Mimopodabrus variablis, Yang & Yang, 2009

Yang, Y. X. & Yang, X. K., 2009, Revision of the genus Mimopodabrus Wittmer (Coleoptera, Cantharidae), Journal of Natural History 43 (31 - 32), pp. 1879-1890 : 1887-1889

Mimopodabrus variablis sp. nov.

( Figures 1C,D, 2 I–L)

Male ( Figure 1C )

Body length from apex of clypeus to apex of elytra 6.0 mm, maximal width on elytra 1.3 mm. Head black, mouthparts brown, antennae dark brown, pronotum dark brown, around margins yellowish, scutellum and elytra black, legs dark brown, ventral body black. Body densely covered with short light pubescence, besides, elytra with longer semi-erected pubescence.

Head. Eyes strongly protruding, breadth of head across eyes wider than anterior margin of pronotum, head behind eyes abruptly narrowed posteriorly, temple longer than longitudinal width of an eye, surface finely and densely punctuate; apical maxillary palpomeres longest, slightly widened apically and arcuated; antennae ( Figure 2L ) extending to basal one-third of elytra, filiform, antennomere II twice as long as wide, III one-third longer than II, IV–XI each with an indistinct rounded impression on the inner margin.

Pronotum. Slightly longer than wide, distinctly widened posteriorly, anterior margin rounded, anterior angles obtusely rounded, lateral margins slightly sinuate, posterior angles vertical, posterior margin arcuated; disc distinctly convex, seeming strongly depressed at anterior and posterior angles, surface finely punctuate.

Elytra. About five times longer than pronotum, combined at shoulder one-third wider than posterior margin of pronotum, slightly widened posteriorly, surface matt, largely punctuate.

Legs. Protarsal claws bifid, meso- and meta-tarsal claws triangular-toothed.

Aedeagus ( Figure 2 I–K). Ventral process of each paramere almost as long as dorsal plate of conjoint parameres; lateral margins of dorsal plate of conjoint parameres slightly narrowed apically, lateral angles rounded; laterophyses straight, apices not bent dorsally, approaching each other, in middle of median lobe.

Female

Eyes smaller and less protruding, head behind eyes evenly narrowed posteriorly; antennae shorter, without impressions on middle antennomeres; pronotum slightly depressed at anterior and posterior angles; pre-tarsal claws triangular toothed.

Variation in paratype series

Sometimes head uniformly yellow, pronotum uniformly yellow, elytra uniformly light yellow (such as Figure 1D ), femora or tibiae or both uniformly yellow. Body length 5.0− 6.5 mm, width 1.2−1.5 mm.

Type material

Holotype. 3, China, Yunnan, Cangshan mts. , 2600–3100 m, 25°38′ N, 100°09′ E, 5−6 June 1993, Vit Kubán leg.

Paratypes. 533, 11♀♀, the same data as holotype; 633 , 6♀♀, Yunnan, Dali, Cangshan , 5 June 1993, Bolm lgt.; 333 , 10♀♀, Yunnan, Jizushan mts. , 2500 –3100 m, 25°58′ N, 100°21′ E, 30 May to 3 June 1993, Vit Kubán leg. Holotype in NHMB, paratypes in NHMB and IZAS .

Etymology

This specific name is derived from Latin “ variabilis ” = variable, referring to its body coloration being more or less varied.

Remarks

In the cantharid collection of NHMB, Dr W. Wittmer had labelled “ M. variablis ” for the type series of this new species, but he described and illustrated these as variations within M. yunnanus ( Wittmer, 1997a) , so this specific name has not been available. Now we would like to follow the name M. variablis given by Wittmer, and make it become valid.

This new species is related to M. yunnanus (Wittmer) , but differs in the aedeagus, its ventral process of each paramere being almost as long as dorsal plate of conjoint parameres, laterophyses straight, apices not bent dorsally. Also, it resembles M. rectiangulatus Švihla , but can be distinguished from the latter by its dorsal plate of conjoint parameres slightly narrowed apically, lateral angles rounded, laterophyses straight, apices not bent dorsally.

Figures

Figures 1–4. Male adults of Mimopodabrus in dorsal view. (A) M. diversefoveolatus sp. nov. (holotype), (B) M. multidentatus sp. nov. (holotype), (C, D) M. variabilis sp. nov., (C) holotype, (D) paratype.