Ptomaphaginus sauteri (Portevin, 1914)

Wang, Cheng-Bin & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2015, Taxonomy of the genus Ptomaphaginus Portevin (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae: Ptomaphagini) from China, with description of eleven new species, Zootaxa 3941 (3), pp. 301-338 : 307

Ptomaphaginus sauteri (Portevin, 1914)

( Figs. 3 A–L)

Portevin, 1914b: 5 ( Ptomaphagus ; Type locality: CHINA, Taiwan: Akau); Hatch, 1928: 165 ( Ptomaphagus ; catalog); Jeannel, 1936: 58 ( Ptomaphaginus ; combination change; key to species; characteristic figures); Szymczakowski, 1959: 135 ( Ptomaphaginus ; new distributional locations); Szymczakowski, 1964: 83 ( Ptomaphaginus ; female description; taxonomical remarks); Hayashi, 1990: 29 ( Ptomaphaginus ; notes; characteristic figures); Perreau, 1996: 288 ( Ptomaphaginus ; new distributional locations; notes); Perreau, 2000: 375 ( Ptomaphaginus ; catalog).

Material examined. CHINA, Taiwan: 1♂, Taichung Hsien, Wufeng, 60 m, 24.IV–2.V.1992, A. Smetana leg. // Ptomaphaginus sauteri M. Perreau det. 2000 ( CMPR); 1♂, 1♀, Fushan, mouse carcass bait, VI.2007, Wen-Bo Huang leg. (IZ-CAS); 2♂♂, 1♀, same data as previous except: VIII.2007 (IZ-CAS); 6♂♂, 1♀, same data as previous except: IX.2007 (IZ-CAS); CHINA, Guangdong: 3♂♂, 5♀♀, Dinghushan [=Mt. Dinghu], 240–250 m, monsoon evergreen forests, window trap, 21.VIII.2004, Jie Wu & Yong-Jie Chen legg. (IZ-CAS).

Redescription. Male. EBL: 2.66 mm. Length of different body parts: HL: AL: PL: ELL = 0.45: 0.86: 0.64: 1.44 mm; width: HW: EW: PW: ELW = 0.75: 0.08: 1.15: 1.18 mm. Proportion of antennomeres from base to tip in µm (length × width): 132 × 43, 111 × 44, 75 × 45, 48 × 50, 50 × 58, 42 × 66, 72 × 81, 24 × 79, 77 × 92, 71 × 93, 124 × 93.

Habitus elongated oval, relatively convex and lustreless. Moderately pigmented: mostly chestnut brown; only mouthparts, basal three antennomeres and apical half of ultimate antennomere, and apical part of tarsi yellowish. Dorsum continually clothed with fine, recumbent and sallow pubescence. Insertions of pubescence on dorsal surfaces of pronotum, scutellum, elytra and femora align along transverse striolations.

Head moderately short and convex, surface finely punctured, without visible transverse striolations, HW/HL = 1.64; anterior margin round. Compound eyes normally developed, EW/HW = 0.11. Antennae slender and relatively long ( Fig. 3 A), AL/HW = 1.15; 5th slightly longer than 4th; 6th wider than long; 9th and 10th slightly wider than long; 11th pear-like.

Pronotum rather transverse and convex ( Fig. 3 E), widest at hind corners, PW/PL = 1.80. Sides almost rectilinearly narrowing from posterior to anterior; hind corners drawn out and relatively acute. Posterior margin with distinct postero-lateral emargination. Surface transversely striolated, SP: 40–43, interspaces narrower than that on elytra.

Elytra of medium length and weakly convex, widest directly after base, ELL/EW = 1.22. Sides feebly curved, gradually narrowing from base to apices; apices feebly emarginate ( Fig. 3 F). Surface transversely striolated, SE: 69–71. Metathoracic wings fully developed.

Prolegs robust, with basal three protarsomeres moderately expanded ( Fig. 3 B): TW/BTW = 1.44. Spinal arrangement on ventral side of protibia as shown in Fig. 3 D. Profemora wider than protibiae, and carried strong and long hairs on ventral side. Mesotibiae arcuate.

Ventrite VII simple. Ventrite VIII with a large fossa subround and moderately shallow, emarginate posteriorly ( Fig. 3 G). Segment IX: spiculum gastrale widest at posterior 1/5, then strongly narrowing posteriorly to a narrowly rounded end ( Fig. 3 H).

Aedeagus oblong in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 I): median lobe gradually narrowed from base to a truncate apex; right apical expansion weakly sclerotized, stuck out of apical margin of median lobe; parameres relatively wide, gently widened towards apex, firmly attached to median lobe. Ventral operculum poorly sclerotized, limit inconspicuous, divided in apical half, each lobe bluntly rounded apically ( Fig. 3 J). In lateral view, median lobe strongly bent ventrad at about apical 1/3, gradually thinning to a subround apex, and four ventrally-oriented setae inserted below apex as well as two just before middle ( Fig. 3 K). Internal stylus quite slender.

Female. Similar to male in general appearance, except for the following characters: protarsi normal ( Fig. 3 C), profemora without strong and long hairs on ventral surface and ventrite VIII regularly rounded posteriorly. Spermatheca ‘C’ shape ( Fig. 3 L).

Distribution. China (Guangdong, Taiwan).

Remarks. This species is recorded from mainland China for the first time. And it is worth noting that the specimens from Guangdong have a shallower fossa on ventrite VIII and aedeagus more slender than that from Taiwan. These suggest a geographical variation from Taiwan.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Ptomaphaginus sauteri (Portevin 1914): A, antenna ♂ (dorsal view); B, proleg ♂ (dorsal view); C, protarsus ♀ (dorsal view); D, protibia ♂ (ventral view); E, pronotum ♂ (dorsal view); F, elytral apex ♂ (dorsoapical view); G, ventrite VIII ♂ (ventral view); H, abdominal segment IX ♂ (ventral view); I, aedeagus (dorsal view); J, aedeagus (ventral view); K, aedeagus (lateral view); L, spermatheca. Scales: 0.1 mm.