Scutellathous quadrata Liu & Jiang

Liu, Zhen & Jiang, Shi-hong, 2019, The genus Scutellathous Kishii, 1955 (Coleoptera, Elateridae, Dendrometrinae) in China, with description of three new species, ZooKeys 857, pp. 85-104 : 85

Scutellathous quadrata Liu & Jiang sp. nov. Figs 9, 10, 11, 12

Type locality.

Tianmu (Qianmutian) Mountains, Zhejiang, China.

Material examined.

Holotype: ♂ ( SZPT), labels: 1) Zhejiang Prov., Tianmu (Qianmutian) Mts (1535 m, 30°23'37.85"N 119°26'25.85"E) (天目山), 2013.VII.1, leg. Jun Xu; 2 ) Holotype, Scutellathous quadrata sp.nov., Liu et al. 2019; 3) No. 20180356. Paratype: ♂ ( SZPT), labels: 1) Zhejiang Prov., Tianmu (Qianmutian) Mts (1535 m, 30°23'37.85"N 119°26'25.85"E) (天目山), 2013.VII.1, leg. Mei Qin ; 2) Paratype, Scutellathous quadrata sp.nov., Liu et al. 2019; 3) No. 20180358.

Diagnosis.

Body brown-black, dorsal pubescence partially hiding integument; anterior edge of head arched anterior-laterally in dorsal view; antennae reaching apices of pronotal hind angles, antennomere attached apico-dorsally near base, more centrally near apex, antennomere 3 2.2 times longer than 2 and 1.1 times longer than 4; pronotum with hind angles convergent posterad, disc with median non-furrowed glabrous line, with simple punctures; scutellar shield as wide as long, anterior edge straight, widest and rounded posteriorly, concave at sides.

Scutellathous quadrata is similar to S. spinosus Platia & Schimmel, 2007 (see Schimmel 2007) in body shape and size, but can be separated from the latter by the square-shaped scutellar shield (in S. spinosus it is 1.2 times longer than wide, measured from original figure), base without spine near humeral angles of the elytra (with spine in S. spinosus ), the wholly brown-black body (in S. spinosus the body is entirely ferruginous), and the shape of parameres.

Description.

Male (holotype). Body (Fig. 9 a–c) length 15.7 mm, body width 4.3 mm; brown-black, elytra (red-brown apically) and hypomera brown; antennae and legs brown-black, except tibiae brown; ventral side brown-black; dorsal pubescence pale, semi-recumbant, dense and pointed anterad on pronotum and head, nearly recumbent and pointed posterad on elytra, ventral pubescence more recumbent, longer and denser.

Head. Anterior edge arched anterior-laterally in dorsal view (Fig. 10a), spaces between punctures matt and less than 1 puncture diameter wide, punctures umbillicate and coarser, slightly denser in shallow triangular shallow depression; eyes semi-spherical, ocular index 75; last segment of maxillary palpus 1.5 longer than wide; antennae (Fig. 11c) reaching apices of pronotal hind angles, antennomeres 3 to 10 weakly serrate, attached apico-dorsally near base, more centrally near apex, antennomere 2 obconic, 1.4 times longer than wide, antennomere 11 oblong, 4.8 times longer than wide, proportions of antennomeres as follows: 100; 45; 99; 95; 101; 90; 90; 89; 79; 71; 100.

Thorax. Pronotum (Fig. 10c) 1.1 times longer than wide; parallel-sided in dorsal view, except slightly arched at anterior one-third and slightly widened before hind angles, widest just before apices of hind angles; disc moderately convex, with weak median non-furrowed glabrous line, hardly visible anteriorly; punctures simple, interspaces 2 to 3 puncture diameters wide medially, punctures larger and weakly umbillicate with interspaces 0.5 to 1 puncture diameter wide laterally and posteriorly; hypomera with spaces between punctures 1 puncture diameter wide; hind angles convergent posterad, apex short and obtuse, carina reaching anterad to basal third of pronotum along sides; sublateral incisions small, tooth-like. Prosternum (Fig. 10d) densely punctate, interspaces 1 to 2 times puncture diameters wide; anterior lobe 2.7 times wider than long, with sparse fine punctures. Prosternal process gradually concave behind procoxae and obtusely pointed at apex. Meso- and meta-ventrites with larger, denser punctures than on prosternum. Metaventrite furrowed medially throughout length.

Scutellar shield. (Fig. 11b) Length equal to width, straight anteriorly, widest and rounded posteriorly, concave at sides; disc convex with umbillicate punctures, spaces between punctures 2-3 puncture diameters wide medially, rugose-punctate with thick, outwardly-oriented pubescence near edges.

Elytra. Together 2.4 times longer than wide (Fig. 9a), 2.6 times longer and 1.1 times wider than prothorax, parallel-sided, gradually narrowing to apex from apical one-third, with punctate striae, strial punctures isodiametric, shallower toward apex; interstriae elevated basally, flat apically, with fine punctures, the interpuncture spaces about 2-3 puncture diameters wide (Figs 9a, 11a).

Legs. Tarsomere 3 with a longer lobe than tarsomere 2 (Fig. 11d), tarsomere 1 nearly as long as the following 3 tarsomeres together and 1.4 times longer than 5, tarsomere 4 shortest; metacoxal plate (Fig. 11d) gradually narrowed laterally, triangularly emarginate basally (tooth-like).

Abdomen. Surface of sternites III–VII like metaventrite, with punctures moreregular and dense and recumbent pubescence, interspaces with satin-like metallic sheen (Fig. 11d); sternite VII semicircular, 1.5 times wider than long, punctures evenly distributed.

Genitalia. Aedeagus (Fig. 11e, damaged) with penis gradually narrowing to pointed apex; parameres sinuate laterally near midlength, apical part nearly parallel-sided, apex truncate.

Female. Unknown.

Variability. Body length 14.7-15.7 mm; body width 3.7-4.3 mm.

Larva. Unknown.

Etymology.

The name of the new species refers to its quadrate scutellar shield.

Distribution.

China: Zhejiang (Tianmu Mts) (Fig. 12).

Biology.

Unknown.

Remarks.

Unfortunately, aedeagi of both specimens were damaged by poor preservation after prior dissection.