Ametor xizangensis, Jia & Zhao, 2013

Jia, Fenglong & Zhao, Shuang, 2013, Descriptions of eleven Opatrini pupae (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) from China, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 53 (1), pp. 127-139 : 128-131

Ametor xizangensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 7 , 11 )

Type locality. China, Xizang autonomous region, Nyelam, 2400-3400 m a.s.l., 27˚57′N 86˚19′E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( IZCAS: IOZ (E.) 1359174): Xizang, Nyelam, Zhangmu , 2400-3400m, 4.v.1966, Shuyong Wang lgt. [transcribed from Chinese] . PARATYPES: 1 J ( IZCAS: IOZ (E.) 1359171, aedeagus lost), same data as holotype, with a label ‘aedeagus has been dissected, Pu, 1972.x.1 ’ [transcribed from Chinese] ; 1 ♀ ( IZCAS: IOZ (E.) 1359175): same data as holotype.All specimens bear a label ‘Helochares sp. n. 1972, IX’ .

Diagnosis. Dorsal coloration black, without metallic sheen. Body slightly convex, distinctly interrupted between pronotum and elytra. Head and pronotum rugose, with dense coarse punctures, fine punctures undetectable except on extreme anteromedial portion of frons and clypeus. Pronotum with irregular coarse punctures, without the fine ground punctures. Elytra with sharp lateral denticles basally, surface coarsely sculptured between punctures; alternate intervals distinctly elevated apically. Aedeagus with median lobe gradually narrowed apicad, rounded apically ( Fig. 11 ). Parameres slightly curved distally, evenly narrowed apically, conspicuously surpassing median lobe.

Description. Form and color. Body elongately oval, depressed in lateral view, distinctly interrupted between pronotum and elytra; coloration black. Length 8.1–8.3 mm, width 4.3–4.4 mm. Eyes, maxillary and labial palpomeres, glabrous portion of antennae, glabrous portion of femora, tibiae and tarsi reddish brown; antennal club black. Ventral surface black.

Head. Clypeus with dense, fine punctures medially and anterolaterally, with a few coarse punctures posterolaterally, interstices without microsculpture; anterior clypeal margin strongly and broadly concave. Frontoclypeal suture undetectable. Frons rather rugose, bearing densely arranged coarse punctures, fine punctures only present on a small anteromedian portion; microsculpture on interstices absent, with a ridge near inner edge of eye. Eyes small, slightly protruding, interocular distance ca. 6.5× as wide as one eye in dorsal view. Mentum ca. 1.5× as wide as long, densely and coarsely punctate, not depressed anteromedially. Maxillary palpomere 2 ca. 1.4× as long as palpomere 4, last palpomere asymmetrical, equal to palpomere 3 in length.

Thorax. Pronotum ca. 2.0–2.1× as wide as long, evenly arched, widest in the middle of the lateral margin, bearing only densely arranged coarse punctures, some punctures fused and forming irregular large pits laterally. Pronotal disc with a characteristic pattern of impressions, consisting of a transverse row of 3 impressions posteriorly (median impression small) and a transverse row of 4 impressions in front of these. Posterior margin clearly bisinuate, lateral bead narrow, sharply dented anteriorly but somewhat bluntly dented posteriorly. Prosternum with a transverse groove, not carinate before groove, slightly carinate behind groove; anterior margin protruding anteriorly but forming a tooth. Mesoventrite with mesal protuberance with angulate transverse anterior portion and longitudinal keel posteriorly. Metaventrite protruding between mesocoxae and contacted with mesoventral keel, not concave. Elytra with 10 punctate striae and short scutellary stria between first and second striae; systematic punctures present on alternate intervals, clearly coarser than punctures of striae. Intervals rugosely punctate, coarsely sculptured between punctures; alternate intervals elevated apically; epipleura almost horizontal; lateral margins with blunt dents. All coxae with stout, golden setae. Basal half of anterior and posterior femora with dense golden pubescence; basal two-thirds of mesofemora densely pubescent.All femora with distinct tibial grooves. Tarsi with densely arranged whitish setae ventrally, metatarsomere 5 a little longer than metatarsomeres 3–4 combined.

Abdomen. First abdominal ventrite not carinate medially, fifth ventrite clearly emarginate apically.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus with median lobe gradually narrowed apicad, rounded apically ( Fig. 11 ). Parameres slightly curved distally, evenly narrowed apically, their apex rounded, conspicuously surpassing median lobe.

Differential diagnosis. This species belongs to the Ametor rudesculptus group as defined by SCHÖDL & JI (1995), based on the following characters: body elongate, slightly convex, markedly interrupted between pronotum and elytra; dorsal surface rugosely punctuate, coarsely sculptured between punctures; epipleura almost horizontal.

The new species is very similar to A. rudesculptus Semenov, 1900 by elytra without a ridge on eleventh interval and last visible abdominal sternite with distinct emargination fringed by stiff setae, but it can be easily separated from A. rudesculptus by much coarser punctures on the head, pronotum and elytra (compare Figs. 7 and 8 , both are in the same magnification). The following additional characters can be used to distinguish both species: head without fine punctures except on extreme anteromedial portion of frons; pronotum and elytra without fine punctures intermixed with the large ones; elytra with alternate intervals elevated apically; aedeagus with median lobe gradually narrowed apicad, rounded apically (median lobe subparallel subapically in A. rudescruptus , Fig. 12 ); pronotum with 5 deeper impressions on disc and much coarser punctures.

Etymology. This new species is named according to the type locality, Xizang Autonomous Region in West China.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Figures

Figs 1–6. Habitus of selected Chinese Ametor and Hydrocassis. 1 – A. xizangensis sp. nov. (holotype, dorsal view); 2 – A.elongatus Ji & Schödl,1998 (holotype, dorsal view); 3 – H.gansu sp.nov.(holotype, dorsal view); 4 – H. hebaueri Schödl, 2000; 5 – H. scapulata Fairmaire, 1878; 6 – H. imperialis (Knisch, 1921).

Figs 7-10. Pronotum of selected species of Ametor and Hydrocassis (a – pronotum at 30×, magnification; b – part of pronotal disc at 60× magnification). 7 – A. xizangensis sp. nov.(holotype, dorsal view); 8 – A.rudesculptus Semenov, 1900; 9 – Hydrocassis hebaueri Schödl, 2000; 10 – Hydrocassis gansu sp. nov. (holotype, dorsal view).

Figs 11–19. Aedeagus of selected species of Ametor and Hydrocassis (dorsal view). 11 – A. xizangensis sp. nov. (holotype); 12 – A. rudesculptus Semenov, 1900; 13 – H. gansu sp. nov. (holotype); 14 – H. hebaueri Schödl, 2000; 15 – H. metasternalis Schödl & Ji, 1995; 16 – H. anhuiensis Ji & Schödl, 1998; 17 – H. scapulata Fairmaire, 1878; 18 – H. imperialis (Knisch, 1921); 19 – H. scapha Orchymont, 1942.