New species, synonymies, combinations, and records of micropterous Athetini from China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) Assing, Volker Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 2021 2021-06-30 71 1 87 101 8XVPC Assing, 2021 Assing 2021 [189,369,787,814] Insecta Staphylinidae Bellatheta Animalia Coleoptera 3 90 Arthropoda species qiliana sp. nov.  (Figs 1–3, 15–23, Map 1)   Type material:  Holotype: “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov.[CH11-11a], Lang Shi Dang Jing Qu( Park)  75 kmNW Honggu,  2925 m, 36°54'05.2"N, 102°21'07.1"E, creek valley on overgrown scree, Populus and Betula forestwith Rhododendron, litter sifted between rocks,  28.VI.2011, leg. M. Schülke/ Holotypus  Bellatheta qiliana sp. n., det. V. Assing 2020” ( MNB).  Paratypes: 8 exs.: same data as holotype ( MNB, cAss);  6 exs.: same data, but leg. Wrase( MNB);  50 exs.: “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov.[CH11-11], Lang Shi Dang Jing Qu( Park)  75 kmNW Honggu,  2896 m, 36°54'08.8"N, 102°21'16.9"E, creek valley on overgrown scree, Populusand Betula forest, litter sifted between rocks, 28. VI .2011, leg. M. Schülke” ( MNB, cAss); 28 exs.: “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov.[CH11-19], road 301 km180, 43 km ESE Men Yuan, 37°09'32.6"N, 102°02'06.0"E,  2704 m, creek valley with Picea, Salix, Populus, Betula, litter and moss sifted, 5. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke” ( MNB, cAss); 67 exs.: same data, but leg. Wrase( MNB, cAss); 9 exs: “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov.[CH11-18], Daban Shan, Pass  19 kmWSW Men Yuan, southern ramp, shrubbery overhead, 37°22'23.8"N, 101°24'22"E,  3522–3550 m, litter & moss sifted, 4. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke” ( MNB, cAss); 1 : “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov.[CH11-17], Daban Shan, Pass  19 kmWSW Men Yuan,  3750–3800 m, 37°21'11.8"N, 101°24'24.7"E, alpine cirque, stony pasture with slope springs, under stones, 4. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke” ( MNB); 1 : “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov.[CH11-08a], Daban Shan,  60 kmNW Honggu, 36°49'10.7"N, 102°31'22.8"E,  2366–2400 m, mixed forest ( Betula, Populus, Picea), dead wood, litter sifted, 11. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke” (cAss); 11 exs: “ CHINA: Gansu Prov.[CH11-13d], Lenglong Ling Mts.,  80 kmNNW Honggu, 37°03'50.3"N, 102°39'57.2"E,  3392 m, alpine pasture with Rhododendron, litter, grass roots sifted, 1. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke” ( MNB, cAss); 1 ex.: same data, but “[ CH11-13], ..., 30. VI .2011” (cAss); 7 exs: “ CHINA: Gansu Prov.[CH11-13b], Lenglong Ling Mts.,  80 kmNNW Honggu, 37°03'47.0"N, 102°39'32.6"E,  3439 m, alpine pasture with Rhododendronand Azalea, litter sifted, 1. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke” ( MNB, cAss); 7 exs: “ CHINA: Gansu Prov.[CH11-14], Lenglong Ling Mts., Wutairidge (pass)  70 kmN Honggu, 36°58'16.6"N, 102°48'03.6"E,  3530 m, stony alpine past with Rhodod.and Azalea, litter & moss sifted, 2. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke” ( MNB, cAss); 7 exs: “ CHINA: Gansu Prov.[CH11-27a], Lenglong Ling Mts.,  60 kmNNW Honggu, Jin Sha Gorge, mixed forest ( Picea, Populus, Betula), 36°51'56.9"N, 102°38'55.3"E, litter, moss, mushrooms sifted, 14./ 15. VII.2011, leg. M. Schülke” ( MNB).   Etymology: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from Qilian Shan, the name of the vast mountain range where this species was collected.   