Guizhaphaenops (s. str.) wanghaoi, Tian & Huang & Jia, 2023

Tian, Mingyi, Huang, Sunbin & Jia, Xinyang, 2023, A contribution to cavernicolous beetle diversity of South China Karst: eight new genera and fourteen new species (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechini), Zootaxa 5243 (1), pp. 1-66 : 57-61

Guizhaphaenops (s. str.) wanghaoi n. sp.

Figures 1e , 38–40

Material. Holotype male, Weixiao Tiankeng , Gaoling, Qinglong County, Qianxinan Buyi & Miao Autonomous Prefecture, southwestern Guizhou Province, southwestern China, 23.16 N, 113.36 E, 1345 m, 2022-III-21, leg. Hao Wang, in SCAU; paratypes: 2 females, IBID, in SCAU.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized trechine, semi-aphaenopsian, eyeless and depigmented, body glabrous and concolorous yellowish brown.

Description. Length: 6.6–6.8 mm; width: 2.3–2.4 mm. Habitus as in Figure 38 .

Body yellowish brown, mouthparts, palps and antennae pale. Head, pronotum, elytra and underside of head and thorax smooth and glabrous. Microsculptural engraved meshes more or less isometric on head, while transversely striate on pronotum and elytra. Fore body much shorter than elytra, (HLm+PL) / EL = 0.86–0.87.

Head elongate, longer than wide, HLm/HW = 1.95–1.96, HLl/HW = 1.45–1.57; genae feebly expanded, widest at about middle of head excluding mandibles; frons and vertex moderately convex; clypeus transverse, 4-setose; labrum shallowly emarginate at frontal margin, 6-setose, median two smaller and shorter; frontal furrows subparallel-sided in basal half, strongly divergent posteriorly; mandibles moderately developed, feebly curved apically, right mandibular tooth bidentate; only anterior supraorbital setiferous pores present, located at about the middle of the head respectively; labial suture absent, mentum bisetose, tooth short and bifid at tip, base largely concave; submentum 10-setose; ligula adnated with paraglossae, 8-setose at apex; palpomeres thin and elongate, the 2 nd labial palpomere bisetose on inner margin, with an additional seta on outer margin, the 3 rd maxillary palpomere with three setae at apex; 3 rd labial and 4 th palpomere maxillary palpomeres smooth and glabrous; the 2 nd labial palpomere 1.3 times longer than 3 rd, the 3 rd maxillary palpomere 1.2 times longer than 4 th; antennae pubescent from pedicel to 11 th antennomere; scape with several long setae, smooth and slightly stouter than other, the 10 th the shortest; the comparative length of each antennomere from the 1 st to 11 th in holotype as: 1 st (1.15) / 2 nd (1.25) / 3 rd (1.55) / 4 th (1.50) / 5 th (1.40) / 6 th (1.30) / 7 th (1.25) / 8 th (1.15) / 9 th (1.10) / 10 th (1.00) / 11 th (1.35).

Propleura invisible from above. Pronotum sub-orbicular, as long as wide; much wider but shorter than head, PnW/HW = 1.24–1.33, PnL/HLm = 0.71–0.74, PnL/HLl = 0.84–0.86; lateral margins finely bordered and reflexed upwardly throughout, fore angles slightly protruding and obtuse, hind angles widely obtuse; widest at about apical 3/7; only the anterior marginal seta present, located at about apical 1/6 of pronotum, the posterior absent; base slightly narrower than front, PbW/PfW = 0.73–0.78, both unbordered; front slightly emarginate, while base nearly straight, but shortly curved near hind angles; disc moderately convex; fore and posterior transverse impressions weakly-marked, basal foveae indistinct; median line clear. Scutellum small.

