Chinecallicerus pinnatus, Assing, 2017

Assing, Volker, 2017, The first species of Chinecallicerus from Sichuan, China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Geostibini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 49 (1), pp. 327-331 : 329-330

Chinecallicerus pinnatus nov.sp. ( Figs 1-6 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype Ƌ: " CHINA: Sichuan Prov., Wolong National Nature Res., Yinshanggou vill. env., Panda valley , 2300 m, 30°58'08''N, 103°07'34''E / 24.VI.2014, sift #24, depression with accumulated debris under rock walls, in narrow river valley above 2nd tunnel, J. Hájek & J. Růžička leg. / Holotypus Ƌ Chinecallicerus pinnatus sp.n., det. V. Assing 2016" ( NMP).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from the Latin noun pinna (fin) and alludes to the shape of the tubercle on the male tergite VII, which somewhat resembles a shark fin.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 4.6 mm; length of forebody 2.0 mm. Coloration: body blackish, with the elytra blackish-brown and the apex of the abdomen (posterior portion of segment VIII; segments IX-X) paler; legs dark-brown, except for the reddish-yellow tarsi and forelegs; antennae blackish-brown; maxillary palpi blackish-brown, with the terminal needle-shaped palpomere pale-yellowish.

Head ( Fig. 1 ) approximately as long as broad and of subquadrate shape; punctation distinct, dense, and slightly granulose; interstices with shallow microreticulation and glossy. Eyes moderately convex, approximately as long as postocular region, but distinctly shorter than distance from posterior margin of eye to posterior constriction of head in dorsal view. Antenna ( Fig. 2 ) approximately 2.0 mm long; antennomeres IV weakly transverse and V-X weakly oblong.

Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) indistinctly transverse, only 1.04 times as broad as long and 1.28 times as broad as head, broadest slightly before middle; punctation and microsculpture similar to those of head; pubescence of midline directed caudad.

Elytra ( Fig. 1 ) shorter than pronotum; punctation very dense and finely granulose; fine and rather dense; microreticulation very shallow. Hind wings fully developed.

Abdomen narrower than elytra; punctation moderately dense and fine on tergites III-VI, very sparse and even finer on tergite VII ( Fig. 4 ); microsculpture very shallow on tergites III-VI, more distinct on tergite VII; tergites III and IV without sexual dimorphism; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

Ƌ: tergite VII with pronounced median tubercle in posterior half, this tubercle shaped like a shark´s dorsal fin in lateral view ( Fig. 3 ); posterior margin of tergite VIII with a median pair of acute processes ( Fig. 4 ); sternite VIII with convex posterior margin; median lobe of aedeagus 0.6 mm long and shaped as in Figs 5-6 .

♀: unknown.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: The type locality is situated in the Wolong National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, at an altitude of 2300 m. The holotype was sifted from debris near rock walls in a stream valley.

Figures

Figs 1-9: Chinecallicerus subater nov.sp.: forebody (1); median portion of head (2); antenna (3); postero-median portion of pronotum (4); abdomen (5); male tergite VIII (6); male sternite VIII (7); median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view (8); median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view (9). Scale bars: 1, 3, 5: 0.5 mm; 6-9: 0.2 mm; 2, 4: 0.1 mm.