Craspedomerus giganteus Li & Zhou

Li, Liang & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2010, Taxonomy of the genus Craspedomerus Bernhauer, 1911 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina) from China, Zootaxa 2506, pp. 1-25 : 5-6

1. Craspedomerus giganteus Li & Zhou sp. n.

( Figs. 1 A–L, 2A–I, 3A–F, 12F)

Type material. Holotype: CHINA: Sichuan: ɗ, Wolong: Wulitun (31°46´N, 103°36´E), 2180–2650 m, 21– 24.VI.2004, Yu Xiaodong collected (IZ-CAS). Paratypes: CHINA: Sichuan: 78ɗɗ, 113ΨΨ, same data as holotype (IZ-CAS); 4 ɗɗ, 7 ΨΨ, road between Yingxiu and Wolong, 1700–1800 m, 24.VII.–4.VIII.2006, A. Puchner collected ( NMW).

Description. Head and pronotum black with slightly bronze-green reflex. Antennae entirely black-brown. Elytra dark-purple or violaceous. Scutellum black. Abdomen black with strongly iridescent reflex, posterior third of tergite VII and entire tergites VIII–X reddish-yellow (sometimes tergite VIII and styli of tergite IX dark brown). Mandibles dark. Maxillary and labial palpi and legs reddish-brown.

Body very large, 16.2–19.2 mm long (HPL = 5.47–5.71 mm). Head of rounded quadrangular shape, 2.20– 2.45 mm long, 2.45–2.61 mm wide, slightly wider than long (HW:HL = 1.03–1.11). Tempora 0.82–1.06 mm long, almost evenly rounded, densely and coarsely punctate, setiferous; eyes moderately large, slightly protruded, 0.74–0.82 mm long, 0.71–0.92 times as long as tempora. Dorsal surface of head with moderately numerous, large setiferous punctures, becoming sparser toward vertex, vertex largely impunctate; entire head with distinct and profound microsculpture of mesh.

Pronotum subquadrate, slightly narrowed anteriad, 2.78–3.02 mm long, 2.69–2.86 mm wide, slightly wider than head (PW:HW = 1.07–1.21), sparsely and finely punctate, punctures separated by 5–8 times their diameter, narrowly impunctate along midline; microsculpture fine, similar to that on head.

Elytra 3.18–3.43 mm long, 3.35–3.67 mm wide, 1.11–1.20 times as long as pronotum, densely and finely punctate, punctures separated by 1–2 times their diameter. Scutellum large, triangular, densely and finely punctate.

Abdomen a little narrowed posteriad, widest 3.20–3.51 mm; tergites densely and finely punctate, at base punctures separated by 2–3 times their diameter, gradually becoming sparser toward apex of each tergite, surface between punctures with dense and fine microsculpture of transverse striae; elevated area between basal lines of tergites III–V with irregular row of sparse punctures.

Male. Sternite VIII with moderately wide, obtusely triangular medio-apical emargination ( Fig. 3 D). Sternite IX with distinctly asymmetrical basal portion, apex deeply emarginate, each lobe bearing two long apical setae ( Fig. 3 C). Genital segment with styli of tergite IX simple, densely setose apically. Tergite X simple, triangular, subrounded at apex, with variable number of apical setae ( Fig. 3 F).

Aedeagus as ( Figs. 3 A–B); underside of each branch of paramere with very small, flat sensory peg setae sparsely and irregularly arranged at apical portion ( Fig. 12 F).

Female. Sternite VIII without medio-apical emargination. Genital segment with styli of tergite IX similar to that of male. Gonocoxites moderately developed, second gonocoxites each with minute stylus, bearing two long apical setae ( Fig. 3 E). Tergite X similar to that of male.

Remarks. Craspedomerus giganteus is similar to C. sinetuber and C. gongshanus in having elytra entirely dark purple or violaceous and antennae black-brown. Craspedomerus giganteus can be easily distinguished from C. sinetuber by posterior third of tergite VII and entire tergites VIII–X reddish-yellow (abdomen entirely black in the latter one), distinctly smaller eyes (0.71–0.92 times as long as tempora in the new species vs. 1.30–1.60 times as long as tempora in C. sinetuber ) and different number and arrangement of sensory peg setae on the underside of paramere ( Figs. 12 A, F). Craspedomerus giganteus differs from C. gongshanus by much larger body (HPL = 5.47–5.71 mm vs. HPL = 4.08–4.32 mm, respectively), pronutum with profound microsculpture of mesh (pronutum with profound microsculpture of oblique, long waves) and different number and arrangement of sensory peg setae on the underside of paramere ( Figs. 12 F, H).

Distribution. The species is at present known only from China (Sichuan).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a Latin adjective giganteus (large), and refers to the rather large body size of the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Scanning electron micrographs of Craspedomerus giganteus Li & Zhou sp. n. A, underside of head, showing gula (arrows), ventral view; B, left mandible, showing dorsolateral groove and two large teeth (arrows); C, basal three segments of antennae; D, male protarsus, dorsal view; E, maxillary palpus; F, labial palpi; G, pronotal hypomeron, showing “ fake ” lateral line (arrow); H, prosternum, ventral view; I, mesoventrite, without transverse ridge, ventral view; J, sternite III, showing basal line (arrow), ventral view; K, metaventrite, ventral view; L, osmeterium, dorsal view.

FIGURE 3. Craspedomerus giganteus Li & Zhou sp. n. A, aedeagus, ventral view; B, aedeagus, lateral view; C, sternite IX of male; D, sternite VIII of male; E, gonocoxites of female genital segment; F, tergite X of male. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURE 12. Scanning electron micrographs of the underside of one of the branches of the paramere of Craspedomerus. A, C. sinetuber (Coiffait); B, C. glenoides (Schubert); C, C. beckeri Bernhauer; D, C. violaceipennis Cameron; E, C. zhangi Li & Zhou sp. n.; F, C. giganteus Li & Zhou sp. n.; G, C. ganeshensis Coiffait; H, C. gongshanus Li & Zhou sp. n.; I, C. cyanipennis Scheerpeltz. Sensory peg setae are indicated with arrows.