Megadrypta mirabilis, Sciaky & Anichtchenko, 2020

Sciaky, Riccardo & Anichtchenko, Alexander, 2020, Taxonomic notes on the tribe Dryptini Bonelli, 1810 with description of a new genus and species from China (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Dryptini), Zootaxa 4731 (4), pp. 522-530 : 526-529

Megadrypta mirabilis sp. n. ( Figs. 1–3 , 11, 13–15 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BA4BC0BD-C3FA-4AD0-AACE-D7D2F85EED17

Holotype: male, China, Guangdong, Ruyuan, Naling Nature Reserve , 24.92579º,113.01638º / 1021m, 2007.6.18 –21 Huang Hao Coll. in IZCS. We have added a red label: “ Holotypus Megadrypta mirabilis gen. & sp. n., des. Sciaky & Anichtchenko, 2019”

Paratypes: 2 males ( IZCS), China, Guangdong, Ruyuan, Naling Nature Reserve , 24.93450º, 113.01588º / 1266m, 2008.7.20 D, Liang Hongbin Coll .; 1 female ( IZCS, body teneral), China, Guangdong, Ruyuan, Naling, Xiaohuangshan , 24.89541, 113.02075 / 1318m, 2008.7.18 D, Tang Guo, vegetation, Institute of Zoology ; 1 female ( IZCS), China, Guangdong, Ruyuan, Naling, Xiaohuangshan , 24.89541, 113.02075 / 1318m, 2008.7.17 D, Tang Guo, vegetation, Institute of Zoology ; 1 female ( IZCS), China, Guangdong, Ruyuan, Naling, Xiaohuangshan , 24.89541, 113.02075 / 1318m, 2008.7.18 D, Yang G. Y., vegetation, Institute of Zoology ; 1 female (cRS), China—Guangdong, Nanling Park , 11.VII.2011 ; 1 male ( IZCS, left elytron missing) China, Guangxi Prov., Ziyuan, Mao-er Shan, Hongjunting / 2003.6.19, Wang Shaoneng coll. ; 1 male ( IZCS), China Guangxi Prov., Cewanglao Shan Nature Reserve / 2007.8.5 day, Liu Chunxiang coll. All paratypes have been labelled with a red label: “ Paratypus Megadrypta mirabilis gen. & sp. n., des. Sciaky & Anichtchenko, 2019”

Description. Length: 14,5–16,0 mm (15,0 in the holotype). Head, pronotum and elytra black with very weak bluish luster; ventral side black; femora black, tibiae and tarsi dark brown; tarsal claws smooth; mouth parts and antennae dark brown, apical half of scape blackish brown (fig. 1). Ventral (fig. 2) and dorsal (fig. 1) side of body and femora covered with yellow pubescence of almost equal length.

Head densely and coarsely punctate on vertex; labrum bisinuate, with medial lobe slightly protruded anteriorly; clypeus smooth; genae developed; eyes large, moderately convex, 1.88 times as long as genae. All palpi with last segment evidently dilated, securiform in the male (fig. 1), slender, feebly dilated at tip in the female (fig. 3). Microsculpture irregularly transverse.

Pronotum (fig. 12) relatively long, widest in the middle, 1.62 times as long as wide; apical angles obtuse; lateral sides cariniform, not emarginated, widely sinuate before anterior and basal angles; basal angles obtuse; pronotal lateral bead well marked. Median line distinct. Sides of pronotum abruptly flattened, median part of pronotum elevated. Disc irregularly coarsely punctured, punctures sometimes confluent. Microsculpture irregularly transverse. Elytra wide, 1.5 times as long as wide; widest in apical third; with 7 to 8 periscutellar pores; 4 to 5 discal pores hardly distinguishable from punctures in interval 3; shoulders completely reduced, strongly dilated to apical third, then narrowed to apex; all striae deep and closely punctate, punctures separated by less of one diameter distance from each other; all intervals slightly convex, uniformly and fairly closely punctate; outer apical angles widely rounded, sutural angle subacute. Microsculpture irregularly isodiametric. Hind wings completely reduced.

Pro-, meso- and metasterna, epipleurae and ventral sternites similarly punctate (fig. 2). Punctures large, separated by 1–2 diameters distance from each other.

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Protarsi moderately dilated in the male (fig. 1), simple in the female; protarsomeres 2 and 3 strongly asymmetrical in males, symmetrical in females; tarsal claws smooth.

Median lobe of aedeagus short and robust, 2,5–2,8 long (2,8 in the holotype). In lateral view inferior margin straight at base, in apical fourth slightly bent upwards. In dorsal view apex short and widely rounded (figs. 14–16).

Female with stylomere smooth and strongly arched, without spines on either margin ( fig. 4 ).

Distribution. This species is known only from three localities in two different provinces of Southern China. The type locality, that is a national nature reserve established in 1994 and located in northern Guangdong Province, in the centralsouth part of the Nanling Mountains. It is a forest ecological protected area that for subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest and rare flora and fauna. The size of the Nanling National Nature Reserve is 584 km ² and it is a typical representative of the evergreen broadleaved forest in southeast China. It is regarded as being the largest national forest in southeastern China. Therefore the habitat of Megadrypta mirabilis should be considered protected and the species not in danger. The two other localities are in Guangxi, some hundreds kilometers from the type locality, but the specimens here collected do not show differences both in the external and in the aedeagal characters from those of the type locality.

Etymology. From Latin “ mirabilis ” meaning “worth of admiration”.

Ecology. Part of the type-series was collected it by sweeping vegetation and flowers by two of its collectors. Since this species has reduced hind wing, we can suppose that it was most probably living on vegetation. This is, at our knowledge, the first time that a Dryptini has these living habits, since more frequently they are found in marshes or near streams.

Figures

FIGS. 1–2. Megadrypta mirabilis gen. n. sp. n.: 1—male Holotypus: habitus in dorsal view (photo H. Liang); 2—female Paratypus: ventral view.

FIG. 3. Megadrypta mirabilis gen. n. sp. n.: 1—female Paratypus, head in dorsal view.

FIGS. 9–13. Pronotum in dorsal and lateral view of: 9—Drypta lineola W. S. MacLeay, 1825; 10—Dendrocellus australis (Peringuey, 1896); 11—Prionodrypta lugens (Schmidt-Goebel, 1846); 12—Megadrypta mirabilis gen. n. sp. n.; 13—Nesiodrypta waterhousei (Oberthür, 1881

FIGS. 14–16. Aedeagus structure in lateral and dorsal view of Megadrypta mirabilis gen. n. sp. n. (photo H. Liang)

FIGS. 4–8. Stylomere structure of: 4—Megadrypta mirabilis gen. n. sp. n.; 5—Nesiodrypta waterhousei (Oberthür, 1881); 6—Prionodrypta lugens (Schmidt-Goebel, 1846); 7—Drypta lineola W. S. MacLeay, 1825; 8—Dendrocellus australis (Peringuey, 1896).