Awas kayan, Yin & Li, 2012

Yin, Zi-Wei & Li, Li-Zhen, 2012, Two new species of the genus Awas from Central and East China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 52 (1), pp. 161-171 : 162-165

Awas kayan sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–2 , 6)

Type locality. Central China, Hunan Province,Zhang-Jia-Jie Natural Reserve, 1,000 m a.s.l., 29°36′46″N, 110°27′22″E ( Fig. 6).

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( SNUC): labeled ‘ CHINA: Hunan Province / Zhangjiajie N. R. / 13.viii.2004, alt. 1,000 m / Jiang-Hua Huang leg. // [red] Holotype / Awas kayan / Yin & Li sp. n. / det. 2012’.

Diagnosis. Head strongly elongate, much longer than pronotum; pronotum with lateral margins broadly and shallowly emarginate at level of antebasal sulcus, lacking distinct setal tuft; elytra convex and strongly rounded laterally.

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 ): BL 3.70; body reddish-brown, mouth parts and tarsi lighter. Head strongly elongate (HL 1.05, HW 0.50) ( Figs. 2a–b ), uniformly densely punctate; pubescence directed anteriorly; anterior frontal margin roundly protruding medially, then slightly emarginate admesally; postocular margins gradually narrowed to basal third, then parallel toward occipital constriction; lacking dense setae around genae; gula with thin and short mesal sulcus in basal half; eyes prominent, situated at mid-length of anterior head, each with about 65 facets; maxillary palpi ( Fig. 2d ) with palpomeres I short, II elongate, slightly dilated distally, III nearly triangular, IV nearly oval, with membranous apical palpal cone; antennae ( Fig. 2c ) gradually thickened through entire length.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide (PL 0.68, PW 0.59); with pubescence similar to that on head; dorsal surface with deep T-shaped antebasal sulcus; punctation fine, coarser between antebasal sulcus and pronotal base. Prosternum with long, erect admesal pubescence, pubescence on lateral margins much sparser.

Elytra slightly longer than wide (EL 1.27, EW 1.18); widest at basal two-fifths, strongly narrowed basally and weakly narrowed apically; each elytron with one distinct basal fovea; lacking humeral angles and with complete sutural striae; pubescence denser along posterior margin than on surface. Mesoventrite with dense long pubescence lateral to mesocoxal cavities; metaventrite strongly swollen medially, forming distinct oval hump, with dense long pubescence laterally to hump. Legs slender; profemora with indistinct preapical denticle ( Fig. 2e ); tibiae with dense short apical setae.

Abdomen wider than long (AL 0.70, AW 1.00); tergite IV largest, fused with sternite IV, basomedian portion with patch of pubescence directed medially, otherwise pubescence of abdomen short and oriented posteriorly. Aedeagus slightly sclerotized ( Figs. 2f–h ), length 0.69 mm; median lobe truncate apically; endophallus covered with numerous hair, apical half with pair of sclerites curved dorsally; parameres hook-like, strongly curved ventrally.

Female. Unknown.

Comparative notes. General appearance more similar to Awas shunichii , A. sinicus and A. loebli sp. nov. described below than to A. giraffa and A. rajah . Awas kayan sp. nov. can be quickly separated from all other species by the pronotum with lateral margins broadly and shallowly emarginate at the level of the antebasal sulcus. Awas giraffa and A. rajah share straight lateral margins in the basal half of the pronotum, while A. shunichii , A. sinicus and A. loebli sp. nov. have the pronotal lateral margins deeply incised at the level of the antebasal sulcus.

Etymology. The specific name ‘ kayan ’ is taken from the tribal name of a group of Red Karen (Karenni) people. Women of this group are known for wearing brass neck coils. The name refers to the greatly elongate head of the new species.

Biology. The individual was captured by sifting leaf litter in a broad-leaved forest.

Distribution. Currently known only from the type locality ( Fig. 6).

Figures

Fig. 1. Dorsal habitus of Awas kayan sp. nov., holotype. Scale = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 2. Details of Awas kayan sp. nov. a – head, in dorsal view; b – same, in lateral view; c – right antenna; d – maxillary palpus; e – apex of profemur, detail; f, h – aedeagus, in ventral view; g – same, in lateral view. Scales: a–c = 0.5 mm, d = 0.1 mm, e = 0.2 mm, f–h = 0.3 mm.