Anthobium confucii Shavrin & Smetana, 2018

Shavrin, Alexey V. & Smetana, Aleš, 2018, A revision of Eastern Palaearctic Anthobium Leach, 1819 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini). II. fusculum group, and two additional species of the nigrum group, Zootaxa 4508 (4), pp. 451-506 : 473-474

Anthobium confucii Shavrin & Smetana , sp.n.

( Figs. 45 , 62–63 , 65 )

Type material examined: Holotype ♂: ‘ CHINA, Sichuan, Gongga | Shan, Lake abv. Camp 2 | 2750m, 25.VII.1994 | A.Smetana [C23]’ <rectangular label, printed >, ‘ HOLOTYPE | Anthobium | confucii sp.n. | Shavrin A. & Smetana A. des. 2018’ <red rectangular label, printed> ( NSMT) .

Paratypes (7 specimens): CHINA: SICHUAN : 1 ♂ [specimen dissected], 1 ♀: same data as the holotype (1 ♂: CS; 1 ♀: NSMT) ; 1 ♂ [specimen dissected]: ‘ CHINA: W-Sichuan 20. VI. 1999 | Ya `an Prefecture, Tianguan Co. | E Erlang Shan Pass, 2900 m | 9 km SE Luding, 29°52N, | 102°18E, Bachufer, Moss + | Schotter, leg. M. Schülke’ <rectangeular label, printed>, ‘ Sammlung | M. Schülke | Berlin’ <green rectangular label, printed ( CSC) ; HUBEI: 1 ♂ [specimen dissected]: ‘ CHINA: W-Hubei ( Daba Shan ) | creek valley 11 km NW Muyuping, | 31°30'N, 110°22'E, 1960 m, | 18. VII. 2001, | leg. M. Schülke [C01-17]’ <rectangular label, printed>, ‘creek valley, mixed deciduous | forest (sifted) [C01-17]’ <rectangular label, printed>, ‘ Sammlung | M. Schülke | Berlin’ <rectangular label, printed> ( CSC) ; 1 ♀ [without right elytron]: ‘ CHINA: W-Hubei ( Daba Shan ) | creek valley 8 km NW Muyuping, | 31°29' N, 110°22' E, 1550- | 1650 m, 18. VII. 2001, | leg. M. Schülke [C01-16A]’ <rectangular label, printed>, ‘creek valley, deciduous | forest, moss | (sifted) [C01-16A]’ <rectangular label, printed> ( CSC) ; 2 ♀♀: ‘ CHINA: W-Hubei ( Daba Shan ) | pass E of Mt. Da Shennongjia, | 12 km NW Muyuping, 31°30' N, | 110°21' E, 22. VII. 2001, | leg. M. Schülke [C01-13E]’ <rectangular label, printed>, ‘dry creek valley, mixed deciduous | forest, dead wood, mushrooms, | moss, 1950–2050 m (sifted) | [C01-13E]’ (1 ♀: CS; 1 ♀: CSC). All paratypes with additional red rectangular printed label : ‘ PARATYPE | Anthobium | confucii sp.n. | Shavrin A. & Smetana A. 2018 ’.

Description. Measurements (n=7): HW: 0.72–0.75, HL: 0.42–0.45; AL(holotype): 1.08; OL: 0.20–0.22; PL: 0.52–0.55; PW: 1.17–1.24; ESL: 1.42–1.50; EW: 1.55–1.59; AW: 1.15–1.17; MTbL(holotype): 0.60, MTrL(holotype): 0.32 (MTrL 1–4: 0.21; MTrL 5: 0.11); AedL: 0.45–0.50; TL: 3.00–3.45 (holotype: 3.15).

