Meligethes bocaki, 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 : 22-24

Meligethes bocaki sp. nov.

( Figs. 15-16, 19 , 23 , 27 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, CHINA: YUNNAN, 30 km N of Lijiang , 3000 m a.s.l., 3.vii.1990, L. & M. Bocák leg. ( NHMB) . PARATYPES: same data as holotype, 5 JJ 2 ♀♀ ( NHMB, CAR, NMPC). YUNNAN, Lugu Lake, Luo Shui, 27° 45´N, 100° 45´E, 8/ 9.vii.1992, E. Jendek leg., 3 JJ 3 ♀♀ ( NHMB, CAR). YUNNAN, Weibao Mts., 25° 12´N, 100° 24´E, 2800-3000 m a.s.l., 29/ 30.vi.1992, V. Kubáň leg., 1 J 1 ♀ ( NHMB, CAR). YUNNAN, Haba Mts. (= Habashan), SE slope, 27° 20´N, 100° 11´E, 10/ 13.vii.1992, V. Kubáň leg., 1 J ( NHMB). YUNNAN, in the neighbouring of Baoshan, 5/ 8.vi.1993, E. Jendek & O. Šauša leg., 1 J 1 ♀ ( NHMW). SICHUAN ( NW), Maowen, 31° 30´N, 103° 50´E, 1000 m a.s.l., 10/ 18.vii.1990, J. Kolibáč leg., 3 JJ 9 ♀♀ ( NHMB, CAR).

Diagnosis. Medium-sized (length 2.0- 2.9 mm), black with blackish legs and antennae, and moderately developed silvery pubescence. General appearance ( Fig. 27 ) rather similar to M. tristis Sturm, 1845 from Europe, but with pronotal sides more widely flattened, elytra more arcuated at sides, and very distinct male genitalia. Metasternum in male with indistinct, shining, and rather narrow longitudinal impression in posterior two thirds, flat and almost simple in female; last ventral sternum simple in both sexes, without incision or raised tubercles. Front tibiae as in Fig. 23 . Male genitalia as in Figs. 15-16 . Ovipositor as in Fig. 19 .

Description. Male holotype. Length 2.50 mm; breadth (at widest point of elytra) 1.26 mm. Moderately elongate and convex ( Fig. 27 ); black, with short silvery pubescence, and with blackish legs and antennae.

Head with dorsal punctures slightly larger than eye facets, rather strongly impressed, separated by little less than one diameter, surface between them smooth; anterior margin of clypeus completely but indistinctly bordered, regularly and deeply arcuately emarginate, with rather pointed lateral angles and indistinct median gibbosity, typical in members of the M. planiusculus species-group. Fronto-geneal furrows absent. Antennae of normal size for the species group ( Fig. 27 ), third antennomere slender, slightly shorter than second; antennal club small.

Pronotum 1.80 times as wide as long, broadest at posterior fourth ( Fig. 27 ), narrowed anteriorly; sides narrowly bordered and flattened; with posterior angles obtuse but distinct. Base slightly sinuate near scutellum; punctures slightly larger and deeper than on head, separated from each other by slightly less than half a diameter, surface between them smooth and shining.

Scutellum medium-sized, densely punctate throughout; surface between punctures showing a faint trace of microreticulation. The combined elytra nearly as long as wide, broadest at basal two-fifths, distinctly wider than pronotum (1.1 times), slightly narrowed at sides; humeri feebly raised, humeral striae indistinct; elytral punctures nearly as on pronotum, surface between them smooth, with traces of microreticulation only in distal portion.

Ventral surface black with fine short pubescence. Prosternal antennal furrows strongly impressed. Prosternal process rather long and narrowed in the middle, slightly wider than antennal club, with wider and obtusely rounded apex; punctures similar to those on pronotum, surface between them rather shining. Mesosternum with hind margin straight. Metasternum without tubercles, with a wide, sub-parallel, and shallow longitudinal impression on its posterior two-thirds; punctures and spaces between as on elytra, but sparser. Caudal marginal line of hind coxal cavity following closely to posterior edge of cavity, turning back prior to outer end. Last visible abdominal sternum simple in both sexes, without incision or tubercles.

Front tibiae ( Fig. 23 ) with outer edges finely crenulate from basal fourth, with an irregular, uneven, and asymmetrical group of 4-6 much larger and sharper teeth alternating with smaller ones; front tarsi slightly narrower than antennal club; hind tibiae rather narrow, with inner edges regularly curved, not sinuate ( Fig. 27 ); tarsal claws simple. Middle and hind tibiae with outer edges bearing series of rather long and dark spines ( Fig. 27 ).

Genitalia. Tegmen ( Fig. 15 ) with characteristic elliptic median excision, deep and wide; aedeagus elongate ( Fig. 16 ), narrowed from distal fifth, with apex moderately pointed distally.

Female. Metasternum simple. Front tarsi distinctly narrower than in male. Ovipositor as in Fig. 19 , with moderately pointed and not darkened apex and rather short subapical styli.

Variability. Length 2.00- 2.92 mm. Teeth on outer edges of front tibiae are very variable, but of the general pattern described and figured. Male genitalia appear to be slightly variable in some of the different populations examined, especially in the depth and width of the median excision separating distal portions of parameres, but closely resembling the pattern figured. Differential diagnosis. This species is probably closely related to the European M. tristis and its allies, including M. subtristis Easton, 1957 from Central Asia, and the Euro-Anatoliancentral Asiatic M. buduensis Ganglbauer, 1899 . It is distinguishable mainly by its very peculiarly shaped male genitalia.

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to our Czech colleague L. Bocák (Olomouc), who provided us with some interesting material.

Bionomy. The biology of this species is not definitely understood, however it is likely associated with Boraginaceae , maybe Echium , Onosma , or related genera, because the closely related European species M. tristis and M. buduensis and several other species of the M. planiusculus -group are associated with these plants ( AUDISIO 1993). Specimens were collected from late June to July by sweeping in mountain mixed forests from 1000 m to nearly 3000 m a.s.l.

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

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.