Description: Body length 2.4–3.3 mm; length of forebody 1.0– 1.2 mm. Habitus as in Figs 1–2. Colouration variable: head reddish to black; pronotum reddish to black; elytra reddish to dark-brown; abdomen usually blackish with the apex (segments VIII–X) more or less distinctly paler; legs yellow, rarely slightly darker; antennae reddish. Head (Fig. 3) approximately as long as broad; punctation very fine and rather sparse; interstices with distinct microreticulation. Eyes small and nearly flat, composed of approximately ten ommatidia. Antennae moderately incrassate; antennomeres IV weakly transverse, V–X of increasing width and increasingly transverse, X nearly twice as broad as long. Pronotum (Fig. 3) of variable shape, usually 1.05– 1.15 times as broad as long and 1.05–1.15 times as broad as head, broadest in anterior half, and more or less distinctly tapering posteriad; punctation and microsculpture similar to those of head; pubescence directed anteriad along midline. Elytra (Fig. 3) approximately half as long as pronotum; punctation fine, but more distinct than that of head and pronotum; interstices with microsculpture. Hind wings completely reduced. Abdomen broader than elytra; punctation fine and rather sparse; interstices with distinct microreticulation composed of predominantly transverse meshes on anterior tergites and of isodiametric meshes on posterior tergites; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe; tergite VIII (Fig. 18) without distinct sexual dimorphism, posterior margin broadly convex. : sternite VIII (Fig. 17) oblong, much longer than tergite VIII, and with strongly convex posterior margin; median lobe of aedeagus 0.35–0.40 mmlong and shaped as in Figs 15–16. : sternite VIII (Fig. 19) transverse, posterior margin broadly convex and with moderately modified marginal setae; spermatheca (Figs 20–23) with proximal portion of somewhat variable length. CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENTOMOLOGY: BEITRÄGE ZUR ENTOMOLOGIE — 71(1) 087–101   Map 1: Distributions of micropterous  Bellathetaspeciesin China:  B. qiliana(black circles);  B. proiecta(black diamond);  B. daxuensis(white circles);  B. aucticeps(black triangle);  B. smetanai(white triangles);  B. excaecata(white diamond);  B. diacangica(black star).  Comparative notes:  Bellatheta qilianais distinguished from other micropterous representatives of the genus by the primary sexual characters. In external appearance and the shape of the spermatheca, it is most similar to  B. daxuensis. If differs from this species by larger body size, less dark colouration of the body and of the legs, a more robust habitus, a relatively smaller head, a more oblong and posteriorly more convex male sternite VIII, a less transverse female sternite VIII, and a spermatheca of slightly different shape. For illustrations of other micropterous  Bellathetaspeciesreported from Chinasee PACE (2004)and ASSING (2002, 2009, 2011).   Distribution and natural history: The species was collected in numerous localities in Qilian Shan in the border region between Qilian Shan and Gansuprovinces, China( Map 1). The specimens were sifted from litter, moss, and grass roots in mixed forests and alpine pastures at altitudes between approximately 2400 and 3800 m. One specimen was found under a stone. 2011-06-28 V, MNB M. Schulke China Lang Shi Dang Jing Qu 2925 36.901447 Betula forest 1 102.351974 Park 3 90 2 Qinghai holotype 2011-06-28 MNB M. Schulke China Lang Shi Dang Jing Qu 2925 36.901447 Betula forest 1 102.351974 Park 3 90 8 Qinghai paratype 2011-06-28 MNB Wrase China Lang Shi Dang Jing Qu 2925 36.901447 Betula forest 1 102.351974 Park 3 90 6 Qinghai paratype VI Lang Shi Dang Jing Qu & Park & Populus China 2896 36.902447 75 km NW Honggu 1 102.35469 3 90 50 Qinghai paratype MNB, VII M. Schulke & Picea & Salix & Populus & Betula China 2704 37.159058 Men Yuan 1 102.034996 3 90 28 Qinghai paratype MNB, VII M. Schulke & Wrase China 3536 37.373276 Pass 12 101.40611 Daban Shan 3 90 67 Qinghai paratype MNB, VII M. Schulke China 3775 37.353275 Pass 1 101.40686 Daban Shan 3 90 1 Qinghai paratype MNB, VII M. Schulke & Betula & Populus & Picea China 2383 36.819637 Daban Shan 1 102.523 3 90 1 Qinghai paratype VII M. Schulke & Rhododendron China 3392 37.063972 Lenglong Ling Mts. 1 102.66589 3 90 1 Gansu paratype MNB, VI M. Schulke Switzerland 3392 37.063972 Lenglong Ling Mts. 1 102.66589 3 90 1 Gansu paratype VII Rhododendron & Azalea China 3439 37.063053 Lenglong Ling Mts. 1 102.65906 3 90 1 Gansu paratype MNB, VII M. Schulke & Rhodod. & Azalea China 3530 36.97128 Wutai 1 102.801 Lenglong Ling Mts. 3 90 1 Gansu paratype MNB, VII M. Schulke & Picea & Populus & Betula China 36.865803 Jin Sha Gorge 1 102.64869 Lenglong Ling Mts. 3 90 1 Gansu paratype