Lathrobium guangdongense 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 : 32-33

Lathrobium guangdongense Peng and Li , new species

( Figs 21 B, 23)

Type material (4 ♂♂). HOLOTYPE: ♂, labeled ‘ CHINA: Guangdong Prov., Shaoguan City Nanling N. R., 24°55'N, 113°01'E, 15.x.2009 alt. 1,070 m, Gao Lei leg.’. PARATYPES: 3 ♂♂, same label data as holotype ( SNUC).

Description. Measurements and ratios: BL 6.12–7.39, FL 2.78–2.89, HL 0.84–0.91, HW 0.88–0.96, AnL 1.83–1.91, PL 1.19–1.25, PW 0.94–1.02, EL 0.74–0.82, AL 1.17–1.18, HL/HW 0.95–1.00, HW/PW 0.89–0.94, HL/PL 0.69–0.73, PL/PW 1.23–1.27, EL/PL 0.62–0.66.

Habitus as in Fig. 21 B. Body dark brown with paler apex, legs brown, antennae brown to light brown.

Head approximately as long as broad; punctation coarse and dense, somewhat sparser in median dorsal portion; interstices with very shallow microreticulation. Eyes 0.35–0.38 times as long as postocular region in dorsal view and composed of approximately 55 ommatidia.

Pronotum nearly parallel-sided; punctation moderately sparser than that of head; impunctate midline broad; interstices without microreticulation.

Elytra moderately short; punctation dense and moderately fine. Hind wings completely reduced.

Abdomen with fine and dense punctation, that of tergite VII sparser than that of anterior tergites; interstices with very shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

Male. Posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly convex; sternite VII ( Fig. 23 A) strongly transverse, with very shallow median impression posteriorly, this impression with unmodified setae, posterior margin weakly concave in the middle; sternite VIII ( Fig. 23 B) symmetric, with shallow posterior excision, pubescence unmodified; aedeagus as in Figs 23 C, D, ventral process slender; dorsal plate slender and weakly sclerotized; internal sac with several sclerotized spines of different shapes.

Female. Unknown.

Comparative notes. Lathrobium guangdongense resembles L. damingense Peng & Li, 2013 from Guangxi in having weakly modified male sternites VII and VIII. It is distinguished from L. damingense Peng & Li, 2013 by smaller body size, denser punctation of the head, and the morphology of the aedeagus (shape of ventral process; internal sac with several sclerotized spines). For illustrations of L. damingense see Peng et al. (2013c).

Distribution and biological notes. The type locality is situated in the Nanling to the northwest of Shaoguan, northern Guangzhou. The specimens were sifted from leaf litter in a spruce forest at an altitude of 1,070 m.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Guangdong Province, where the type locality is situated.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Habitus of Lathrobium spp., A — L. zizhiense; B — L. guangdongense. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 23. Lathrobium guangdongense. A — male sternite VII; B — male sternite VIII; C — aedeagus in ventral view; D — aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.