Zunotrechus zhaojieyui, 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 : 38-41

Zunotrechus zhaojieyui n. sp.

Figures 1c , 23–25

Material. Holotype male, Da Dong, Bali, Bozhou , Zunyi Shi , Guizhou Province, 23.16 N, 113.36 E, 922 m, 2019- IV-2, Mingyi Tian leg., in SCAU.

Diagnosis. Anophthalmic-like species, though head more or less semi-aphaenopsian, body smooth, not pubescent, head as long as pronotum, antennae not extending over apices of elytra, fore part evidently shorter than elytra.

Description. Length: 5.2 mm; width: 1.8 mm. Habitus as in Figure 23A .

Body yellowish brown, mouthparts palps pale; head with several setae on genae, pronotum with several long setae sparsely scattered on disc, elytra with sparse and short setae; microsculptural engraved meshes more or less moderately transverse on head, pronotum and elytra; fore body much shorter than elytra, (HLm+PL) / EL = 0.88.

Head elongate, longer than wide, HLm/HW = 1.98, HLl/HW = 1.40; genae feebly expanded, widest at about basal 1/3 of head excluding mandibles; frons and vertex moderately convex; clypeus transverse, 4-setose; labrum bisinuate at frontal margin, 6-setose, median two smaller and shorter; frontal furrows sub-parallel-sided at most part, strongly divergent posteriorly; mandibles moderately developed, feebly curved apically; anterior and posterior supraorbital setiferous pores located at about basal 3/7 and basal 2/11 of head respectively; ligula adnated with paraglossae, 8-setose at apex; palpomeres moderately long and elongate, smooth and glabrous except the 2 nd labial palpomere bisetose on inner margin, with two additional setae on outer margin; the 2 nd labial palpomere 1.2 times longer than 3 rd, the 3 rd maxillary palpomere as long as 4 th; Antennae pubescent from pedicel; scape with several long setae, smooth and stouter than other, as long as pedicel, the 3 rd and 5 th longest, the comparative length of each antennomere from the 1 st to 11 th in holotype as: 1 st (1.00) / 2 nd (1.00) / 3 rd (1.71) / 4 th (1.47) / 5 th (1.70) / 6 th (1.53) / 7 th (1.52) / 8 th (1.54) / 9 th (1.33) / 10 th (1.12) / 11 th (1.49).

Pronotum as long as wide; much wider than, and as long as head, PnW/HW = 1.32, PnL/HLl = 0.94; widest at about apical 1/6 where exactly the anterior marginal seta located, then gently contracted backwardly to hind angle, more so forwardly to fore angle; base narrower than front, PbW/PfW = 0.78, both unbordered, base slightly emarginate, while front nearly straight; disc moderately convex; fore and posterior transverse impressions well marked, basal foveae large; median line clear. Scutellum quite small.

Elytra much longer than wide, EL/EW = 1.61; expanded posteriorly; much wider than pronotum; lateral sides sub-parallel-sided, marginal gutters well-marked, apical striole weakly-defined; chaetotaxy ( Figure 23B ): basal pore present; dorsal and preapical pores large and well-marked, each with a large and long setae; anterior dorsal pore located at about basal 1/5, while posterior one at about apical 3/8; preapical pore at about apical 1/7 of elytra, much closer to suture than to apical margin; the 5 th and 6 th pores of marginal umbilicate series widely spaced; the anguloapical pore present.

Legs moderately developed for cave trechines, bearing setae or short pubescence; tibiae without longitudinal sulcus; the 1 st tarsomere much shorter than 2 nd –4 th tarsomeres together in fore leg, whereas as long as and longer than those in middle and hind legs respectively. The 1 st protarsomere enlarged, denticulate inwardly at apex in male.

Ventrites smooth, IV–VI each with a pair of paramedial setae, VII bisetose apically in male.

Male genitalia ( Figure 24 ): The median lobe stout, base small, apical portion broad, with a fairly large copulatory piece in inner sac which is about 1/4 as long as median lobe; in dorsal view, apical lobe widely opened; parameres extraordinary developed, very wide, shorter than median lobe, each with four long setae at apex. Genital ring with a very long handle.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. In honour of Mr. Jieyu Zhao, the leader of Zunyi Caving Expedition (Zunyi), who provided a lot assistance for our field trip in Guizhou Province.

Distribution. China (Guizhou). Known only from a limestone cave called Da Dong in Zunyi Shi ( Figure 1c ).

Da Dong is located at the northern most part of Bozhou Qu, southwest Zunyi Shi, just near Bali village. After ca 300 metres through the large main passage, there is an underground creek which is partly accessible. Just close to the creek, there is a large chamber with some beautiful stalactites. Most part along the creek is wet and the unique specimen was found on the ground. Other cave animals observed in Da Dong were a beetle of the genus Zhijinaphaenops sp. , a millipede ( Pacidesmus sp. ) and a non-glowing stick worm ( Figure 25 ).

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 23. Zunotrechus zhaojieyui n. gen., n. sp. A. habitus of male, holotype; B. left elytron (white dots indicating the chaetotaxy).

FIGURE 24. Male genitalia of Zunotrechus zhaojieyui n. gen., n. sp. A. median lobe, lateral view; B. apical lobe, dorsal view; C. genital ring.

FIGURE 25. Da Dong, the type locality of Zunotrechus zhaojieyui n. gen., n. sp. A. entrance; B & C, stalactic forms in the cave; D. an individual of Zunotrechus zhaojieyui n. gen., n. sp.; E. a millipede (Pacidesmus sp.); F. a non-glowing sticky worm with threads.