Awas sinicus Yin & Li, 2010

Yin, Zi-Wei, Li, Li-Zhen & Zhao, Mei-Jun, 2010, Discovery of the rare genus Awas in mainland China with description of a new species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Goniaceritae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 50 (2), pp. 477-482 : 478-481

Awas sinicus Yin & Li sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–9)

Type locality. South China, Yunnan Province, Gaoligongshan Mountains.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ CHINA: Yunnan Province, Gongshan County, Mt.Gaoligongshan, near Qiqi Station , alt. 2,000 m, 02.vii.2010, Liang TANG leg.’ ( SNUC).

Description. Male ( Fig. 1). Length 3.63 mm, maximum width (across elytra) 1.15 mm. Body reddish brown, maxillary palpi and tarsi lighter; it seems to be without obvious sexual modifications.

Head ( Figs. 3, 4 ) strongly elongate, 1.01 mm long (without occiput), across eyes 0.45 mm wide, slightly broadened and thickened anteriorly; clypeus arcuately projected; frons elevated on lateral sides and concave in median part, with short longitudinal depression; vertex flattened; postgenae on sides densely covered with bold pubescence. Gular area depressed in middle with gular foveae merging into large median longitudinal depression. Eyes prominent, situated anterior head mid-length, each composed of about 85 facets. Maxillary palpi ( Fig. 5 ) short, palpomere I small, palpomere II elongate, thickened distally; palpomere III short, nearly triangular; IV largest, nearly oval, with large apical psedosegment. Antennae ( Fig. 2 ) long, scape thick, pedicel much smaller than scape; antennomeres III–VII successively shorter and slightly narrower, VIII similar to VII; antennomeres IX–XI each large, longer than wide, XI almost oval.

Pronotum shorter than head, maximum length 0.75 mm, maximum width 0.58 mm, widest in middle, slightly narrowed anteriorly, covered with bold pubescence, with two pairs of fringed basolateral constrictions and T-shaped antebasal sulcus joined to anterior pair of basolateral constriction. Elytra along suture 1.23 mm long, together 1.15 mm wide (maximum width), each with one distinct basal fovea and sutural stria; sides round, convex on dorsolateral surface; with dense and long pubescence in humeral area, with short and sparse setae on discal area and short, dense setae on posterolateral margins. Legs slender, apex of tibiae densely covered with short pubescence.

Abdomen short, maximum length 0.65 mm, maximum width 0.95 mm; strongly constricted and sulcate at base, with long, dense hairs around basal constriction. First visible tergite (morphologically tergite IV) largest, broadened posteriorly; tergites V–VII very short, successively narrower, tergite VII about 1.3 times as long as VI; tergite VIII ( Fig. 6 ) nearly semicircular, sternite VIII ( Fig. 7 ) short. Aedeagus ( Figs. 8–9 ) 0.43 mm long, almost symmetrical and slightly sclerotized; parameres paired and flattened, each narrow at base, median lobe broad, with pair of spine-shaped sclerites and one transverse arched sclerite; endophallus large and elongate, flame-like, located at basal half of median lobe, densely covered with long bristles.

Female. Unknown.

Relationships. The new species is a sister species of A. shunichii to which it resembles in many external characters, in particular by: i) pronotum with two pairs of fringed constrictions near base; ii) elytra each with one distinct basal fovea; and iii) basolateral margins of elytra and basal constriction of abdomen with dense short hairs. Awas sinicus sp. nov. may be distinguished from A. shunichii by smaller size, more elongate antennomeres III–XI, relatively less prolonged postocular region, more convex sides of elytra and relatively larger parameres of aedeagus.

Etymology. The name ‘ sinicus’ refers to China where the species was discovered.

Distribution. South China (Yunnan Province).

Figures

Figs. 2–9. Details of Awas sinicus Yin & Li sp. nov. 2 – antenna; 3 – head, dorsal view; 4 – same, lateral view; 5 – maxillary palpus; 6 – tergite VIII; 7 – sternite VIII; 8 – aedeagus, lateral view; 9 – same, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (d); 0.2 mm (e, f, g, h); 0.5 mm (a, b, c).