Paratrichius circularis Ma, 1990

Mückstein, Petr, Xu, Hao & Qiu, Jian-Yue, 2020, Description of a new species resembling Paratrichius circularis Ma, 1990 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) from China, Zootaxa 4763 (2), pp. 259-269 : 260-262

Paratrichius circularis Ma, 1990

( Figs. 1–6 , 13–16 , 21-28 , 32-34, 37)

Paratrichius circularis Ma, 1990: 457 , 460 (type locality: Mt. Emeishan, Qingyinge, Sichuan, China), figs. 1–2, ♂, 5 parameres; Ma 1995: 177, text-figs. 150a–b pronotum and elytron; Krajčík 1999: 51; Smetana 2006: 309; Krajčík 2011: 79; Krajčík 2012: 197; Bezděk 2016: 406.

Type material. This species was originally described based on two male specimens ( Ma 1990). The type specimens deposited in IZAS being unavailable for the present work, here we transcribe the label data from the original publication: holotype (♂, IZAS), Mt. Emeishan, Qingyinge, Sichuan, 800–1,000 m, 1957.VII.25, Ke-Ren HUANG leg. ; paratype (♂, IZAS), Mt. Emeishan, Jiulaodong, Sichuan, 1,800 –1,900 m, 1957.VII.31, You-Cai LU leg.

Additional material examined (5♂♂, 4♀♀). CHINA: Sichuan: 1♀ ( MNHN), 1.VIII.[19]31, Omei, China, elv. 2,000; 1♀ ( SYSM), Szechuan, W. China, Omei; 1♂ ( MYNU), 2006.VII, Mt. Emeishan, Leshan, Sichuan; 1♂ ( MYNU), 2014.VIII.24, Qiliping, Mt. Emeishan, Hongya, Chao ZHOU leg.; 1♀ ( MYNU), 2018.VIII.9, Mt. Zhou- gongshan, Ya‘an, Sichuan, alt. 1,600 m, Ji-Shen WANG leg.; 2♂♂ ( MYNU), 2018.VIII.11 ~12, Mt. Zhougongshan, Ya‘an, Sichuan, alt. 1,600 m, Jian-Yue QIU & Hao XU leg.; Chongqing: 2♂♂, 1♀ ( SWU), 1991.VII.26, Mt. Simi- anshan Nature Reserve, Dawopu, Jiangjin, Chongqing, alt. 1,060 m, Jing-Qiu CHENG et al. leg.

Diagnosis. Elongate, with slender legs, color black ( Figs.1–6 ). Antennae fulvous (with slightly darker scapus); antennal club longer in male. Pronotum suboctagonal, slightly wider at the middle of lateral margins, anterior angles slightly pointed; a narrow chalky band along margins; three chalky maculae on disc (“/ | \” shaped), sometimes partly ( Fig. 22 ) or totally absent ( Fig. 4 ) in female; dorsal surface with dense punctures (punctures larger in female). Elytra regularly covered with sparse yellowish setae ( Fig 23 ); color of the inner area from humeral callus to apicosutural angle gradually from black to orange-brown. Yellowish chalky material on elytra: disc with two sinuate, transverse bands (usually, the anterior one divided into two parts, the posterior one divided into three parts); elytral juxtascutellar area with a narrow band along suture; elytral distal declivity with a crescent narrow transverse band. Pygidium strongly convex in male, while depressed medially in female; surface with concentric wrinkles, covered with pale yellowish chalky material at sides only ( Figs. 14, 16 ). Sides of metasternum covered with chalky material. Abdominal sternite III to VI covered with chalky material (absent in median portion of III to V in female). Protibia bidentate (proximal tooth inconspicuous in male), without terminal spur in male. Parameres broad; apex rounded, slightly arcuate outwards; a short, auriform protuberance laterally protruding from basal part of paramere ( Figs. 27–28 ).

Measurements. Body length 14.2–15.1 mm, width 6.1–7.0 mm.

Distribution. China: Chongqing (new record), Sichuan.

Remarks. The figure numbers of the parameres of Paratrichius circularis and P. rufescens Ma, 1990 are reversed in the original description ( Ma 1990), and this mistake was not corrected in Ma (1995). Ma (1990) claimed that P. circularis was closed to P. elegantulus (Moser, 1902) but differed in the body size, the color of elytra, and the shape of spots on elytra and pygidium. Actually, their coloration patterns are distinctly different: P. elegantulus resembles P. flavipes (Moser, 1901) which usually bears six maculae on elytron, while P. circularis has two chalky bands instead of maculae.

The adults of P. circularis were observed visiting the flowers of Hydrangea sp. (Rosales: Saxifragaceae ) in Mount Zhougongshan, Sichuan ( Figs. 32–34 ) at a high elevation (about 1,600 m). While the label data of several specimens indicated that beetles were caught at an elevation around 1,000 m. These data suggested a broad altitude distribution range for this species.

Figures

FIGURES 1‒6. Habitus (dorsal, ventral, and lateral view) of Paratrichius circularis Ma, 1990. 1–3, male; 4–6, female.

FIGURES 13‒20. Habitus (oblique view) and pygidium of Paratrichius Janson, 1881 species. 13–16, P. circularis Ma, 1990: 13–14, male; 15–16, female. 17–20, P. tesari Mückstein, Xu & Qiu, new species: 17–18, male holotype; 19–20, female paratype in PMCH.

FIGURES 21‒31. Variability and details of Paratrichius Janson, 1881 species. 21–28, P. circularis Ma, 1990: 21–22, color- ation variation; 23, setae on elytra; 24–26, illustration (pronotum, elytron, and parameres) of the male holotype of P. circularis (modified from Ma 1990); 27–28, parameres (apical and lateral view). 29–31, P. tesari Mückstein, Xu & Qiu, new species, holotype: 29, setae on elytra; 30–31, parameres (apical and lateral view).

FIGURES 32‒36. Habitat of Paratrichius Janson, 1881 species. 32–34, habitat of P. circularis Ma, 1990: 32, microbiotop in Mount Zhougongshan, Sichuan, China (photographs by Ji-Shen Wang); 33, female on flower of Hydrangea sp. (photographs by Ji-Shen Wang); 34, male on the same host plant. 35–36, habitat of P. tesari Mückstein, Xu & Qiu, new species: 35, karst landscape in Maolan Natural Reserve, Guizhou, China; 36, Viburnum sp., host plant.