Paederus (Gnathopaederus) szechuanus (Chapin, 1927)

Peng, Zhong, Li, Qi-Li, Li, Li-Zhen & Gu, Fu-Kang, 2015, New data on the subgenus Gnathopaederus of the genus Paederus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) of mainland China, Zootaxa 3999 (3), pp. 421-429 : 424-425

Paederus (Gnathopaederus) szechuanus (Chapin, 1927)

(Figs 1B–C, 1H, 3)

Material studied. China: Sichuan: 2 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, Dujiangyan, Qingcheng Shan, 30°57'04''N, 103°28'43''E, 1700 m, 30.VII.2012, Zhong Peng leg. ( SNUC); 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Dujiangyan, Qingcheng Shan, 30°56'58''N, 103°28'40''E, 1650 m, 29.VII.2012, Dai, Peng & Yin leg. ( SNUC); 3 ♂♂, Baoxing Hsien, Fengtongzhai Natural Reserve, 1900 m, 02.X.2014, Hao Xu & Jian-Yue Qiu leg. ( SNUC); 2 ♀♀, Baoxing Hsien, Fengtongzhai Natural Reserve, 30°32'N, 102°56'E, 1500 m, 25.VI.2012, Huang leg. ( SNUC); 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Tianquan Hsien, Liangluxiang, 29°56'19''N, 102°23'28''E, 1500 m, 09.VII.2012, Dai, Peng & Yin leg. ( SNUC); 5 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Leshan, Emei Shan, 29°33'52''N, 103°22'38''E, 1100 m, 27.VII.2012, Zhong Peng leg. ( SNUC); 1 ♀, Leshan, Emei Shan, 29°33'08''N, 103°22'19''E, 1300 m, 05.VII.2013, Xiao Bian leg. ( SNUC); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Xiling Xueshan, 30°37'N, 103°08'E, 2100 m, 04.II.2013, Zhang leg. ( SNUC).

Comment. A comparison of the redescription and illustrations of P. szechuanus in Li & Zhou (2009) with the above material revealed some differences in the sexual characters. According to Li & Zhou (2009), the anterior margin of the male labrum is distinctly sinuate (less sinuate, Fig. 3 D), the apical portion of the dorsal plate is curved to the right in dorsal view (left in the material listed above, Fig. 3 N) and the internal sac of the aedeagus has S-shaped sclerotized spines (a long curved spine and a short spine in the material listed above, Figs 3 L–O). This species is widespread in the eastern Qionglai mountains and subject to considerable intraspecific variation of characters such as size, coloration and punctation, as well as the shape of the head, pronotum, elytra, parameres and internal structures of the aedeagus, but the shape of the labrum is constant.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Paederus szechuanus. A male left mandible B male right mandible C female right mandible D male labrum E female labrum F female tergite VIII G female sternite VIII H female sternite IX I male tergite VIII J male sternite VIII K male tergite IX L, O aedeagus in ventral view M aedeagus in lateral view N aedeagus in dorsal view P the front part of parameres. Scale bars: A – O 0.5 mm, P 0.1 mm.