Meligethes chlorocupreus, Audisio & Jelínek & Cooter, 2005

Audisio, Paolo, Jelínek, Josef & Cooter, Jonathan, 2005, New and little-known species of Meligethes Stephens, 1830 from China (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 45, pp. 111-127 : 13-14

Meligethes chlorocupreus sp. nov.

( Figs. 11-12 , 22 , 26 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, CHINA: southern SICHUAN, 30 km NW Muli (Bowa), 28° 07´N, 101° 05´E, mixed forest, 3500 m a.s.l., 1/ 2.vii.1998, J. Turna leg. ( NMPC) . PARATYPE: J, CHINA: YUNNAN, Weibao Mts. (= Weibaoshan), 25° 12´N, 100° 24´E, 2800-3000 m a.s.l., 30.vi.1992, V. Kubáň leg. ( NHMB).

Diagnosis. Medium-sized (length 2.2-2.6 mm), blackish with yellowish to orange legs and antennae (antennal club orange-brown), and relatively short golden pubescence. General appearance ( Fig. 26 ) similar to M. atrovirens Jelínek, 1982 , but with pronotal surface slightly more convex, with deeper and coarser pronotal punctures, and regularly arcuately emarginate anterior margin of clypeus. Metasternum in male with a subtriangular and barely distinct impression; last ventral sternum in male with a raised and shining tubercle in the middle of posterior edge. Front tibiae as in Fig. 22 . Male genitalia as in Figs. 11-12 .

Description. Male holotype. Length 2.56 mm; breadth (at widest point of elytra) 1.35 mm. Moderately elongate and convex ( Fig. 26 ); blackish, with short golden pubescence. Legs yellowish to orange. Antennae yellowish to orange, with slightly darker club.

Head with dorsal punctures slightly larger than eye facets, rather strongly impressed, separated by less than one diameter, surface between them smooth; front margin of clypeus completely and distinctly bordered, widely arcuately emarginate with obtusely pointed lateral angles. Fronto-geneal furrows distinct and complete. Antennae of normal size for group ( Fig. 26 ), third antennomere slender, slightly shorter than second; antennal club medium-sized.

Pronotum 1.70 times as wide as long, broadest at posterior fourth ( Fig. 26 ), narrowed anteriorly; sides narrowly bordered, not explanate; with posterior angles obtuse but distinct. Base slightly sinuate near scutellum; punctures markedly larger, coarser, and deeper than on head, separated from each other by nearly half a diameter, surface between them smooth and shining.

Scutellum medium-sized, densely punctate throughout; surface between punctures with faint trace of microreticulation. Elytra 1.12 times as long as wide, broadest at basal second fifth, scarcely wider than pronotum (1.10 times); humeri feebly raised, humeral striae indistinct; elytral punctures distinctly finer and shallower than on pronotum, surface between them smooth, without microscopic reticulation.

Ventral surface black with fine short pubescence. Prosternal antennal furrows strongly impressed. Prosternal process rather long and sub-parallel, nearly as wide as antennal club, with slightly wider and obtusely rounded apex; punctures similar to those on head, surface between them rather shining. Mesosternum with hind margin straight. Metasternum rather flat, without tubercles, with a wide but shallow and indistinct subtriangular impression on posterior half; punctures and the spaces between as on frons, but sparser. Caudal marginal line of hind coxal cavity following closely to posterior edge of cavity and turning back prior to outer end. Last visible abdominal sternite with distinctly raised and shining tubercle in middle of posterior margin.

Front tibiae ( Fig. 22 ) similar to M. atrovirens , with outer edges finely crenulate from basal third, with a subapical group of 2-3 larger and sharper teeth; front tarsi as wide as antennal club; hind tibiae moderately narrow, with inner edges regularly arcuate, not sinuate ( Fig. 26 ); tarsal claws simple.

Genitalia. Tegmen ( Fig. 11 ) with characteristic Y-shaped median excision deep and narrow; aedeagus elongate ( Fig. 12 ), narrowed from distal fifth, with apex broadly rounded.

Female. Unknown.

Variability. Length 2.20-2.56 mm. Teeth on outer edges of front tibiae are slightly variable, but those of the male paratype exhibit the same pattern as the holotype. The paratype from Yunnan exhibits a greenish-violet metallic lustre on dorsum (only dark green reflections were seen in the holotype).

Differential diagnosis. Meligethes chlorocupreus sp. nov. is probably closely related to M. atrovirens from northern Turkey and Caucasus region ( JELÍNEK 1982, AUDISIO 1993), but is distinguishable by the shape of male genitalia, deep pronotal punctures (resembling M. buyssoni Brisout, 1882 from Europe), regularly arcuate emarginate anterior margin of clypeus, and last ventral sternite in male with a distinctly raised and shining tubercle in the middle of posterior margin. We have studied female specimens from the same regions of China of a second new species of the M. difficilis -group. These specimens exhibit a strong dark green metallic reflection, and are apparently related to M. atrovirens (likely being more closely related to M. tilmani Easton, 1968 from the Himalaya). Description of this new species will be completed once male specimens become available. However, this new species is distinct from M. chlorocupreus sp. nov. by its smaller size, markedly finer and shallower dorsal punctures, less convex body, more strongly incised anterior margin of clypeus, and smaller subapical teeth on outer edge of front tibiae.

Etymology. Specific epithet chlorocupreus (= showing green and cupric reflections, in Latin) refers to its characteristic dark green dorsal colour, which is shared by few species within the M. difficilis group.

Bionomy. The biology of this species is not definitively understood, however it is likely associated with Lamiaceae , possibly Lamium or related genera, because the closely related M. atrovirens and several other species of the M. difficilis -group are known from these host plants ( AUDISIO 1993). Specimens were collected from late June to July by sweeping in montane mixed forests from 2800 m to nearly 3500 m a.s.l.

Distribution. Known to occur in southern China (from Yunnan to southern Sichuan).

Figures

Figs. 1-12. Tegmen and aedeagus (dorsal aspect) of Meligethes Stephens, 1830. 1-2 – M. difficiloides sp. nov., J paratype from Yunnan, Weibao Mts. 3-4 – M. dieckmanni Audisio & Jelínek, 1984, J from Turkey, Kars province, Göle. 5-6 – M. difficilis (Heer, 1841), J from Italy, Rome. 7-8 – M. atrovirens Jelínek, 1982, J from Turkey, Giresun province, Kümbet. 9-10 – M. abditus sp. nov., J paratype from Beijing principality, Xiaolongmen. 11-12 – M. chlorocupreus sp. nov., J paratype from Yunnan, Weibao Mts. Scale bar = 0.20 mm.

Figs. 20-23. Right front tibiae of Meligethes Stephens, 1830. 20 – M. difficiloides sp. nov., J paratype from Yunnan, Weibao Mts.; 21 – M. abditus sp. nov., J holotype from Beijing principality, Xiaolongmen; 22 – M. chlorocupreus sp. nov., J paratype from Yunnan, Weibao Mts.; 23 – M. bocaki sp. nov., J paratype from Yunnan, Luo Shui (23). Scale bar = 0.20 mm.

Figs. 24-27. Body outlines of Meligethes Stephens, 1830. 24 – M. difficiloides sp. nov., J paratype from Yunnan, Weibao Mts.; 25 – M. abditus sp. nov., J holotype from Beijing principality, Xiaolongmen; 26 – M. chlorocupreus sp. nov., J holotype from Yunnan, Weibao Mts.; 27 – M. bocaki sp. nov., J paratype from Yunnan, Luo Shui. Scale bar = 1 mm.