Plamius laoshei Ando & Yuan, 2021

Ando, Kiyoshi & Yuan, Cai-Xia, 2021, Nine new species of Cnodalonini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Hainan Island with additional records of other Tenebrionidae, Zootaxa 4965 (2), pp. 321-338 : 334-335

Plamius laoshei Ando & Yuan , sp. n.

( Figs. 24–25 , 30 )

Type materials. Holotype: ♀, China, Hainan Is.: Mingfeng Valley, Mt. Jianfengling , Jianfeng Township , Ledong County, 18˚44′N/108˚50′E, Alt. ca. 1,000 m, Ɨ南省乐东s尖峰•尖峰岭ṅNjẅ, 19–20.VII.2017, Local col- lector leg. ( HBUM) . Paratype: 1 ♀, China, Hainan Is.: Mail peak, Mt. Jianfengling , Jianfeng Township , Ledong County, 18˚42′N/108˚52′E, Alt. 1,000–1,300 m, Ɨ南省乐东s尖峰•尖峰岭主峰, 21.VII.2017, Local collector leg. ( EUMJ) .

Description. Body length: 5.1–6.0 mm in ♀ (n = 2; HT: 6.0 mm). Proportions ♀ (n = 2): IE/TD 3.77–4.12 (HT: 3.77); PW/PL 1.54–1.63 (HT: 1.63); EL/EW 1.55–1.58 (HT: 1.58).

Female. Oblong-oval, distinctly convex, submatt, weakly lustrous on elytra. Colour dark reddish brown; dorsal surface brassy-coppery, submatt owing to coriaceous microsculpture, and elytra with more or less greenish silky sheen; mouthparts and basal six antennomeres reddish brown; distal five antennomeres subopaque.

Head transverse, weakly convex posteriorly; punctures dense and close, rather fine on clypeus and genae, becoming larger on frons and vertex; space between the punctures constantly elevated and forming network meshes; mCG distinctly notched; clypeus almost flat, weakly rounded at apex; frontoclypeal suture obscure, rounded at posterior corners; genae widened, 1.20 times as wide as long, subparallel-sided in basal half and roundly convergent in apical half; frons very broadened, distinctly sloping forwards; eyes convex, produced laterad, with inner ocular sulci rather broad and moderate in depth; tempora short, unevenly convex. Antennae slender, surpassing base of pronotum; distal five antennomeres distinctly dilated and forming club; 7th and 8th triangular, and 11th oval. Ultimate maxillary palpomere thick, cupuliform, with both apical corners acute. Mentum elongated triangular ( Fig. 24 ), unevenly depressed, with fine pubescence. Submentum small, obtriangular, weakly convex.

Pronotum transversely quadrate, widest at middle or apical third, densely and compactly covered with coriaceous microsculpture; disc weakly convex in middle, gently sloping laterally, nearly flat before posterior corners, with punctures large and moderately dense, slightly smaller than those on frons and becoming sparser laterally and posteriorly; anterior margin moderately emarginate, finely beaded laterally; anterior corners obtusely rounded, slightly produced; lateral margins gently rounded in apical two-thirds and sinuously convergent in basal third, very finely beaded; posterior corners acute, slightly pointed; basal margin weakly bisinuate, not beaded. Scutellum small and flat, with microscopic punctures.

Elytra oblong, strongly convex, gently dilated posteriorly, widest behind middle, with dense and compact coriaceous microsculpture; striae fine and distinct throughout; strial punctures sparse and very fine, regularly arranged, slightly wider than corresponding striae; intervals slightly convex, weakly so on 8th and 9th ones, densely microsculptured and impunctate; humeral calli weakly humped; epipleura flat and not oblique, finely microsculptured and rugulose, reaching beyond base of 5th abdominal ventrite.

Prothoracic hypomera weakly depressed, asperate, without distinct punctation. Prosternum short in front of coxae, cribrous, not beaded at apex; prosternal process broad linguiform ( Fig. 25 ), cribrous and coarsely punctate, distinctly adunc behind coxae and rounded at apex. Mesoventral ridge weakly V-shaped, short and entirely oblique anteriorly, without distinct anterior angles. Metaventrite rather short, weakly convex, asperate, coarsely and densely punctate. Abdomen broadened, moderately convex, with fine and dense piligerous punctures.

Legs moderate in length; trochanters small. Femora with very coarse and dense large punctures. Tibiae short and robust, scarcely incurved, weakly or moderately produced at each interio-apical corner, with inner margins sparsely pubescent in apical half. Tarsi slender and simple.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Hainan Is.).

Etymology. The specific epithet is cordially dedicated to Mr. Lao She (1899–1966), who was one of the prominent Chinese novelists.

Differential diagnosis. The new species is very similar to Plamius yaeyamensis Nakane, 1968a from Ryukyus, but is different from the latter in having different body colour; larger punctures on frons; convex tempora; more transverse pronotum, and more deeply emarginate anterior margin of pronotum; smaller and sparser strial punctures of elytra; and more coarsely punctate femora and elytral greenish silky sheen.

Figures

FIGURES 22–28. Tenebrionidae spp. 22–23. Hemicera (Hemicera) viridula sp. n.; 24–25. Plamius laoshei sp. n.; 26–28. Euhemicera hirtipes sp. n.—22, 24 & 26. mentum; 23, 25 & 27. prosternal process; 28. aedeagus (right: in lateral view; left: in dorsal view). Scale bars. 0.2 mm for figs. 22–26, 0.5 mm for figs. 27–28.

FIGURES 29–31. Tenebrionidae spp. 29. Gnesis amabilis sp. n., holotype; 30. Plamius laoshei sp. n., holotype; 31. Pseudonautes fulgidicollis sp. n., holotype.