Elytra elongate ovate, much longer than wide, EL/EW = 1.58–1.60; slightly widened apically; much wider than pronotum, EW/PnW = 1.83–1.87; lateral margins finely bordered and smooth throughout, but ciliate near humeral portion, widest at about middle; disc strongly convex, striae shallow, punctures visible, intervals flat, apical striole not well-marked; chaetotaxy ( Figure 39A ): basal pore present; only a dorsal setiferous pore present on the 3 rd stria on each elytron, located at a little before middle; preapical pore present at about apical 2/13 of elytra, located in the anastomosis of 3 rd and 4 th striae, closer to elytral suture than to margin; the humeral group of the marginal umbilicate pores not aggregated, the 2 nd pore closer to marginal gutter than other, the 4 th pore widely separated from 3 rd; the middle group (5 th and 6 th pores) close to each other; the anguloapical pore absent.

Legs moderately developed; fore tibia with a longitudinal sulcus on dorsal surface; the 1 st tarsomere much shorter than 2 nd –4 th tarsomeres together in fore leg, whereas as long as those in middle and hind legs respectively. The 1 st protarsomere elongated and slightly enlarged, denticulate inwardly at apex in male.

Ventrites smooth at sides, with some short pubescence medially, IV-VI each with a pair of paramedial setae, VII bisetose apically in male, while quadrisetose in female.

Male genitalia ( Figure 39B,C ):The median lobe moderately sclerotized, slender and elongate, widely emarginate; base small, with a large sagittal aileron; copulatory piece not well-marked, about 1/4 as long as the median lobe; apical lobe gradually tapered, apex blunt; in dorsal view, apical lobe narrowly rounded at the extremity; parameres moderately developed, similar each other in shape, the right and left each with four and three long setae at apex.

Remarks. This new species is similar to Guizhaphaenops (s. str.) pouillyi Deuve & Quéinnec, 2014 recorded from Yin Dong (also known as Luoshui Dong II) along Gesuo River in Panzhou Qu of Liupanshui Shi, about 34 kilometres in linear distance from Weixiao Tiankeng ( Deuve & Quéinnec 2014). However, G. (s. str.) wanghaoi has thinner head and pronotum, presence of posterior dorsal pore and the preapical pore on elytra vs. both absent but presence of anterior dorsal pore in G. (s. str.) pouillyi .

Etymology. In honour of Mr. Hao Wang (an member of “Explore China ” team), who found and collected the type series.

Distribution. China (Guizhou). Known only from Weixiao Tiankeng in Qinglong County ( Figure 1e ).

Weixiao (which means “smiling” in Chinese) Tiankeng is located near Gaoling Village in southwestern Qinglong County. It has a wide and smiling-like opening and a depth of about 210 metres. The bottom connects to an underground creek ( Figure 40 ). Along the main passage, there are several chambers and branches with high degree of humidity (Rurui Ye, personal communication). The type specimens were collected under stone in a chamber. Other cave animals also observed inside this Tiankeng were crickets, pseudoscorpions and frogs.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map indicating the locality caves of the new genera and species. a. Xianren Dong; b. Shisanya Dong; c. Da Dong, Tuoluo; d. Da Dong, Bali; e. Weixiao Tiankeng; f. Laba Dong; g. Gui Dong; h. Suolue Cave I; i. Xiannü Dong; j. Jiudu Cave I; k. Xiannü Dong; l. Yunxian Dong; m. Zhongguo Dong; n. Feixian Dong.

FIGURE 38. Habitus of Guizhaphaenops (s. str.) wanghaoi n. sp., male, holotype.

FIGURE 39. Guizhaphaenops (s. str.) wanghaoi n. sp. A. left elytron (white dots indicating the chaetotaxy); B. median lobe, lateral view; C. apical lobe, dorsal view.

FIGURE 40. Weixiao Tiankeng, the type locality of Guizhaphaenops (s. str.) wanghaoi n. sp. A. environ of Weixiao Tiankeng, bird view; B. a descending caver; C. the main passage below the Tiankeng (photos courtesy of Ms. Rurui Ye).