Lycocerus gracilicornis Y. Yang & X. Yang

Yang, Yuxia, Su, Junyan & Yang, Xingke, 2014, Description of six new species of Lycocerus Gorham (Coleoptera, Cantharidae), with taxonomic note and new distribution data of some other species, ZooKeys 456, pp. 85-107 : 87-88

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Cantharidae

Lycocerus gracilicornis Y. Yang & X. Yang sp. n. Figs 1, 7, 16-18

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (IZAS): CHINA, Sichuan, Yajiang to 5km of Litang, 2595m, leg. Gan-Yan Yang. Paratypes: CHINA, Sichuan: 2♂♂ (IZAS): Yajiang, Hekou, Shanbeihou, 2838m, 27.V.2009, leg. Gan-Yan Yang; 1♂ (IZAS): Yajiang, 24.V.2009, leg. Feng Yuan; 1♂ (IZAS): Yajiang, Bajiaolou, 29.V.2009, leg. Zhi-Liang Wang [the above are all transliterated from Chinese labels]; 1♂ (NHMB): "CHINA, Sichuan prov., Mts W. Bamei, 3750m, 12.08.2005, leg. S. Murzin".

Distribution.

China (Sichuan).

Description.

Male (Fig. 1). Body black, mandibles dark brown, pronotum red, with a large black marking in center of disc, elytra red, distinctly darkened almost along the whole length of the second elytral interstices, slightly darkened at the first elytral interstices.

Head evenly narrowed behind eyes, surface densely and finely punctate, semilustrous, covered with dense, fine, yellowish brown decumbent pubescence; eyes moderately protruding, head width across eyes moderately wider than anterior margin of pronotum; terminal maxillary palpomeres long-triangular, arcuate and sharp at apical one-third length of inner margins; antennae (Fig. 7) filiform, extending to apical one-third length of elytra, antennomeres II slightly longer than wide at apices, III–XI nearly parallel-sided, III about 2.5 times as long as wide, IV about one-third longer than III, XI slightly longer than X and pointed at apices, IV–XI each with a small round smooth impression at apical part of outer margin.

Pronotum nearly as long as wide, widest near posterior margin, anterior margin arcuate, anterior angles rounded, lateral margins slightly diverging posteriorly, posterior angles rectangular, posterior margin slightly arcuate and narrowly bordered, disc moderately convex at posterolateral parts, surface punctate and pubescent like that of head, semilustrous.

Elytra about 5.5 times longer than pronotum, 4.0 times as long as humeral width, which about one-third wider than posterior margin of pronotum, lateral margins nearly parallel, elytral venation slightly developed, not costate.

All tarsal claws simple.

Abdominal sternite IX long-triangular. Aedeagus (Figs 16-18): ventral process of each paramere normal and rounded at apex, distinctly narrowed at base and slightly bent dorsally in lateral view; dorsal fig slightly shorter than ventral process, abruptly narrowed at inner apical portion, with inner angle rounded, outer angle obtuse-angled, inner margin sinuate, apical margin rounded; laterophyse with apex pointed laterodorsally to outer angle of dorsal fig.

Female. Unknown.

Body length (males): 8.0-10.0 mm; width: 2.0-2.2 mm.

Etymology.

This specific name is derived from Latin gracilis (narrow) + cornu (horn), referring its antennomeres III–XI nearly parallel-sided.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Lycocerus hickeri Pic, but the antennae filiform, with antennomeres III–XI nearly parallel-sided; elytral venation less developed and the second elytral interstices darkened.