Hexarhopalus (Hexarhopalus) ferreri, Jiang & Zhou & Liu & Huang & Chen, 2022

Jiang, Ri-Xin, Zhou, Qing-Hua, Liu, Yi-Feng, Huang, Yu-Zhou & Chen, Xiang-Sheng, 2022, Additional new species of the genus Hexarhopalus Fairmaire, 1891 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Cnodalonini) from China, Zootaxa 5141 (6), pp. 592-600 : 593-595

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5141.6.5
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D85322EE-6469-4680-8F04-9AA46567E1A8
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6599737
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1C7D493D-FFFF-1605-14C7-FD25FC27FEEA
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Hexarhopalus (Hexarhopalus) ferreri
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Hexarhopalus (Hexarhopalus) ferreri sp. nov.

( Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 )

Type material. Holotype: CHINA: ♀, labeled ‘ China: Yunnan, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture ( Ṙ 山åůṻůh治州), Wenshan City ( Ṙ 山市), 02.V.2020, Zhou Qing-Hua leg.’ ( MHBU).

Description. Female ( Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 ): Body oval, strongly convex, black and dull.

Head ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ) transverse, widest across compound eyes. Vertex covered with large punctures and each puncture bearing a short, thin seta. Genae and epistoma covered with denser and smaller punctures and setae relative to punctures and setae on vertex. Labrum black, narrower than epistoma, covered in apical portion with sparse bristles of medium length. Antennal tubercles weakly prominent, antenna ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ) longer than pronotum, club composed of four apical antennomeres. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 0.37: 0.22: 0.67: 0.63: 0.51: 0.50: 0.50: 0.48: 0.46: 0.43: 0.66; relative widths of antennomeres: 0.34: 0.28: 0.31: 0.31: 0.32: 0.32: 0.44: 0.51: 0.48: 0.51: 0.53. Antennomere I slightly expanded; antennomere II shortest, wider than long; antennomere III about as long as antennomere XI, more than 2.5× as long as antennomere II, antennomeres IV–VI similar, shorter than antennomere III, antennomere VII expanded near apex and nearly trapezoidal, antennomere VIII about as long as wide, antennomeres IX–X wider than long, antennomere XI with apex rounded, antennomeres VIII–XI distinctly expanded.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ) slightly longer than wide, widest at middle; dorsal surface covered with dense small punctures and short setae; disc with distinct irregular rugosity; mediolongitudinal sulcus shallow but visible, almost as long as length of pronotum, and without irregular rugosity; pronotal groove thin and not obvious basally, absent in anterior part, and wide and shallow at lateral margin ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Prosternum distinctly raised before procoxae, surface wrinkled with sparse short setae; apex of prosternal process rounded.

Elytra ovoid, about 1.3× longer than wide in dorsal view, humerus strongly narrowed, widest at apical 1/3, disc with regular rows of strong foveolate punctures and strong irregular rugosity; scutellum transverse, nearly triangular; wings completely reduced.

Metaventrite and abdomen finely covered with short thin setae and dense small punctures; median sulcus distinct, extending from anterior margin to ca. 2/3 of metaventrite length.Abdominal ventrite I longest, about as long as combined lengths of ventrites III and IV; ventrite II longer than metaventrite III; metaventrites III and IV distinctly concave; ventrite V about as long as combined lengths of ventrites III and IV, apex rounded.

Femora claviform medially, strongly expanded in distal halves; all tibiae covered with brown setae apically; pro- and mesotibiae slightly curved, metatibia straight; tarsomeres simple, apical pro- and mesotarsomeres about as long as combined lengths of proximal four tarsomeres, apical metatarsomere slightly shorter than combined lengths of proximal three metatarsomeres.

Posterior margin of ventrite VIII ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ) rounded and covered with sparse long setae. Spiculum ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ) nearly stright, apex rounded and slightly dilated. Apex of ovipositor ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ) with two long and two short setae.

Measurements: BL 18.9 mm, HL 2.5 mm, HW 3.7 mm, PL 6.0 mm, PW 5.6 mm, EL 10.4 mm, EW 8.0 mm.

Male. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. The new species differs from all other species of Hexarhopalus owing to the strong irregular rugosity of the elytra. However, H. (H.) ferreri sp. nov. is more or less similar to H. (H.) yunnanensis Jiang, Li, Ji, Engel, & Wang, 2021 also from Yunnan and H. (H.) tuberculatu s (Pic, 1928) from Laos, with all three species having an overall oval profile to the body. Nonetheless, these species can be easily separated on the basis of their different integumental sculpturing on the elytra: the elytra of H. (H.) tuberculatus are covered with differently sized tubercles, the elytra of H. (H.) yunnanensis are covered with a thin irregular rugosity, while the elytra of the new species are modified with strong, convex, and irregular rugosity.

Distribution. China: Yunnan.

Biology. The adult of this species was collected under a tree trunk during daylight.

Etymology. The specific epithet honors the late Dr. Julio Ferrer (1944–2021, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden), a famous taxonomist who made extensive studies on darkling beetles over a long period. When the first author (Ri-Xin Jiang) initiated his research on Chinese tenebrionid beetles, Dr. Ferrer kindly gave him considerable assistance. His expertise and kindness shall be missed.