Lathrobium zhaigei Peng and Li

Peng, Zhong, Li, Li-Zhen & Zhao, Mei-Jun, 2014, Seventeen new species and additional records of Lathrobium (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from mainland China, Zootaxa 3780 (1), pp. 1-35 : 28-29

Lathrobium zhaigei Peng and Li , new species

( Figs 17 C, 20)

Type material. (2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀). HOLOTYPE: ♂, labelled ‘ CHINA: Guizhou Prov., Suiyang County, Kuankuoshui N. R., 28°14'N, 107°10'E, 7.vi.2010 alt. 1,530–1,550 m, Lu, Yin & Zhai leg.’ ( SNUC). PARATYPES: 1 ♂, same label data as holotype, 1 ♀, same data, but ‘ 18.viii.2010 alt. 1,550 m, Yin & Feng leg.’; 1 ♀, same data, but ‘ 28°13'N, 107°09'E, 9.vi.2010 alt. 1,550 m’ ( SNUC).

Description. Measurements (in mm) and ratios: BL 6.39–7.01, FL 3.45–3.67, HL 0.93–0.99, HW 1.04–1.11, AnL 1.91–2.03, PL 1.31–1.35, PW 1.10–1.17, EL 0.80–0.85, AL 1.20–1.24, HL/HW 0.88–0.89, HW/PW 0.93– 0.95, HL/PL 0.71–0.73, PL/PW 1.15–1.19, EL/PL 0.61–0.65.

Habitus as in Fig. 17 C. Body dark brown with paler apex, legs and antennae brown to light brown.

Head approximately as long as broad; punctation coarse and sparse, even sparser in median dorsal portion; interstices with very shallow microreticulation. Eyes 0.34–0.41 times as long as postocular region in dorsal view and composed of approximately 60 ommatidia.

Pronotum with weakly convex lateral margins in dorsal view; punctation sparser than that of head; impunctate midline moderately narrow; interstices without microreticulation.

Elytra moderately short; punctation shallow and moderately dense. Hind wings completely reduced. Protarsi with weakly pronounced sexual dimorphism.

Abdomen with fine and dense punctation, that of tergite VII slightly sparser than that of anterior tergites; interstices with very shallow microsculpture; tergite VIII ( Fig. 20 A) without sexual dimorphism, posterior margin very weakly convex.

Male. Posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly convex; sternites III–IV unmodified; sternite VII ( Fig. 20 D) strongly transverse, with shallow median impression posteriorly, this impression without distinctly modified setae, posterior margin concave in the middle; sternite VIII ( Fig. 20 E) weakly transverse, strongly modified, slightly asymmetric, median impression pronounced, extensive, and with numerous extremely short, and conspicuously dense modified short black setae, on one side of the deep, asymmetric posterior excision with conspicuous cluster of extremely dense and strongly modified, short and stout black setae; aedeagus as in Figs 20 F, G, strongly asymmetric; ventral process strongly asymmetric, with large lamellae, and partly fused with the asymmetric dorsal plate; internal sac with long and curved sclerotized spine.

Female. Posterior margin of tergite VIII ( Fig. 20 A) asymmetrically convex; posterior margin of sternite VIII ( Fig. 20 B) strongly convex; tergite IX ( Fig. 20 C) with divided median portion and with long postero-lateral processes; tergite X reaching anterior margin of tergite IX ( Fig. 20 C).

Comparative notes. As can be inferred from the similarly derived shape and chaetotaxy of the male sternites VIII, the similarly derived morphology of the aedeagus, as well as from the similar female tergites IX and X, L. zhaigei is most likely the adelphotaxon of the geographically close L. fortepunctatum Assing, 2013 . The new species differs from L. fortepunctatum by smaller body size, the shape of the male sternite VIII (posterior excision deeper), and particularly by the differently shaped ventral process the aedeagus. For illustrations of L. fortepunctatum see Assing (2013b).

Distribution and biological notes. The type locality is situated in the Kuankuoshui Natural Reserve to the north of Suiyang, northern Guizhou. Some specimens were collected at altitudes of 1,550 m, partly together with L. lui sp. n.

Etymology. The species is named after Yan-Bin Zhai (nickname “Zhaige”), who collected the type specimens.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Habitus of Lathrobium spp., A — L. fanjingense; B — L. lui; C — L. zhaigei. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 20. Lathrobium zhaigei. A — female tergite VIII; B — female sternite VIII; C — female tergites IX – X. D — male sternite VII; E — male sternite VIII; F — aedeagus in ventral view; G — aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.