Bellatheta qiliana, Assing, 2021

Assing, Volker, 2021, New species, synonymies, combinations, and records of micropterous Athetini from China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 71 (1), pp. 87-101 : 90-91

Bellatheta qiliana spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F391FF78-2A4B-4BEA-BB85-85AC8E30FE70

(Figs 1–3, 15–23, Map 1 )

Type material: Holotype : “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov. [CH11-11a], Lang Shi Dang Jing Qu (Park) 75 km NW Honggu, 2925 m, 36°54'05.2"N, 102°21'07.1"E, creek valley on overgrown scree, Populus and Betula forest with Rhododendron, litter sifted between rocks, 28.VI.2011, leg. M. Schülke / Holotypus  Bellatheta qiliana sp. n., det. V. Assing 2020 ” ( MNB) . Paratypes: 8 exs.: same data as holotype ( MNB, cAss) ; 6 exs.: same data, but leg. Wrase ( MNB) ; 50 exs.: “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov. [CH11-11], Lang Shi Dang Jing Qu (Park) 75 km NW Honggu , 2896 m, 36°54'08.8"N, 102°21'16.9"E, creek valley on overgrown scree, Populus and Betula forest, litter sifted between rocks, 28. VI .2011, leg. M. Schülke ” ( MNB, cAss); 28 exs.: “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov. [CH11-19], road 301 km 180, 43 km ESE Men Yuan , 37°09'32.6"N, 102°02'06.0"E, 2704 m, creek valley with Picea, Salix, Populus, Betula, litter and moss sifted, 5. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke ” ( MNB, cAss); 67 exs.: same data, but leg. Wrase ( MNB, cAss); 9 exs: “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov. [CH11-18], Daban Shan, Pass 19 km WSW Men Yuan, southern ramp, shrubbery overhead, 37°22'23.8"N, 101°24'22"E, 3522–3550 m, litter & moss sifted, 4. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke ” ( MNB, cAss); 1 : “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov. [CH11-17], Daban Shan, Pass 19 km WSW Men Yuan, 3750–3800 m, 37°21'11.8"N, 101°24'24.7"E, alpine cirque, stony pasture with slope springs, under stones, 4. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke ” ( MNB); 1 : “ CHINA: Qinghai Prov. [CH11-08a], Daban Shan , 60 km NW Honggu, 36°49'10.7"N, 102°31'22.8"E, 2366–2400 m, mixed forest (Betula, Populus, Picea), dead wood, litter sifted, 11. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke ” (cAss); 11 exs: “ CHINA: Gansu Prov. [CH11-13d], Lenglong Ling Mts. , 80 km NNW Honggu, 37°03'50.3"N, 102°39'57.2"E, 3392 m, alpine pasture with Rhododendron, litter, grass roots sifted, 1. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke ” ( MNB, cAss); 1 ex.: same data, but “[ CH 11-13], ..., 30. VI .2011” (cAss); 7 exs: “ CHINA: Gansu Prov. [CH11-13b], Lenglong Ling Mts. , 80 km NNW Honggu, 37°03'47.0"N, 102°39'32.6"E, 3439 m, alpine pasture with Rhododendron and Azalea, litter sifted, 1. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke ” ( MNB, cAss); 7 exs: “ CHINA: Gansu Prov. [CH11-14], Lenglong Ling Mts., Wutai ridge (pass) 70 km N Honggu, 36°58'16.6"N, 102°48'03.6"E, 3530 m, stony alpine past with Rhodod. and Azalea, litter & moss sifted, 2. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke ” ( MNB, cAss); 7 exs: “ CHINA: Gansu Prov. [CH11-27a], Lenglong Ling Mts., 60 km NNW Honggu, Jin Sha Gorge , mixed forest (Picea, Populus, Betula), 36°51'56.9"N, 102°38'55.3"E, litter, moss, mushrooms sifted, 14./ 15. VII .2011, leg. M. Schülke ” ( MNB).

Etymology: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from Qilian Shan, the name of the vast mountain range where this species was collected.

Description: Body length 2.4–3.3 mm; length of forebody 1.0– 1.2 mm. Habitus as in Figs 1–2. Colouration variable: head reddish to black; pronotum reddish to black; elytra reddish to dark-brown; abdomen usually blackish with the apex (segments VIII–X) more or less distinctly paler; legs yellow, rarely slightly darker; antennae reddish.

Head (Fig. 3) approximately as long as broad; punctation very fine and rather sparse; interstices with distinct microreticulation. Eyes small and nearly flat, composed of approximately ten ommatidia. Antennae moderately incrassate; antennomeres IV weakly transverse, V–X of increasing width and increasingly transverse, X nearly twice as broad as long.

Pronotum (Fig. 3) of variable shape, usually 1.05– 1.15 times as broad as long and 1.05–1.15 times as broad as head, broadest in anterior half, and more or less distinctly tapering posteriad; punctation and microsculpture similar to those of head; pubescence directed anteriad along midline.

Elytra (Fig. 3) approximately half as long as pronotum; punctation fine, but more distinct than that of head and pronotum; interstices with microsculpture. Hind wings completely reduced.

Abdomen broader than elytra; punctation fine and rather sparse; interstices with distinct microreticulation composed of predominantly transverse meshes on anterior tergites and of isodiametric meshes on posterior tergites; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe; tergite VIII (Fig. 18) without distinct sexual dimorphism, posterior margin broadly convex.

: sternite VIII (Fig. 17) oblong, much longer than tergite VIII, and with strongly convex posterior margin; median lobe of aedeagus 0.35–0.40 mm long and shaped as in Figs 15–16.

: sternite VIII (Fig. 19) transverse, posterior margin broadly convex and with moderately modified marginal setae; spermatheca (Figs 20–23) with proximal portion of somewhat variable length.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENTOMOLOGY: BEITRÄGE ZUR ENTOMOLOGIE — 71 (1) 087–101

Comparative notes: Bellatheta qiliana is distinguished from other micropterous representatives of the genus by the primary sexual characters. In external appearance and the shape of the spermatheca, it is most similar to B. daxuensis . If differs from this species by larger body size, less dark colouration of the body and of the legs, a more robust habitus, a relatively smaller head, a more oblong and posteriorly more convex male sternite VIII, a less transverse female sternite VIII, and a spermatheca of slightly different shape. For illustrations of other micropterous Bellatheta species reported from China see PACE (2004) and ASSING (2002, 2009, 2011).

Distribution and natural history: The species was collected in numerous localities in Qilian Shan in the border region between Qilian Shan and Gansu provinces, China ( Map 1 ). The specimens were sifted from litter, moss, and grass roots in mixed forests and alpine pastures at altitudes between approximately 2400 and 3800 m. One specimen was found under a stone.

Figures

Map 1: Distributions of micropterous Bellatheta species in China:B. qiliana (black circles); B. proiecta (black diamond); B. daxuensis (white circles); B. aucticeps (black triangle); B. smetanai (white triangles); B. excaecata (white diamond); B. diacangica (black star).