Fissocantharis latipalpa Y. Yang & X. Yang

Yang, Yuxia, Li, Limei, Guan, Kaile & Yang, Xingke, 2015, Taxonomy of Fissocantharis Pic (Coleoptera, Cantharidae) from Guangxi, China, with descriptions of six new species, ZooKeys 489, pp. 95-123 : 106-108

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Cantharidae

Fissocantharis latipalpa Y. Yang & X. Yang sp. n. Figs 2C, 6A‒C, 8F, 10C

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (MHBU): CHINA: Guangxi, Mao’ershan, 1235m, 2.VI.2011, leg. H.Y. Liu. Paratypes: CHINA: Guangxi: 3♀♀ (MHBU): same data as the holotype.

Description.

Male (Fig. 2C). Head yellow, mouthparts yellow, dark brown at apices of mandibles, antennae yellow, slightly darkened at antennomeres XI, pronotum, scultellum and elytra black, legs yellow, slightly darkened at tarsomeres IV‒V, presternum yellow, meso- and metasterna black, abdomen black, light yellow at posterior margins of all visible abdominal sternites and apical half of IX. Body densely covered with short decumbent light yellow pubescence, also mixed with slightly long semierect pubescence along anterior margin of labrum and on disc of elytra.

Head subquadrate, temples evenly narrowed posteriad, surface semilustrous, finely and sparsely punctate; eyes slightly protruding, head breadth across eyes distinctly wider than anterior margin of pronotum; maxillary palpomeres II‒IV distinctly flattened and widened, II mountain-shapely convex at outer parts of dorsal sides, III wider than long, slightly widened apically, IV longer than wide, distinctly narrowed apically, with outer margin arcuate and sharp at apical part; antennae extending to elytral mid-length, antennomeres II nearly as long as wide at apices, III‒X slightly widened apically, III about 1.5 times as long as wide, IV about one-third longer than III, VI longest, XI slightly longer than X, nearly parallel-sided and pointed at apex.

Pronotum about 1.13 times longer than wide, anterior margin rounded, anterior angle rounded, lateral margins slightly diverging posteriorly, posteriad angle nearly rectangular, posterior margin arcuate and slightly bordered, disc moderately convex on postero-lateral parts, surface semilustrous, sparsely and finely punctate.

Elytra about 4.3 times longer than pronotum, 3.0 times longer than humeral width, lateral margins nearly parallel, disc surface semilustrous, rugulose-lacunose and finely punctate.

All tarsal claws bifid, upper claws nearly as long as lower claws.

Aedeagus (Fig. 6A‒C): conjoint dorsal plate of parameres greatly reduced, slightly roundly emarginated in middle of apical margin; ventral process of each paramere evenly narrowed apically, largely hooked at apex.

Female. Similar to male, but maxillary palpi normal; antennae shorter, extending to basal one-third length of elytra, antennomeres II about 1.5 times as long as wide at apices, III‒X parallel-sided; pronotum slightly wider, nearly as long as wide, slightly convex at postero-lateral parts of disc; elytra with lateral margins slightly diverging posteriad. Abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 8F) slightly emarginated on both sides of posterior margin, middle part between lateral emarginations subtruncated, latero-apical angles widely rounded. Internal organ of reproductive system (Fig. 10C): vagina stout and abruptly narrowed and extended into a long duct above median oviduct; diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising from the end of the long duct of vagina; diverticulum moderately long, thin and spiral; spermathecal duct distinctly thicker and shorter than diverticulum; spermatheca composed of a spiral tube which is nearly as long as diverticulum, provided with a moderately long and thin accessory gland, which is nearly as long as the spiral tube of spermatheca; median oviduct situated in middle of vagina.

Body length: 6.5‒7.5 mm; width: 1.3‒1.5 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Fissocantharis pallidiceps (Pic, 1911), but can be easily distinguished from the latter by the characteristic maxillary palpi in the male, of which palpomeres II‒IV are flattened and widened; aedeagus: conjoint dorsal plate of parameres greatly reduced, slightly emarginated in middle of apical margin.

Distribution.

China (Guangxi).

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from Latin latus (wide) and palpus (palp), referring to its maxillary palpomeres II‒IV flattened and widened in male.