Lycocerus sichuanus Y. Yang & X. Yang

Yang, Yuxia, Su, Junyan & Yang, Xingke, 2014, Description of six new species of Lycocerus Gorham (Coleoptera, Cantharidae), with taxonomic note and new distribution data of some other species, ZooKeys 456, pp. 85-107 : 89-91

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Cantharidae

Lycocerus sichuanus Y. Yang & X. Yang sp. n. Figs 3, 9-10, 22-24, 35, 39

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (IZAS): CHINA, Sichuan, Mt. Emei, Xixiangchi, 1800-2000m, 12.VII.1957, leg. Zong-Yuan Wang. Paratypes: CHINA, Sichuan: 1♂ (IZAS): Mt. Emei, Jiulaodong, 1800-1900m, 26.VII.1957, leg. Ke-Ren Huang; 1♀ (IZAS): same locality, 31.VII.1957, leg. You-Cai Yu; 1♀ (IZAS): same locality, 30.VII. 1957, leg. You-Cai Yu; 1♀ (IZAS): same locality, 14.VIII.1957, leg. Zong-Yuan Wang [the above are all transliterated from Chinese labels]; 1♂ (NHMB): "CHINA, Sichuan prov., 70km West Chengdu, Qingcheng Hou Shan mts., 30°44'N, 103°08'E, 1500m, 8.-14.VI.2005, leg. S. Murzin".

Distribution.

China (Sichuan).

Description.

Male (Fig. 3). Body black, mandibles dark brown, pronotum red, with a large dark brown marking, which almost extending to all margins of disc, elytra red, nearly black at the whole length of the first and second elytral interstices, more or less darkened at the third and fourth elytral interstices.

Head evenly narrowed behind eyes, surface densely and finely punctate, semilustrous, covered with dense, fine, yellowish brown decumbent pubescence; eyes strongly protruding, head width across eyes distinctly wider than anterior margin of pronotum; terminal maxillary palpomere long-triangular, nearly truncate and sharp at apical one-third length of inner margin; antennae (Fig. 10) extending to apical one-third length of elytra, antennomeres II nearly as long as wide at apices, III–XI flattened, III–VIII obliquely widened apically, nearly long-triangular, III about twice as long as wide at apices, IV slightly longer than III, IX–XI nearly parallel-sided, XI slightly longer than X and pointed at apices, IV–XI each with an oval to round smooth impression at apical part of outer margin.

Pronotum distinctly longer than wide, widest near posterior margin, anterior margin rounded, anterior angles rounded, lateral margins moderately diverging posteriorly, slightly sinuate at anterior portion, posterior angles rectangular, posterior margin slightly arcuate and narrowly bordered, disc moderately convex at posterolateral parts, surface punctate and pubescent like that of head, semilustrous.

Elytra about 4.7 times longer than pronotum, 3.7 times longer than humeral width, which about one-third wider than posterior margin of pronotum, lateral margins nearly parallel, elytral venations moderately developed, slightly costate.

Pro- and meso-outer tarsal claws each with a basal projection.

Abdominal sternite IX long-triangular. Aedeagus (Figs 22-24): ventral process of each paramere normal and rounded at apex, even and nearly straight in lateral view; dorsal fig slightly shorter than ventral process, evenly narrowed at inner apical portion and slightly widened at inner angle, with inner angle acute-angled, outer angle obtuse-angled, inner margin bisinuate, apical margin rounded; laterophyse with apex pointed laterodorsally to outer angle of dorsal fig.

Female. Similar to the male, but eyes less protruding; antennae (Fig. 9) shorter, extending to basal one-third length of elytra, antennomeres III about twice as long as wide at apices, IV–XI without impressions; pronotum nearly as long as wide, disc slightly convex on posterolateral parts; elytra with lateral margins slightly diverging posteriorly; abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 35) roundly emarginated in middle and triangularly emarginated on both sides of posterior margin, the portion between middle and lateral emarginations obtuse-angled at apex; internal reproductive organ of genitalia see Fig. 39.

Body length (both sexes): 8.0-10.0 mm; width: 1.8-2.0 mm.

Etymology.

This specific name is derived from its locality, Sichuan Province, China.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Lycocerus hubeiensis sp. n., but differs from the latter by the antennae of female much narrower, antennomeres III about twice as long as wide at apices; aedeagus: ventral process of each paramere even and nearly straight in lateral view; abdominal sternite VIII of female with the portion between middle and lateral emarginations of posterior margin obtuse-angled at apex.