Pengzhongiella daicongchaoi Yin & Li

Yin, Zi-Wei & Li, Li-Zhen, 2013, Pengzhongiella daicongchaoi gen. et sp. n., a remarkable myrmecophile (Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae, Batrisitae) from the Gaoligong Mountains, ZooKeys 326, pp. 17-26 : 21-24

Pengzhongiella daicongchaoi Yin & Li sp. n. Figs 1-3

Type material

(6 ♂♂, 35 ♀♀). Holotype: CHINA: ♂, labeled 'China: W. Yunnan, Baoshan, S. Gaoligong Mt., Baihualing, ca. 42 km NE Tengchong, 25°117'36"N, 98°47'51"E, broad-leaved forest, nest of Odontomachus monticola , 1550-1600 m, 20.iv.2013, Peng & Dai leg. / Holotype [red], Pengzhongiella daicongchaoi sp. n., det. Yin & Li, 2013, SNUC’. Paratypes: CHINA: 5 ♂♂, 35 ♀♀, same label data as holotype, and all bear a paratype label as 'Paratype [yellow], Pengzhongiella daicongchaoi sp. n., det. Yin & Li, 2013, SNUC’.

Description.

Male (Fig. 1A). BL 2.02-2.07 mm. Body reddish brown, maxillary palpi, tibiae, and tarsi lighter in color. Head, pronotum and elytra covered with fine setae. Head (Fig. 2A) as long as wide, HL 0.40-0.42 mm, HW 0.42-0.44 mm; vertex flat, vertexal foveae at level of posterior margins of eyes, connected by weakly indicated U-shaped impression; eyes moderately developed, each composed of about 40 facets; antennae greatly elongate, antennomeres X–XI (Fig. 3A) modified, XI longest, markedly concave basally. Pronotum (Fig. 2C) as long as wide, PL 0.46-0.47 mm, PW 0.47-0.48 mm; shallowly punctate; with rounded lateral margins; narrowed at base. Elytra (Fig. 3C) slightly wider than long, EL 0.66-0.67 mm, EW 0.71-0.72 mm; with rounded lateral margins. Metathoracic wings fully developed. Protibiae thickened (Fig. 1A); mesotibiae (Fig. 3G) bear tiny preapical tubercle; metatrochanters (Fig. 3H) greatly projecting at ventral margins. Abdomen wider than long, AL 0.50-0.51 mm, AW 0.64-0.65 mm, rounded at posterior margin. Aedeagus (Figs 3 K–M) asymmetric, length 0.32 mm; basal bulb with large foramen; median lobe flattened dorso-ventrally; paramere weakly sclerotized.

Female (Fig. 1B). Similar to male in general. Measurements: BL 2.13-2.18 mm, HL 0.43-0.44 mm, PL 0.50-0.51 mm, PW 0.50-0.51 mm, EL 0.69-0.71 mm, EW 0.76-0.79 mm, AL 0.51-0.52 mm, AW 0.69-0.74 mm. Each eye composed of about 32 facets. Antennae simple. Metathoracic wings fully developed. Legs with protibiae narrower than those in male; mesotibiae lacking tubercle; metatrochanters simple. Width of genital complex 0.22 mm, slightly sclerotized, transverse.

Comparative notes.

The characteristic antennae and aedeagus, combined with the generic characters (see 'Comparative notes’ of the genus), provide a quick separation of the new species from all other members of the Batrisini .

Distribution.

Southwest China: Yunnan.

Host ant and biology.

All individuals of Pengzhongiella daicongchaoi were collected from a colony of Odontomachus monticola nested inside a rotten fallen tree, at the side of a road in an evergreen broad-leaved forest (Fig. 4 A–D).It’s worthy of a note that a highly specialized species (lacking vertexal and pronotal median antebasal foveae) of Batraxis Reitter (22 ex.), one species of Batrisoschema Reitter (18 ex.), and one species of Harmophorus Motschulsky (5 ex.) were found in the same nest. Previously, no pselaphine has ever been reported living with members of the ant genus Odontomachus .