Loeblites chinensis Zhou and Li

Zhou, De-Yao & Li, Li-Zhen, 2015, Discovery of the genus Loeblites Franz (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae) in China, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3986 (3), pp. 393-396 : 393-396

Loeblites chinensis Zhou and Li , new species

Figs 1 A, 2B–H

Type material (1♂). Holotype: CHINA: ♂, labeled ‘ China: Yunnan Prov., Jinghong, Nabanhe N. R., Manfei, ca.

22°09'N, 100°41'E, 650 m, 9.i.2004, Li & Tang leg. / HOLOTYPE [red],printed, 1♂, Loeblites chinensis sp. n., det. Zhou & Li, 2014, SNUC’ ( SNUC).

Diagnosis. Loeblites chinensis can be readily separated from other congeners by the aedeagus being widest near the middle in dorso-ventral view, and by the “m” shaped transverse sclerite near the middle of the aedeagal endophallus.

Description. Male. BL 2.76 mm; body ( Fig. 1 A) large, very convex, reddish brown, legs and palpi slightly lighter. Head broadest at large, finely-faceted, and moderately convex eyes, HL 0.46 mm, HW 0.61 mm; tempora about as long as eye length in dorsal view, rounded, strongly convergent posteriorly; vertex over twice as broad as long, regularly convex; with small and indistinctly delimited median tubercle adjacent to occipital constriction; supraantennal tubercles prominent, frons relatively small, subtrapezoidal; clypeus very large, subtrapezoidal, convex. Head dorsum glossy, sparsely and finely punctate; setae sparse, moderately long. Antennae ( Fig. 2 B) slender, AnL 2.05 mm, relative lengths of antennomeres: 1.0: 0.7: 1.3: 1.4: 1.6: 1.4: 1.4: 1.3: 1.2: 1.1: 1.1. Pronotum elongate, widest near anterior third, PL 0.76 mm, PWm 0.64 mm, PWb 0.53 mm; anterior and lateral margins rounded together, sides between middle and posterior third constricted, posterior margin nearly straight; posterior collar separated from disc by transverse row of four large, deep, slightly elongate pits; disc finely punctate; setae thin, moderately dense and long. Elytra oval, widest anterior to middle, narrowing toward apices. Punctation sparse and fine, punctures shallow and relatively indistinct; setation sparse, moderately long. EL 1.54 mm, EW 0.97 mm, EI 1.58. Humeral callus on each elytron moderately distinct; setae about as dense as those on pronotum. Legs long and slender, all femora with stalk-like basal half and clavate distal half, dorsal femoral groove developed nearly from base of femur up to apex, circular pore small, located in highest point of dorsal margin of clavate part; tibiae slender; all tibiae nearly straight. Aedeagus ( Fig. 2 C–E) elongate, widest near middle, AeL 0.67 mm; endophallus ( Fig. 2 F–G) with complicated system of strongly to weakly sclerotized structures; parameres ( Fig. 2 H) lacking visible setae.

Distribution. Southern China: Yunnan.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the country where the type locality of the new species lies.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Syndicus species. A. Loeblites chinensis, male. B. Loeblites sp., female. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 2. Diagnostic characters of Loeblites chinensis (B – H) and Loeblites sp. (A, I – K). A – B. Antenna. C. Aedeagus, in dorsal view. D. Same, in lateral view. E. Same, in ventral view. F. Aedeagal endophallus, enlarged, in dorsal view. G. Same, schematic. H. Apical portion of paramere, enlarged. I. Spermatheca, in lateral view. J. Same, in axial view. K. Bursa copulatrix, in dorsal view. Scale bars: A, B = 1 mm; C, D, E, F, G = 0.2 mm; H = 0.1 mm; I, J = 0.05 mm; K = 0.1.