Microsternus pengzhongi Dai & Zhao

Dai, Cong-Chao & Zhao, Mei-Jun, 2013, Genus Microsternus Lewis (1887) from China, with description of a new genus Neosternus from Asia (Coleoptera, Erotylidae, Dacnini), ZooKeys 340, pp. 79-106 : 84-86

Microsternus pengzhongi Dai & Zhao sp. n. Figs 7-8, 9-12

Material examined.

Holotype: CHINA: Hainan Prov.: ♂, Jianfengling N.R., Mingfenggu Valley, 18°44'N, 108°50'E, alt. 950 m, 30.IV.2012, Peng & Dai leg. (SNUC).

Description.

Body (Fig. 7, 8) elongate, length: 7.5 mm; width: 3.2 mm. Body black, shining. Each elytron with two narrow orange bands.

Head width between eyes = 4 times eye diameter in dorsal view; punctation fine, spare, separated by two to four puncture diameters; epistome truncate, lacking marginal line on anterior margin; stridulatory files not evident. Eyes coarsely facetted. Antennomere III about 1.2 times as long as IV; antennomere VIII slightly wider than VII, about 1.3 times as wide as long; antennomere IX trapezoidal; antennomere X transverse; antennomere XI almost elliptic. Gular area with pit posterior to the postmandibular lobes. Maxillary and labial terminal palpomeres acuminate, sensory area restricted to apex. Mentum broad with anterior projection, almost triangular, slightly more than 2.3 times wider than long.

Pronotum arched, widest at base (pl/pw = 0.65); narrowed from base to apex, with formed thinned lines in lateral view; disk finely and spare punctured, except the impunctate medio-basal area, which is limited by an arched transverse row of fine punctures.

Prosternum with median area including its process elevated in an elongate triangular plane, which is distinctly bordered by a ridge on both sides and shortly rounded-subtrun cate in front, bearing a few fine punctures; sides rugose, coarsely and densely punctured. Mesosternum almost conceled by prosternal process, impunctate as the mesepisterna, which is somewhat concave. Metasternum rather sparsely and strongly punctured on lateral areas, some finer punctures on median area, with a pair of mesocoxal lines strongly divergent posteriorly. Abdomen rather strongly and closely punctured, but median areas of four basal visible sternites and medio-basal area of last visible sternite with few punctures respectively; without metacoxal lines on basal visible sternite. Legs rather robust.

Scutellum pentagonal, finely and sparely punctured.

Elytra convex, with eight striae of distinct punctures on each elytron and each interstice with a row of extremely fine punctures.

Male genitalia (Figs 9-10) with flagellum bearing a straight mass on apical; flagellar apex acute with a well-separated ventral process; dorsal lobe of internal sac with long and tweezer-like structure in dorsal view (Figs 11-12).

Distribution.

China (Hainan Province).

Diagnosis.

Characterized by its shining body, spare punctured pronotum and dorsal lobe’s unique structure of internal sac.

Etymology.

This species is named in honor of Mr. Zhong Peng, one of the collectors of this new species.