Laena dentithoraxa, Wei & Ren, 2023

Wei, Zhonghua & Ren, Guodong, 2023, Two new species of the genus Laena (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Lagriinae) from northern Sichuan in China based on morphological and molecular data, ZooKeys 1173, pp. 71-83 : 71

Laena dentithoraxa sp. nov.

Fig. 3

Type locality.

China, Sichuan Province, Yajiang County, Yizhan.

Type specimens.

Holotype: ♂, China, Sichuan, Yajiang Yizhan, elev. 2800 m, 2022.VIII.6, Zhonghua Wei leg., CWNU. Paratype: 2♂2♀, China, Sichuan, Yajiang Yizhan, elev. 2800 m, 2022.VIII.6, Zhonghua Wei leg., CWNU.

Other examined materials.

1♀, in ethanol, China, Sichuan, Yajiang Yizhan , elev. 2800 m, 2022.VIII.6, Zhonghua Wei leg., CWNU .

Diagnosis.

This new species should belong to the L. yajiangica species-group: L. yajiangica Schawaller, 2001, L. yulongica Schawaller, 2001, L. bowaica Schawaller, 2001, and L. schuelkei Schawaller, 2001. This new species is similar to L. yajiangica Schawaller, 2001 (Fig. 4A, B ) in body shape and crenulated lateral margins of the pronotum, but it can be easily distinguished by all femora having distinct teeth near the inner apex and an aedeagus with constricted apices.

Descriptions.

Male. Body length 8.9-9.1 mm, width 3.0-3.2 mm. Body (Fig. 3A, B ) blackish brown, surface coarse and dull, with dense and large punctures bearing very sparse, short setae; pronotal surface with irregular wrinkles.

Head trapezoidal, cranial surface coarse, with dense, large punctation bearing very sparse, short setae. Genae strongly raised, surface with dense and large punctures including apical part. Eyes ovate, not reduced and prominent. Epistome nearly trapezoidal, anterior margin slightly emarginated, surface with dense, large punctures. Fronto-clypeal suture distinctly depressed. Frons convex at middle, surface with deep longitudinal groove at lateral side. Antennae (Fig. 3C ) short, reaching basal 1/3 of pronotum when directed backwards, antennomeres I distinct thicker than II-IX, antennomere III approximately 2.1 times as long as antennomere II, relative ratio of the length of antennomeres II-XI as follows: 0.64:1.37:0.86:0.86:0.92:0.89:0.89:0.92:1.01:1.60.

Pronotum (Fig. 3A ) widest at anterior 1/3, approximately 1.3 times as wide as long and 1.3 times as wide as head. Anterior margin evenly emarginate; lateral margins strongly crenulated, not beaded; basal margin nearly straight, not bent downwards; disc convex, descendent laterally, surface with dense and large fused punctures, bearing sparse and short setae, interspace between punctures strongly raised, with a pair of deep pits at middle and a shallow groove along with middle line. Anterior angles acute, strongly produced; posterior angles near rectangular, not produced. Prothoracic hypomera with punctures as large as those on pronotal disc. Prosternal process widest at apices, bent downwards behind coxae; surface with dense, large punctures bearing sparse, short setae. Meso- and metaventrite with dense, large punctures bearing short setae.

Elytra (Fig. 3A ) elongate-oval, widest at middle, approximately 1.4 times as long as wide; lateral sides nearly paralleled from base to apical 1/4; humeral angles acute, strongly produced. Elytral surface roughened, flat, with sparse, short setae, with rows of punctures without striae; punctures in rows as large as those on pronotum, those on intervals very small nearly invisible; intervals III and V slightly convex, interval VII strongly convex, intervals VIII and IX invisible in dorsal view, interval IX with two setigerous pores bearing longer setae. Elytral apices prolonged in dorsal view, apex obtuse.

Abdomen long ovoid, 1.8 times as long as wide, widest in middle. Surface convex, with dense and large punctures; posterior part of sternite IV strongly convex along with posterior margin; punctures on sternite IV and V smaller than those of sternite I-III.

Legs slender, surface coarse, with smaller punctures bearing moderate setae. All femora (Fig. 3D-F ) with distinct obtuse teeth near apex on inner sides. Base of protibiae more curve than that of meso- and metatibiae; all tibiae not hooked at inner apex.

Aedeagus (Fig. 3G-H ) length 1.7-1.8 mm, width 0.2-0.3 mm. Parameres elgate trapezoid, with constricted apex widest at base, lateral margins evenly convergent towards apices in dorsal view.

Sexual dimorphism.

These female specimens without significant differences.

Distribution.

China: Sichuan.

Etymology.

The name of this species is based on the pronotum with well-developed teeth on lateral margins.

Figures

Figure 3. Laena dentithoraxa sp. nov., paratype, male A, B dorsal and ventral views C antenna D profemur and protibia, in ventral view E mesofemur and mesotibia, in ventral view F metafemur and metatibia, in ventral view G, H aedeagus, in dorsal and lateral views.

Figure 4. Illustration of Laena species A, B L. yajiangica Schawaller, 2001, dorsal and ventral views C L. bowaica Schawaller, 2001 D L. maowenica Schawaller, 2008.