Trýzna & P. Baňař det., 2021 ’.

Identification. Species with two pairs of tubercles in preapical part of elytra, each tubercle here of same size and shape, tops with blunt points oriented backwards. One pair of tubercles in sub-basal part also with blunt tops. Disc of pronotum with distinct deeper transverse groove, dorsal transverse carina of pronotum bisinuate, slightly emarginate in middle. Elytra and pronotum with predominance of light brown, brown to rusty coloured scales, mixed with deep black. Body size 7.40–7.60 mm. Unique colour pattern as in Figs 6–7, 10 .

Description. Male holotype (female allotype). Measurements (in mm): Total body length—7.60 (7.40). Head: total length—2.07 (2.04), length of rostrum—1.41 (1.34), maximum width of rostrum—1.29 (1.14), length of eye—0.74 (0.71), maximum width across eyes—1.43 (1.29), minimum distance between eyes—0.29 (0.26). Antenna: length of segments: II—0.20 (0.20), III—0.23 (0.23), IV—0.24 (0.19), V—0.21 (0.16), VI—0.16 (0.13), VII—0.16 (0.11), VIII—0.14 (0.10), IX—0.31 (0.27), X—0.14 (0.14), XI—0.29 (0.26), width of segment IX—0.21 (0.13). Pronotum: maximum length—1.63 (1.55), maximum width—3.05 (2.85), minimum width—1.60 (1.55). Elytra: maximum length—4.25 (4.13), maximum width—3.63 (3.35). Pygidium: maximum length—0.93 (0.75), maximum width—0.93 (0.90).

Coloration of the cuticle of entire body generally black. All legs and antennae brown, club darker than funicle.

Vestiture ( Figs 6–7, 10 ). Head almost bare, inner margin of eyes with narrow stripes of bright white setae extending from posterior edge of eyes to basal third of rostrum, here slightly diverging (abraded in some specimens).

Genae with stripe of buff spots with narrow white stripe on lower side. Pronotum with one large triangular buff spot covering entire space of disc, inside this spot two black triangular spots in lateral parts. Disc with distinct longitudinal stripe with bright white appressed setae. Pronotal declivity with wide buff band in median part with small black spots along margins. Prosternum covered with buff and yellow setae, in lateral parts one triangular black spot similar in shape and size as that on disc of pronotum. Elytra covered with fine dense appressed setae. Humeri and sub-basal part of elytra predominantly light buff, tubercles in this area dark brown with black narrow tortuous stripes on their anterior part. Lateral parts of elytra with large, more or less triangular area with blurred margins, postmedian and preapical part of elytra with tortuous transverse stripes of black, buff and yellowish colour. Tops of all tubercles in preapical part with white setae. Elytral declivity predominantly light buff with two pairs of black spots and one pair of oblique white stripes converging posteriad. Meso-, metasternum and all abdominal ventrites covered with longer dense appressed to decumbent buff, white and black setae. Antennae with very fine and delicate light-coloured appressed setae. All femora with sparse appressed light-coloured setae, tibiae with coarse subdecumbent whitish to brown setae, only distal part of metatibia covered with deep black setae. All tarsomeres with coarse appressed lightcoloured setae. Pygidium covered with longer dense buff setae, lateral margins with whitish setae.

