Protocypus taibaiensis, He, Liang & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2017

He, Liang & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2017, Taxonomy of the genus Protocypus J. Müller, 1923 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini) and two new species from China, Zootaxa 4291 (3), pp. 458-480 : 460-463

1. Protocypus taibaiensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1-1, 1-2 )

Type locality: CHINA, Shaanxi, Mei County, Taibai Shan .

Type material. Holotype male, CHINA: Shaanxi Province, Mei County, Taibai Shan , 1800–2000 m, 06.VI.2004, coll. Hongzhang Zhou (IZ-CAS) . Paratypes: CHINA: Shaanxi Province: 1 female, same data as holotype (IZ-CAS) ; 1 male, Mei County, Taibai Shan, 1800 m, 22.V.2005, coll. Hongzhang Zhou (IZ-CAS) ; 1 male, Mei County, Taibai Shan, 1800–2000 m, 03.VI.2005, coll. Hongzhang Zhou (IZ-CAS) ; 1 female, Mei County, Taibai Shan, 1800 m, individually collected, 08.VI.2007, coll. Hongzhang Zhou (IZ-CAS) ; 5 males, 1 female, Mei County, Taibai Shan, 1800 m, hay stick, 08.VI.2007, coll. Hongzhang Zhou (IZ-CAS) ; 1 male, Mei County, Taibai Shan, 2380 m, hay stick, 10.VI.2007, coll. Hongzhang Zhou (IZ-CAS).

Measurements. Body length: 19.5–25.7 mm. CL: 0.77; EL: 3.15; ELS: 1.44; EW: 3.88; HL: 3.09; HW: 3.75; PO: 1.52; PL: 3.95; PW: 3.68.

Description. Large sized species. Body relatively robust, totally black, with elytra slightly paler; maxillary and labial palpi dark brunneous; antennae dark brunneous, with apical segments vaguely paler; legs brownish black, with protibia relatively paler and covered with dense long brownish pubescence; pubescence of dorsal side of head, pronotum and abdominal tergites brownish black; pubescence of elytra paler, tending to be dark brown.

Head of rounded quadrangular shape, large and wide, with lateral sides slightly curved, wider than long (ratio 1.21); eyes small and slightly protruding, considerably shorter than tempora (ratio 0.51) in dorsal view; punctation and pubescence on dorsal surface of head dense and fine, punctation gradually becoming sparser toward clypeus; puncture intervals distinctly smaller than diameters of punctures, with fine and dense microsculpture; no impunctate midline present on head disc. Antennae moderately long, segment 3 longer than segment 2 (ratio 1.23), segments 4 to 7 distinctly longer than wide (ratio greater than 1.25), segment 8 to 10 about as long as wide to vaguely wider than long, last segment slightly elongate, narrower than segment 10. Pronotum vaguely longer than wide (ratio 1.07), with curved lateral sides and widely rounded posterior angles, vaguely broadened posteriad; narrow marginal groove disappearing downwards at anterior fourth of pronotal length; impunctate midline present only on posterior half of pronotal disc; punctation and pubescence on disc similar with that on dorsal surface of head, with punctures relatively smaller. Pronotal hypomeron with only a few setae. Scutellum finely punctate and setose on entire surface, with fine and dense microsculpture. Elytra short, slightly dilated posteriad and distinctly depressed at base; elytral length shorter than pronotum along midline, with a ratio of 0.36 along suture and a ratio of 0.80 along sides; elytral punctation fine and dense, combined with dense granulose microsculpture. Wings markedly reduced. Abdominal tergite 2 densely and finely punctate and pubescent on entire surface; all visible abdominal tergites finely and densely punctate and pubescent; visible tergites 4 and 5 each with a large patch of golden-yellowish tomentose in middle.

Male. Abdominal sternite 8 with medioapical emargination relatively narrow and obtuse ( Fig. 1-2 J). Sternite 9 with deep, obtuse apical emargination, tapered basal portion elongate, gradually becoming narrower toward acute apex ( Fig. 1-2 H). Tergite 10 evenly narrowed toward wide and shovel-like apex, moderately setose ( Fig. 1-2 A); Aedeagus markedly elongate and simple ( Fig. 1-2 B, C & D); median lobe simple, with acute apex ( Fig. 1-2 F); apical portion of paramere shaped as in Fig. 1-2 G, with sensory peg setae arranged along lateral sides and near apex, not numerous.

Female. Second gonocoxite and tergite 10 shaped as in Figs. 1-2 E & I.

Distribution. Protocypus taibaiensis sp. nov. is at present known only from Taibai Shan in southwestern Shaanxi Province.

Notes. Before this study, three species of the genus Protocypus , namely P. lupus , P. meles and P. ursus , were known to have golden-yellowish tomentose spots on visible tergites 4 and 5. These three species, together with Protocypus taibaiensis sp. nov, are all large and robust. Protocypus taibaiensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from the former three species by the shape of the aedeagus and the deep apical emargination of male sternite 9.

Etymology. The specific epithet is from the Chinese name of the type locality: Taibai (Pinyin).

Figures

FIGURE 1 - 1. Protocypus taibaiensis sp. nov.: A. habitus of species (2.0 mm); B. aedeagus, lateral view; (0.5 mm); C. aedeagus, ventral view (0.5 mm); D. underside of apical portion of paramere (0.5 mm); E. second gonocoxite of female genital segment (0.5 mm). (Scale in parentheses).

FIGURE 1 – 2. Protocypus taibaiensis sp. nov.: A. male tergite 10; B and D. aedeagus, lateral view; C. aedeagus, ventral view; E. female tergite 10; F. apical portion of median lobe, ventral view, paramere removed; G. underside of apical portion of paramere; H. male sternite 9; I. second gonocoxite of female genital segment; J. male sternite 8 (Scale bars = 0.50 mm).