Rhagonycha (s.str.) maculaticeps Y. Yang, Xiao & Liu, 2024

Xiao, Yun-Feng, Liu, Hao-Yu, Yang, Xing-Ke & Yang, Yu-Xia, 2024, Taxonomic review of the Rhagonycha flava species group (Coleoptera, Cantharidae), with descriptions of fourteen new species from China, Zootaxa 5534 (1), pp. 1-69 : 47-49

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5534.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C36ED8DA-FCF2-44FE-A38E-41112A1C0D6D
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14023670
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F9023D04-FFD4-FFF2-FF69-E4ED3BEBEAEE
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Rhagonycha (s.str.) maculaticeps Y. Yang, Xiao & Liu
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Rhagonycha (s.str.) maculaticeps Y. Yang, Xiao & Liu , sp. nov.

( Figs 27A‒B View FIGURE 27 , 28A‒C View FIGURE 28 , 29A View FIGURE 29 , 30A View FIGURE 30 , 37 View FIGURE 37 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ ( MHBU), CHINA, Yunnan: Changjun Workstation , 24.5438° N, 101.0278° E, 10.VII.2018, leg. Y.J. Tong. GoogleMaps PARATYPES: CHINA, Yunnan: 1♀ ( MHBU), same data as holotype GoogleMaps ; 1♂, 2♀ ( MHBU), Lincang, Wulao Shan Foresty, 9.–10.VII.2000, leg. J. S. Xu & J. X. Zhang ; 1♀ ( MHBU), Yunnan prov., Lushui County, Pianma Town , 2400 m, 6.VII.2010, leg. J.Q. Zhu.

Differential diagnosis. It is the most similiar to Rh. limbatella in the overall shape of aedeagus, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: head with a black marking on vertex, while uniformly orange in Rh. limbatella ; pronotum with a black longitudinal median band, while with a black rounded marking in center of disc in Rh. limbatella ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE ); aedeagus: ventral process of each paramere widened near apex, while thinned in Rh. limbatella ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ); female internal genitalia: vagina abruptly thinned into a long tube, while into a short tube in Rh. limbatella ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ).

Descriptive. Body length: 6.0‒ 7.8 mm (6.0 mm in holotype); width: 1.6‒2.0 mm (1.6 mm in holotype).

Male. ( Fig. 27A View FIGURE 27 ). Coloration. Body yellowish orange except for the following parts: head with a black marking at vertex, antennae, tibiae and tarsi black, pronotum with a wide longitudinal median black band that is about one third width of pronotum, elytra pale yellow, each elytron with an evenly wide longitudinal median black band that extending from humerus to apex. Surface sparsely and finely yellow pubescent, anterior margin of clypeus fringed with pale bristles.

Head rounded, surface densely and finely punctate; eyes moderately protruding, head width across eyes 1.1 times wider than anterior margin of pronotum; terminal maxillary palpomeres subtriangular, widest at apical third; antennae extending to basal 3/4 length of elytra when reclined, antennomeres II shortest, about 2.5 times as long as wide at apices, III about 1.9 times longer than II, VIII longest, XI feebly longer than X and pointed at apices.

Pronotum transverse, about 1.2 times as wide as long, anterior margin rounded, anterior angles subrounded, lateral margins feebly diverging posteriorly, posterior margin feebly bisinuate, posterior angles sub-rectangular, disc strongly convex on posterolateral parts, surface finely and densely punctate.

Elytra nearly parallel-sided, about 3.3 times as long as humeral width, 4.4 times longer than pronotum, surface finely rugulose-lacunose, almost lustrous at basal parts.

Aedeagus moderately swollen laterally in middle ( Fig. 28A View FIGURE 28 ); ventral processes of parameres abruptly thinned near bases, then widened apically, subrounded at apices, bent to each other in ventral view ( Fig. 28A View FIGURE 28 ), and almost straight in lateral view, with apices long-triangularly widened ( Fig. 28C View FIGURE 28 ); conjoint dorsal plate of parameres nearly as long as ventral processes ( Fig. 28B, C View FIGURE 28 ), with apical margin almost straight, lateral margins feebly diverging apically, latero-apical angles widely rounded in dorsal view ( Fig. 28B View FIGURE 28 ), and feebly inclined ventrally in lateral view ( Fig. 28C View FIGURE 28 ); emargination between ventral process and conjoint dorsal plate about 1/3 length of aedeagus ( Fig. 28C View FIGURE 28 ).

Female ( Fig. 27B View FIGURE 27 ). Similar to male, but with larger and stouter body, antennae shorter and extending to apical third length of elytra when reclined, head width across eyes as wide as anterior margin of pronotum, pronotum wider and about 1.3 times as wide as long, anterior margin less arcuate, disc feebly convex on posterolateral parts, elytra about 3.3 times as long as humeral width.

Internal organ of reproductive system ( Fig. 29A View FIGURE 29 ): vagina stout and abruptly thinned at ventroapical portion into a long and feebly stout tube, where diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising separately; diverticulum short and spiral, evenly thin along the whole length; spermathecal duct very short and about 1/8 length of apical tube of vagina; spermatheca provided with a spiral tube, progressively thinned apically and twice longer than diverticulum; accessory gland long, about twice longer than spermatheca.

Abdominal sternite VIII ( Fig. 30A View FIGURE 30 ) moderately narrowed posteriorly, widely rounded at latero-apical angles, and semicircularly protuberant in middle of posterior margin.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin maculatus (spotted) and ceps (head), referring to its head with a black marking on vertex.

Distribution ( Fig. 37 View FIGURE 37 ). China (Yunnan).