Structure. Head relatively long, rostrum ( Fig. 8 ) with distinct but narrow longitudinal carina reaching continuously from space between antennal scrobes to posterior margins of eyes, in central part roof-like, carina here well elevated, lateral parts of rostrum descendent, part between antennal scrobes flat. Rostrum narrowest in half the length of rostrum between anterior margins of eyes and scrobes in both sexes. Dorsal and lateral part of rostrum and frons sculptured, sculpture coarser on distal dorsal part of rostrum. Area between eyes without groove, only indistinctly depressed in both sexes. Ratio of rostrum length to maximum width 1.09 in male, 1.18 in female. Dorsal ocular index 0.51 in male, 0.50 in female. Ratio of maximum width across eyes to maximum width of rostrum 1.11 in male, 1.13 in female. Antennae ( Fig. 9 ) reaching almost to dorsal transverse carina of pronotum in male, and to half of length of pronotum in female. Scape and pedicel distinct, ca. 2x as wide as antennomeres III, IX–XI forming compact club, this ca. 1.5x wide as width of pedicel in both sexes. Antennomere IX longer than wider, X slightly transverse, XI longer than wider. Pronotum distinctly transverse, ratio of its length to maximum width 0.53 in male, 0.54 in female, widest at distinct dorsal transverse carina, from which strongly narrowed anteriad and posteriad ( Fig. 7 ). Dorsal sub-basal transverse carina bisinuate, slightly emarginate in middle posteriad, continuously-undulate to sides and forming protruding lateral lobes ( Fig. 7 ). Lateral carina of pronotum very short, only slightly exceeding basal third of length of pronotum. Basal longitudinal carinulae of pronotum absent. Disc of pronotum with distinct deep transverse groove. Elytra broadly rectangular, sides almost parallel, narrowed suddenly in preapical part at point where tubercles are located, ratio of the maximum length to maximum width of elytra 1.17 in male, 1.23 in female. Elytra with one pair of prominent tubercles in sub-basal part, shape of tubercles conical, with top on elytral interval II, tops blunt and rounded. Preapical part of elytra with two pairs of tubercles on elytral interval II and VI, all tubercles oriented backwards, of the same size and shape. Abdomen shorter than broad. Male pygidium more convergent apically, female rather trapezoidal, ratio of the maximum length to maximum width 1.00 in male, 0.83 in female.

Male genitalia and associated structures. Segment VIII ( Fig. 13 ) longer than wide, subrectangular, anterior margin of tergite VIII shallowly sinusoidal, its lateral sides undulate, widest in the two fifths of its length, strongly sclerotized. Sternite VIII composed of two triangular lobes (joined basally?), approximately twice longer than wide, apodeme of sternite VIII invisible. Sternite IX ( Fig. 14 ) with short, slightly asymmetrical arms and robust curved apodeme. Tegmen ( Fig. 11 ) robust, wide, with strongly sclerotized basal piece, apodeme wide, straight, the same length than body of tegmen.Apex of tegmen ( Fig. 12 ) uniquely developed, very broad, foliaceous, extremely weakly sclerotized.

Aedeagus ( Figs 16–20 ) long, narrow. Tectum thin ( Figs 16–19 ), strongly sclerotized, conspicuously narrowing apically, overlapping pedon. Pedon weakly sclerotized. Apodemes of aedeagus long, converging posteriorly. Bridge of aedeagus inconspicuously developed, unusually weakly sclerotized. Proximal two thirds of internal sac with regularly distributed fine serration ( Fig. 20 ), distal third bare, with contrastingly sclerotized broadly H-shaped structure.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor ( Fig. 15 ) robust, median rod strongly sclerotized, its halves markedly diverging distally. Lateral rod wide, robust. Body of ovipositor wide, hemisternites robust, stylus well developed, cylindrical, with tuft of setae apically. Bursa copulatrix and spermatheca damaged, not studied in detail.

Etymology. Matronym, dedicated to the wife of the first author, Korina Kudrnová (Děčín, Czech Republic), a participant on some entomological expeditions, and for her unlimited support of our entomological work.

Collecting circumstances. Unknown.

Distribution. Central China: Shaanxi and Hubei provinces.

Differential diagnosis. See key below.

Figures

FIGURES 6–10. Merarius korinae Trýzna & Baňař sp. nov., holotype male; 6, dorsal habitus [right legs mostly omitted from the picture]; 7, pronotum in dorsal view; 8, head in dorsal view; 9, right antenna, dorsal view; 10, lateral habitus [apex of left hindtibia and hindtarsus omitted from the picture]. Scale bars in mm.

FIGURES 11–15. Merarius korinae Trýzna & Baňař sp. nov., terminalia. 11–14, male paratype; 15, female allotype. 11, tegmen, dorsal view; 12, apex of tegmen; 13, segment VIII, ventral view; 14, sternite IX = spiculum gastrale, ventral view; 15, ovipositor, dorsal view. Scale bars in mm.

FIGURES 16–20. Merarius korinae Trýzna & Baňař sp. nov., male, aedeagus photographed by different cameras: Figs 16, 18 by Canon EOS 6D; Figs 17, 19–20 by Canon 1200D. 16–17, holotype, total dorsal view; 18–19, paratype, total ventral view; 20, paratype, detail of internal sac, ventral view. Scale bars in mm.