Merarius davidis Fairmaire, 1889

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 : 375-378

Merarius davidis Fairmaire, 1889

( Figs 21–29 )

Merarius davidis Fairmaire, 1889: 56

Type locality: ‘ Moupin’ [= Baoxing, Sichuan province, China, GPS coordinates N 30°22´58.8´´; E 102°49´58.8´´, according to https://science.mnhn.fr]

Studied material. Type material. Syntype (male). CHINA: ‘MUS. HIST. NAT. / A. DAVID / Moupin (Thibet) [p, old yellowish label] // Merarius / Davidis / Fairmaire [h, old yellowish label] // 6RS [h, old yellowish label] // SYNTYPE / Merarius / davidis / Fairmaire, 1889 [p, white label] // SYNTYPE [p, red label] // MNHN / EC10108 [p, white label]’ ( Figs 21–24 ) ( MNHN).

Note. A. David [collector] [= Father Jean-Pierre-Armand David or Père David], was a Lazarist missionary Catholic priest as well as a zoologist and botanist (1826–1900)].

Other material. 2 females: W CHINA - E Tibet, Tomi ( Tangmai ), 30 km W of Donjung, 2075 m [ca. N 30°06´, E 95°04´], 11.vi.2005, A. Wrzecionko leg. ( Figs 25–29 ) ; 1 male: S CHINA, Yunnan prov., Gaoligong Shan, pass SW from Baoshan [ca. N 25°08´, E 98°43´], 4.–8.vi.2005, Ivo Jeniš leg. ; 1 male: NE LAOS, Hua Phan prov., Ban Saluei, Phu Phan Mt. , N 20°15´, E 104°02´, 1500–2000 m, 26.iv.–11.v.2001, D. Hauck leg. ; 1 female: LAOS, Phongsaly prov., Phongsaly env., 21°41–2´N, 102°6–8´E, 28.v.–20.vi.2003, P. Pacholátko leg. ; 1 female: N VIETNAM, Cao Bang Prov., vic. Vin Den, Nui Pia Oac Nat. Res. , 22°33´53´´N, 105°52´53´´E, 900–1300 m, 6.–10.v.2013, A. Skale leg. (all MTDC).

Identification. Species with two pairs of tubercles in preapical part of elytra; outer pair of tubercles noticeably longer than inner pair, all tubercles sharply pointed and oriented backwards ( Figs 25, 29 ). One pair of tubercles in sub-basal part beak like, tips short, spiky and oriented backwards. Disc of pronotum with distinct deeper transverse groove ( Fig. 26 ). Similar to Merarius alexandrae , but dorsal transverse carina of pronotum bisinuate, in middle distinctly emarginate posteriad ( Fig. 26 ). Longitudinal carina in middle part of rostrum reaching only to anterior margins of eyes, terminated here by weak indistinct transverse imprint, interocular area grooved ( Fig. 27 ). Elytra and pronotum with predominantly pale yellow colour, mixed with dark brown and black. Body size 6.50–9.00 mm. Unique colour pattern as in Figs 21, 24–26, 29 .

Distribution. Myanmar, Laos (new country record), Vietnam: Tonkin, China: Xizang (Tibet), Yunnan, Sichuan ( Wolfrum 1929, Rheinheimer 2004, Trýzna & Valentine 2011, Trýzna 2017).

Figures

FIGURES 21–24. Merarius davidis Fairmaire, syntype male, Tibet, Moupin [= Baoxing, Sichuan province, China]; 21, dorsal habitus; 22, all labels from the pin of photographed specimen; 23, head and antennae in dorsal view; 24, lateral habitus. Measurements not available.

FIGURES 25–29. Merarius davidis Fairmaire, female, E Tibet, Tomi (Tangmai); 25, dorsal habitus; 26, pronotum in dorsal view; 27, head in dorsal view; 28, right antenna, dorsal view; 29, lateral habitus [apex of left hindtibia and hindtarsus omitted from the picture]. Scale bars in mm.