Anthobium laozii 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 : 478-480

Anthobium laozii Shavrin & Smetana , sp.n.

( Figs. 48 , 59 , 68–70 )

Type material examined: Holotype ♂: ‘P.R. CHINA, Yunnan, E | slope Cangshan at Dali , | N 25°40'48.5'' E 100°07' | 40.8'', 12.v.2010, 2724m, | sifting07, V. Grebennikov’ <rectangular label, printed >, ‘ HOLOTYPE | Anthobium | laozii sp.n. | Shavrin A. & Smetana A. 2017 ’ <red rectangular label, printed> ( NSMT) .

Paratypes (83 specimens): 23 ♂ [three specimens dissected], 33 ♀: same data as the holotype (17 ♂, 27 ♀: NSMT; 3 ♂, 3 ♀: CS; 3 ♂, 3 ♀: CNC) ; 1 ♀: ‘P.R. CHINA, Yunnan, E | slope Cangshan at Dali , | N 25°40'15.1'' E 100°07'. | 39.9'', 10.v.2010, | sifting04, V.Grebennikov’ <rectangular label, printed> ( NSMT) ; 2 ♀: ‘ CHINA, Yunnan, | E slope Cangshan at Dali | N 25°40'13.2'' E 100°07' | 54.8'', 2728m, 13.v.2010. | sift 09-11, V. Grebennikov’ <rectangular label, printed> ( NSMT) ; 9 ♂ [two specimens dissected], 8 ♀: ‘ CHINA: Yunnan [CH07-01], | Dali Bai Auton. Pref., Diancang Shan W | Dali , 25°41'09''N, 100°06'32''E, 3000- | 3200 m, cleft in mixed forest, litter, | debris sifted, 27.V.2007, M. Schülke’ <rectangular label, printed> (2 ♂, 2 ♀: CS; 7 ♂, 6 ♀: CSC) ; 3 ♂ [one specimen dissected], 2 ♀: ‘ CHINA (Yunnan) | Dali Bai Auton. Pref., | Diancang Shan W Dali | 25°41'09''N / 100°06'32''E | 3000-3200 m (creek cleft in | mixed forest, slope with | moss) | 27.V.2007. D.W. Wrase [01B]’ <rectangular label, printed> ( CSC) ; 1 ♀: ‘ CHINA (N-Yunnan) Dali Bai Nat. | Aut. Pref., Diancang Shan , | 4 km W Dali old town, | 2900-3000 m’ <rectangular label, printed>, ‘25°41.4'/ 100°06.7'E, E slope, | former stone pit (in overgrown | gravel/soil/plant roots/und[er]. stones) | 18.VI.2005 D.W. Wrase [12]’ <rectangular label, printed> ( CSC) ; 1 ♀: ‘CHINA-YUNNAN | Yanmen | 13.6- 23.6.2005 | lgt. E. Kučera’ <rectangular label, printed> ( CSC) . All paratypes with additional red rectangular printed label : ‘ PARATYPE | Anthobium | laozii sp.n. | Shavrin A. & Smetana A. 2017 ’.

Description. Measurements (n=84): HW: 0.65–0.72, HL: 0.36–0.45; AL(holotype): 1.23; OL: 0.17–0.20; PL: 0.43–0.55; PW: 0.97–1.20; ESL: 1.25–1.50; EW: 1.38–1.62; AW: 1.11–1.39; MTbL(holotype): 0.55, MTrL(holotype): 0.35 (MTrL 1–4: 0.23; MTrL 5: 0.12); AedL: 0.40–0.47; TL: 2.35–3.65 (holotype: 3.20).

In external appearance similar to A. monticola and A. confucii sp.n. Head and abdomen, except for paratergites, reddish-brown to brown; antennomeres 3–11 or 4–11 brown; middle portion of pronotum and elytra yellow-brown; mouthparts, antennomeres 1 and 2 or 1–3, lateral portions of pronotum, elytra, and sometimes paratergites of abdomen and legs yellow. Basolateral portions of head without sculpture or with traces of transverse waves of microsculpture between ocellus and posterior margin of eye. Middle portions of head with irregular, sparse and small punctation, some specimens with deeper and more rugose punctation on posterior portions of infraorbital ridges, usually with impunctate small areas on middle elevation between anterior margins of eyes; neck with sparse, deep and small punctures; punctation of pronotum as that on head, denser on medioapical and mediobasal parts, distinctly sparser on latero-apical portions and smaller on mediobasal margin; punctation of elytra slightly larger and deeper as that on pronotum, smaller on parascutellar parts and along suture, each elytron with indistinct to distinct six to eight vague and tangled longitudinal rows of punctures somewhat more clear but smaller that in A. monticola . Habitus as in Fig. 48 .

Head transverse, 1.6–1.8 times as wide as long; middle portion of head slightly elevated, with indistinct to distinct and deep transverse impression between eyes at posterior third, with long grooves in front of ocelli usually reaching anterior third of eye; postocular ridges distinct, acute or slightly smooth; anterior portion between antennal insertion and anterior margin of eye with moderately deep semicircular notch. Ocelli situated at level or slightly behind level of postocular ridges. Length × width of antennomeres (holotype): 1: 0.15 × 0.12; 2: 0.11 × 0.07; 3: 0.12 × 0.07; 4–8: 0.10 × 0.08; 9: 0.10 × 0.09; 10: 0.10 × 0.10; 11: 0.15 × 0.10.

Pronotum more than twice as wide as long, 1.4–1.6 times as wide as head, widest in middle, more or less evenly narrowed both posteriad and anteriad; posterior angles obtuse; anterior angles strongly protruded anteriad; pronotum with markedly convex middle portion, with small, indistinct longitudinal impression on medioapical third, with moderately deep semioval impression on mediobasal third.

Elytra distinctly broader than long, markedly widened posteriad, with wide explanate lateral portions; each elytron with indistinct to distinct longitudinal elevations between punctures.

Male. Apical margin of abdominal tergite VIII and sternite VIII slightly sinuate. Aedeagus ( Fig. 68 ) with narrow median lobe with subtruncate, rather narrow apex; parameres slightly ( Fig. 70 ) or distinctly ( Fig. 68 ) exceeding apex of median lobe, slightly attenuate around middle, with two apical and two preapical setae; internal sac simple, narrow anteriorly. Aedeagus laterally as in Fig. 69 .

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

Comparative notes. Based on the shape of pronotum, A. laozii Shavrin & Smetana , sp.n. is most similar to the Himalayan A. monticola , from which it differs by the paler coloration, by the elytra distinctly broader than long and by very narrow aedeagus.

Distribution. The species is known from several localities in Diancang Shan, and one in the environs of Yanmen, all of them in Yunnan Province, China ( Fig. 59 ).

Bionomics. Specimens were collected at elevations from 2724 to 3200 m a.s.l. by sifting of forest litter, mosses and debris.

Etymology. Patronymic, the species is named to honour the ancient Chinese philosopher and writer Laozi, the founder of Taoism.

Figures

FIGURE 59. Distribution of Anthobium capitale (black circles), A. laozii (black squares) and A. latissimum (black triangle) in Yunnan, 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 68–72. Aedeagus of Anthobium laozii (68–69: paratype; CHINA: Yunnan, Diancang Shan, 70: paratype; CHINA: Cangshan) and A. latissimum (71–72: paratype): 68, 71—parameral view, 69, 72—lateral view, 70—apical part of aedeagus, parameral view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.