Micropeplus jason, Smetana, Aleš, 2015

Smetana, Aleš, 2015, DNA barcoding and regional diversity of understudied Micropeplinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Southwest China: phylogenetic implications and a new Micropeplus from Mount Emei, Zootaxa 3919 (3), pp. 583-599 : 590-591

Micropeplus jason sp. n.

Figs. 3 , 4 .

Diagnosis. This species is easily recognizable by its small size and the unique combination of two characters: effaced pronotal ridges and single line of large punctures on elytral intercostae.

Description. Holotype, female ( Figs. 3 A–D). GenBank accession: HQ987124 . Length: 1.6 mm. Body not flattened, pronotal ridges effaced, each elytron with seven costae, elytral intercostae with single line of large punctures, metacoxae widely separated. Intraspecific variation. GenBank accessions: HQ987123 , HQ987125 , KF408053 . Length: 1.4–1.6 mm.

Material examined. Holotype female ( ZCAS): #0907, “P.R. CHINA, Sichuan, EmeiShan, N29°33' 36.3 E103°20' 38.0, 15.vi.2010, 1947m, sifting33, V.Grebennikov”. Paratypes ( CNC, ZCAS): 9 exx in total: 3 exx: #0905, 0 906, #0908: same data as holotype; 2 exx: #0572, #0911: “P.R. CHINA, Sichuan, Emei Shan, N29°33.605' E103°20.633', 05.vii.2009, 1947m, sifting17, V.Grebennikov"; 2 exx: #0573, #0574: "P.R. CHINA, Sichuan, Emei Shan, N29°32.932' E103°20.466', 01.vii.2009, 2310m, sifting14, V.Grebennikov”; 2 exx: #2903, #2904: “P.R. CHINA, Sichuan, Emei Shan, N29°33'00" E103°21'38", 28.v.2011, 1639m, sift08, V.Grebennikov”.

Distribution. This species is known only from Mount Emei in Sichuan, Southwest China. Elevation: 1639–1947 m.

Etymology. The species epithet is the Latinized Greek mythical name of Jason , the leader of Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece; noun in apposition.

Phylogenetic position. See Discussion.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Micropeplus jason sp. n. from Mount Emei, Sichuan. A – D: holotype, female, # 0907, habitus; E – H: paratype, female, # 0906, tergite and sternite 8 with enclosed hemisternites (E), hemisternites (F), tergite (G) and ventrite (H) 8; I – M: paratype, male, # 0911, tergite and sternite 8 with enclosed aedeagus (I), aedeagus (J, K), tergite (L) and sternite (M) 8.

FIGURE 4. Micropeplus jason sp. n. from Mount Emei, Sichuan. Unsexed paratypes # 0572 (H) and # 0573 (A – G, I – J). Habitus (A-D), head fronto-ventral (E), lateral (F) and ventro-lateral (G), anterior body latero-ventral (H), posterior body ventro-terminal (I) and latero-terminal (J). Numbers on elytra indicate elytral costae starting with the weakly developed median (= sutural or adsutural) costa.