Fissocantharis flavipennis, Yang, Yu-Xia, Okushima, Yûichi & Yang, Xing-Ke, 2012

Yang, Yu-Xia, Okushima, Yûichi & Yang, Xing-Ke, 2012, Synonym, new species and checklist of the genus Fissocantharis Pic from Taiwan (Coleoptera, Cantharidae), Zootaxa 3262 (1), pp. 46-53 : 48-51

Fissocantharis flavipennis sp. nov.

Figs. 5–6 , 9–11

Description. Male ( Fig. 5 ). Head black, mouthparts black, mandibles brown, antennae black, antennomeres I and II brown ventrally, pronotum yellowish brown, with a large darkened marking in middle, scutellum black, elytra light yellow, legs black, ventral thorax and abdomen black.

Head strongly narrowed behind eyes, depressed on vertex, surface densely and finely punctate; eyes strongly protruding, breadth across eyes distinctly wider than anterior margin of pronotum; last maxillary palpomeres widest in middle, acute at apices; antennae filiform and simple, extending to apical one-fourth of elytra, antennomeres II slightly longer than wide, III slightly shorter than IV, IV–XI subequal in length.

Pronotum subquadrate, distinctly longer than wide, anterior margin arcuate, lateral margins diverging posteriorly, posterior margin nearly straight, anterior angles rounded, posterior angles almost rectangular, disc surface densely and finely punctate, distinctly convex on posterolateral parts, with an obscure median longitudinal groove.

Elytra about 4.5 times longer than pronotum, 4.5 times longer than wide at humeri, humeral width distinctly wider than posterior margin of pronotum, outer margins subparallel to each other, disc slightly more coarsely punctate than that on pronotum, with 2 obscure longitudinal costae.

Legs: all claws bifid.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 9–11 ): elongate, ventral process of each paramere wide, widely angled and recurved at apex, conjoint dorsal plate of parameres distinctly narrowed, about half length of ventral process of each paramere, with straight apical margin and rounded lateral angles.

Female ( Fig. 6 ). Head evenly narrowed behind eyes, slightly depressed on vertex, eyes slightly protruding, antennae narrower and shorter, extending to middle of elytra, pronotum wider, disc slightly convex, elytra with outer margins slightly diverging posteriorly.

Variation in type series. Head sometimes yellowish brown on frons, pronotum sometimes slightly darkened, legs sometimes mostly yellowish brown, slightly darkened at apices of femora and tibiae, all tarsi black. Body length: 9.0–10.5 mm, width: 1.5–2.2 mm.

Type material. Holotype 3, Taiwan, Nantou Hsien, Tienchih, Mt. Nengkaoshan , 21.VI.1989, leg. M. Satô ( EUM) . Paratypes: 23, same data as holotype ( KURA); 1♀, Taiwan, Nantou Hsien, Mt. Nengkaoshan, Yunhai, 22.VI.1989, leg. M. Satô ( KURA) ; 13, Taiwan, Taitung Hsien, Kuanshan Yakou, 2600m, 11.VI.1989, leg. M. Satô ( KURA); 13, Taiwan, Taichung Hsien, Mts. Nanhutashan, Mt. Shienmatsengshan, 3100m, 6.VIII.1990, leg. M. Owada ( KURA).

Distribution. Taiwan.

Diagnosis. Most of the Taiwanese species of Fissocantharis have distinguishable antennae in males, especially antennomeres I–III, which are varied into different shapes. This is the most important character to identify them ( Wittmer, 1982, 1995b). This new species and the other 3 species have filiform antennae in males, and could be distinguished from one another by the following key.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from Latin words “ flavus ” (yellow) and “ penna ” (elytra), referring to its light yellow elytra.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 8. Habitus, dorsal view: 5 – 6. Fissocantharis flavipennis sp. nov.; 7 – 8. F. laticornis sp. nov. 5, 7. male holotypes; 6, 8. female paratypes.

FIGURES 9 – 14. Aedeagi: 9 – 11. Fissocantharis flavipennis sp. nov.; 12 – 14. F. laticornis sp. nov. 9, 12. ventral view; 10, 13. dorsal view; 11, 14. lateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.