In external appearance similar to A. monticola . Head and antennomeres 4–11 brown; middle portion of pronotum, elytra and abdomen reddish brown to brown; lateral portions of pronotum and sometimes of elytra, apical segments of abdomen yellow to yellow-brown; mouthparts, antennomeres 1–3 and legs yellow. Basolateral portions of head on posterior parts of infraorbital ridges and between ocelli with rugose transverse microsculpture in some specimens; middle part of neck with traces of indistinct isodiametric microsculpture. Middle portion of head with irregular small punctation, punctation between ocelli and on infraorbital ridges distinctly larger and deeper, rugose on posterior half of infraorbital ridges; pronotum with irregular, dense and deep punctation, sparser and smaller on mediobasal third, some specimens with small impunctate area between mediobasal impression; punctation of elytra slightly denser, markedly larger and deeper than that on pronotum, smaller on parascutellar portions and in specimen from Erlang Shan along suture. Habitus as in Fig. 45 .

Head 1.6–1.7 times as wide as long; middle portion of head slightly elevated, with deep transverse impression between eyes at posterior third; anterior portion between antennal insertion and anterior margin of eye with moderately deep semicircular notch. Ocelli situated slightly behind level of acute postocular ridges. Length × width of antennomeres (holotype): 1: 0.12 × 0.07; 2–3: 0.10 × 0.04; 4: 0.10 × 0.05; 5: 0.09 × 0.05; 6–8: 0.09 × 0.06; 9: 0.08 × 0.06; 10: 0.07 × 0.07; 11: 0.15 × 0.07.

Pronotum more than twice as wide as long, 1.6 times as wide as head, widest in middle, more narrowed posteriad than anteriad; anterior angles distinctly protruded anteriad; posterior angles acute; pronotum with markedly convex middle portion, with indistinct longitudinal impression on medioapical part and deep semioval impression on mediobasal third.

Elytra slightly broader than long, markedly widened apicad, with wide and distinctly explanate lateral portions; middle part of each elytron with indistinct longitudinal elevations between punctures.

Male. Apical margin of abdominal tergite VIII and sternite VIII slightly sinuate. Aedeagus ( Fig. 62 ) with median lobe wide basally and gradually narrowed toward subtruncate apex; parameres distinctly exceeding apex of median lobe; internal sac wide and very long, spiralled in basal portion. Aedeagus laterally as in Fig. 63 .

Female. Apical margin of abdominal tergite VIII straight. Apical margin of abdominal sternite VIII rounded.

Comparative notes. Based on the shapes of pronotum and elytra, A. confucii Shavrin & Smetana , sp.n. is most similar to Himalayan A. altivagans and A. monticola , and Chinese A. laozii Shavrin & Smetana , sp.n. From A. altivagans it differs by the shape of anterior angles of pronotum strongly protruded anteriad; from A. monticola by acute posterior angles of pronotum and from A. laozii sp.n. by darker coloration of the forebody. In addition, it differs from A. monticola and A. laozii sp.n. by slightly wider elytra. From all these species, A. confucii sp.n. differs by indistinct microsculpture of basolateral portions of head, by larger punctation of elytra, by the lateral portion of pronotum more narrowed posteriad than anteriad, and by details of both external and internal structures of the aedeagus.

Distribution. The new species is known from several locations in Gongga Shan and Erlang Shan ranges in Sichuan and Daba Shan range in Hubei, China ( Fig. 65 ).

Bionomics. Specimens from Hubei were collected at elevations from 1550 to 2900 m a.s.l. by sifting wet moss and grassy vegetation on large fallen trees close to the water near shallow lake in a primary deciduous forest (location: C23) and by sifting moss, dead wood and mushrooms in mixed deciduous forests.

Etymology. Patronymic, the species is named in honour of the great ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius.

Figures

FIGURE 65. Distribution of Anthobium confucii (black circles) and A. liliputense (black square) in the south-western China.

FIGURES 45–49. Habitus of Anthobium fusculum group: 45—A. confucii (paratype; CHINA: Hubei), 46—A. cuccodoroi (paratype), 47—A. denticulatum (paratype), 48—A. laozii (paratype; CHINA: Yunnan, Cangshan), 49—A. latissimum (holotype). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 60–63. Aedeagus of Anthobium cavicrus (60–61: NEPAL, Thare Pati) and A. confucii (62–63: CHINA: Sichuan, Gongga Shan): 60, 62–parameral view, 61, 63–lateral view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.