Orphnebius lilizheni, Jiang & Li & Wang, 2020

Jiang, Ri-Xin, Li, Bo-Yan & Wang, Shuo, 2020, Description a new species of the genus Orphnebius Motschulsky, 1858 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) from Xizang, China, Zootaxa 4790 (3), pp. 593-599 : 594-598

Orphnebius lilizheni sp. nov. Jiang, Li & Wang sp. nov. ÷KHẘDaem

( Figs. 1–4 )

Type material (9 exs, 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀). Holotype: CHINA: ♂, labeled ‘ China: Xizang, Linzhi City (ẇźṃ), Milin County (*ẇu), Nanyigou (ṁDzḿ), H: 3166 m, 19.VII.2019, Li Bo-yan leg., in nest of Tetraponera sp.’ ( SHNU) . Paratypes: CHINA: 2 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀. Same label data as the holotype (1 ♂, 2 ♀♀ SHNU; 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀ GUGC) .

Description. Male ( Figs 1A , 2 A–B, D–H, K–M). Body bicolourable, head, pronotum and elytra black, abdomen brown, dorsal surface shiny and without punctures.

Head ( Fig. 2A ) slightly wider than long, shiny and covered with sparse long hairs. Antenna ( Fig. 2B ) moderately long and apically asymmetric; antennomere I–V longer than wide, I expanded near apex; II about as long as IV; III long, about 1.5 times as long as II; V shorter than IV; VI about as long as wide; VII–X similar, obviously wider than long, VII–X similar, obviously wider than long; XI of ovoid shape and approximately as long as the combined length of IX–X.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2A ), about 1.4 times as wide as long; dorsal surface shiny and without punctures and pubescence; lateral margins with several long hairs.

Elytra wider than long; near trapezoid shape; dorsal surface shiny, covered with sparse hairs and small punctures; lateral margins with erect long black hairs. Hind wings present.

Legs simple. All femora black, without modification. Tibiae dark brown, protibiae covered with very dense short hairs, and mesotibiae and metatibiae covered with much sparse short hairs.

Abdominal segments III–VIII reddish brown, III–VII with weakly tapering posteriad, III widest. Posterior margin of tergites III–VI with moderately long black hairs. Tergite VII weakly impressed and in basal 1/3 with transverse row of regular striae, posterior margin of tergite VII with pronounced palisade fringe. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 2E ) transverse with convex posterior margins and covered with sparse strong setae. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 2D ) with sparse long setae at posterior margin. IX–X ( Figs 2 G–H) strongly modified, covered with dense and long hairs

Media lobe of aedeagus broad and short ( Figs 2 K–M). Paramere small in relation to median lobe, apical truncate, with two short setae ( Fig. 2F ).

Measurements. AnL 1.88–1.94 mm, BL 4.94–5.04 mm, HL 0.81–0.84 mm, HW 0.99–1.00 mm, PL 0.78–0.80 mm, PW 1.14–1.17 mm, EL 0.76–0.77 mm, EW 1.88–1.93 mm, AL 2.58–2.63 mm, AW 1.83–1.88 mm, Adl 1.29 mm.

Female ( Figs 1B , 2C , I–J) generally similar to male, usually slightly larger. Segments IX–X ( Figs 2 I–J) distinctly modified, with long and dense setae; spermathecal ( Fig. 2C ) duct simply bent, proximally straight, neither twisted nor undulate.

Measurements. AnL 1.90–1.95 mm, BL 5.00– 5.17 mm, HL 0.81–0.84 mm, HW 1.00– 1.03 mm, PL 0.80–0.82 mm, PW 1.16–1.19 mm, EL 0.76–0.79 mm, EW 1.88–1.95 mm, AL 2.63–2.73 mm, AW 1.83–1.93 mm.

Larvae ( Figs 3 A–C, third instar), ivory-white, fat, soft and much weakly osteogenated, more or less resembling the larvae of Myrmica sp ( Fig. 3F ).

Comparative Notes. The new species is similar to Orphnebius longistriatus Assing, 2006 and O. hamatus Assing, 2006 in general appearance. But O. lilizheni sp. nov. has concolorous abdominal segments, while the abdominal segments III–V, VI and VII–VIII are respectively blackish, brown and reddish in O. longistriatus . The new species can be distinguished from O. hamatus by the different form of median lobe of aedeagus. O. hamatus possess a very large median lobe, and the ventral process is short, broad and apically curved, while the median lobe of the new species is simple and short, and the ventral process of the new species is more strongly curved. The paramere of O. hamatus has four long and two short setae while the new species with only two long setae.

Distribution. China: Xizang.

Biological notes. The adults and larvae of this new species were collected in a nest of Myrmica sp. ( Figs 4 A–B).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Prof. Li-Zhen Li (Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China), a famous Chinese insect taxonomist, who works on the Staphylinid beetles for a long time.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Orphnebius lilizheni sp. nov. A. Male; B. Female.

FIGURE 2. Diagnostic features of Orphnebius lilizheni sp. nov. A. Head and pronotum, in dorsal view; B. Antenna; C. Spermathecal; D. Sternite VIII; E. Tergite VIII; F. Paramere; G. Male segments IX–X, dorsal view; H. Same, ventral view; I. Female segments IX–X, dorsal view; J. Same, ventral view; K. Media lobe of aedegus, ventral view; L. Same, lateral view; M. Same, dorsal view.

FIGURE 3. A. Larva of Orphnebius lilizheni sp. nov., dorsal view; B. Same, lateral view; C. Same, ventral view; D. Myrmica sp., dorsal view; E. Same, lateral view; F. Larva of Myrmica sp.

FIGURE 4. Habitat of Orphnebius lilizheni sp. nov. A. Adults and larvae in a nest of Myrmica sp.; B. A Myrmica sp. ant in nest; C. General environment of the type locality: Baotianman (Xizang, China). Laa—Larva of the host ant; La—Larva of Orphnebius lilizheni sp. nov.; ad—Adults of Orphnebius lilizheni sp. nov.