Aethina ( Aethina ) Erichson, 1843

Chen, Xiaoxiao, Zhang, Jianhui & Huang, Min, 2024, New species and records of subgenus Aethina from China (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Zootaxa 5471 (1), pp. 141-147 : 142-147

Aethina ( Aethina) Erichson, 1843

Diagnosis. Medium sized, body more or less flat; dorsal and ventral surface with appropriately developed or reduced pubescence; antennal grooves short and convergent; lateral margin of pronotum ciliated; claw simple; pygidium with 8 arc-shaped depressions in the base; ovipositor simple and not divided apically.

Key to species of the subgenus Aethina from China

1. Antennal club rhombic, terminal segment wider than antennomere 10............................................ 2 Antennal club oval, terminal segment narrower than antennomere 10............................................ 4

2. Body blackish, pronotum and anterior margin of elytra covered with yellow coarse seta, posterior margin of elytra with brown fine seta........................................................................... A. ( A.) shizhusa sp. nov. Body brownish-yellow, and covered with grayish or light yellow pubescence...................................... 3

3. Antennomere 8 disc-shaped, last segment of labial palpomere oblique truncated apically, scutellum semicircular................................................................................................ A. ( A.) aeneipennis Antennomere 8 not disc-shaped, last segment of labial palpomere truncated apically, scutellum subquadrilateral A. ( A.) vicina

4. Body rather flat dorsally................................................................................ 5 Body convex dorsally.................................................................................. 8

5. Dorsal surface of pronotum and elytra with color spots........................................................ 6 Dorsal surface of pronotum and elytra without color spots..................................................... 7

6. Anterior and posterior margins of pronotum with two markings not connected, pygidium with an oblong dark brown markings medially................................................................................... A. ( A.) argus Anterior and posterior margins of pronotum with two markings connected, pygidium without markings medially................................................................................................... A. ( A.) dundai

7. Body covered with grayish pubescence, length of elytra equal to combined width of elytra.................................................................................................................. A. ( A.) scutellaris Body covered with red pubescence, length of elytra longer than combined width of elytra..................................................................................................................... A. ( A.) testacea

8. Elytra with coppery green luster........................................................... A. ( A.) cyaneipennis Elytra without coppery green luster....................................................................... 9

9. Dorsal surface with color spots......................................................................... 10 Dorsal surface without color spots....................................................................... 12

10. Disc of pronotum with a round black spot..................................................... A. ( A.) flavicollis Disc of pronotum without round black spots............................................................... 11

11. Body blackish, anterior margin of elytra with symmetrical triangular brown-yellow markings............ A. ( A.) lindskogi Body dark brown, elytra with symmetrical “inverted L-shaped” rufous markings..................... A. ( A.) rufobasalis

12. Body dark in color, usually black........................................................................ 13 Body light in color, usually light brown to chestnut brown.................................................... 16

13. Length of elytra obvious shorter than combined width of elytra..................................... A. ( A.) kabakovi Length of elytra obvious equal to or longer than combined width of elytra....................................... 14

14. Pronotum with posterior margin bisinuate.................................................... A. ( A.) inconspicua Pronotum with posterior margin straight.................................................................. 15

15. Pronotum with posterior angles subrectangular, length of elytra equal to combined width of elytra........ A. ( A.) kirejtshuki Pronotum with posterior angles prominent, length of elytra longer than combined width of elytra................................................................................................. A. ( A.) similinconspicua sp. nov.

16. Body oval, body length significantly shorter than twice the width.............................................. 17 Body oblong, body length longer than twice the width....................................................... 18

17. Pygidium obtuse apically, scutellum semicircular............................................... A. ( A.) dubitabilis Pygidium truncated apically, scutellum trapezoidal............................................... A. ( A.) concinna

18. Antennae equal to head width................................................................. A. ( A.) planta Antennae shorter than head width....................................................................... 19

19. Body brown, length of elytra shorter than combined width of elytra, pronotum strongly carinate............. A. ( A.) tumida Body light brown, length of elytra longer than combined width of elytra, pronotum flat................ A. ( A.) berezovskyi