Scolytoplatypus skyliuae Liao, Lai & Beaver, 2022

Liao 1, Song, Lai *, Shengchang, Beaver, Roger A., Gebhardt, Heiko & Wang, Jianguo, 2022, New species and new records of Scolytoplatypus Schaufuss (Curculionidae, Scolytinae) from China, and resurrection of Scolytoplatypus sinensis (Tsai & Huang, 1965) as a distinct species, ZooKeys 1082, pp. 27-50 : 27

Scolytoplatypus skyliuae Liao, Lai & Beaver sp. nov.

Figure 2

Type material.

Holotype. Male, China: Jiangxi Province, Shangrao City, Yanshan County, Wuyishan national nature reserve of Jiangxi, Huanggang Mountain, 27°52'56"N, 117°46'37"E, 17.VII.2017, log dissection, host unclear, Shang Tian, Shengchang Lai, Lifang Xiao & Peishan He leg. (deposited in NACRC).

Allotype. Female, the same data as the holotype (deposited in NACRC).

Paratypes. 8 males, 8 females, the same data as the holotype (6 males, 6 females JXAU; 2 males, 2 females NACRC); 25 males, 19 females, China: Fujian province, Wuyishan city, Wuyishan national nature reserve of Fujian, Guadun Village, 27°44'34"N, 117°38'2"E, 9.VII.2018, 1347.1m, log dissection, host Castanopsis fargesii Franch., Shengchang Lai, Kaiping Hu, Jia Lv & Ling Zhang leg. (2 males, 2 females USNM; 2 males, 2 females LLY; 2 males, 2 females NACRC; 2 males, 2 females RAB; 2 males, 2 females SYU; 15 males, 9 females JXAU).

Diagnosis.

Like S. wugongshanensis , this species is similar to S. blandfordi in its general form and in the structure of the prosternum. The males of those can be distinguished using the characters given in Table 2 .

Description.

Male. Body. Length 4.0-4.3 mm (4.0 mm in holotype), 2.11-2.26 × as long as wide (2.11 in holotype); dark brown to black in mature specimens, whole body covered with fine, yellowish hairlike setae.

Frons. Strongly concave, slightly flattened above epistoma, with small, shallow depressions at sides, surface minutely reticulate, finely, sparsely punctured, punctures with erect, fine hairs, median line extending ~ 1/4 of frontal height, margins with a row of longer setae below eyes, above eyes a fringe of long, golden setae, extending to vertex, and inwardly curved to middle of frons.

Antennal club. Ovate, ~ 1.7 × longer than wide, widest ~ 1/4 length from base, apex narrowly rounded, densely covered with short, appressed setae, anteroventral margin with a row of five or six long erect setae with thickened and incurved tips.

Pronotum. 0.94-1.00 × as long as wide (0.94 in holotype), widest at middle, narrowed posteriorly, anterior margin with distinct median emargination, posterior margin bisinuate, slightly produced in the middle, posterolateral corners approximately rectangular, surface smooth, shining, with fine, shallow, irregularly spaced punctures, more densely placed towards posterior margin, bearing fine setae. Anteroventral angles with a deep, oval fovea, not extending to anterior or ventral margins of pronotum.

Prosternum. Median part raised in a triangle, its apex anterior, sharply pointed, not reaching the anterior margin, anterior tip shining, impunctate, posterior part rugose, shallowly punctured, the punctures with appressed, backwardly directed setae. Two symmetrical, triangular, translucent processes diverging at an angle of ~ 90°, inserted just behind anterior margin.

Procoxae. Anterior part flattened, rugose, coarsely, shallowly punctured; posteriorly with a raised, granulate process bearing long, coarse setae, not forming a distinct brush.

Elytra. 1.10-1.16 × as long as wide (1.16 in holotype), 1.31-1.47 × as long as pronotum (1.37 in holotype), clearly wider than pronotum, sides almost parallel, widest in posterior part, then strongly converging to rounded apex; disc of elytra shining with confused, fine punctures, more closely placed towards declivity, pubescence fine and short, semi-erect, posterior; disc evenly rounded into declivity; declivity convex, densely, finely punctured, sutural interstriae weakly raised in mid-declivity bearing a row of small pointed granules, striae 1 and 2 and interstriae 2 slightly impressed, interstriae 2 without granules except for one or two at top of declivity, interstriae 3 slightly raised with a row of pointed granules, interstriae 4 and 5 with a few scattered granules, interstriae 8 finely carinate posteriorly, the carina extending to the elytral apex, with a row of minute sharply pointed granules posterolaterally; pubescence denser and longer on the declivity then elytral disc.

Abdomen. Ventrites shallowly, densely punctured, each puncture with a fine, backwardly directed seta, setae variable in length; last visible ventrite with a band of long golden setae directed posteriorly.

Female. (Fig. 2G, H ). Length 4.4-4.8 mm (4.6 mm in allotype), 2.32-2.53 × as long as wide (2.42 in allotype). Similar to male, but slightly larger. Frons convex, a weak, triangular impression above epistoma, surface finely reticulate, sparsely, finely punctured, punctures bearing short, fine, erect setae, median cranial suture extending as a median line to apex of triangular impression. Antennal scape shorter than in male, antennal club oval, shorter and wider than male, without a row of erect setae antero-ventrally. Pronotum generally as male, but with a median oval mycangial pit surrounded by erect yellow setae anterior to middle; anteroventral fovea absent. Prosternum a flattened plate lacking specific characters. Procoxae flattened without a posterior process. Elytral declivity generally as in male, but sutural interstriae very slightly raised, and impression lateral to it obsolescent, interstrial granules minute.

Host.

Castanopsis fargesii Franch. ( Fagaceae ).

Distribution.

Fujian (Wuyishan) and Jiangxi (Shangrao).

Etymology.

The species is named for Dr. Sky Liu Lan-Yu for her contributions to the systematics and biology of wood-boring beetles.

Molecular data.

The tree topology resulting from the Bayesian and ML analyses of the combined molecular data were near identical and all nodes except one received high support (Fig. 3 ). Additionally, S. wugongshanensis and S. skyliuae formed a sister clade to the Asian species of Scolytoplatypus . Phylogenetic analysis indicates a rather isolated position for both new species, although their genetic relationship was close.

New records and notes on species

Figures

Figure 2. Scolytoplatypus skyliuae (A-F male G, H female) A dorsal view B head anterior view C ventral view D lateral view E prosternum F elytral declivity G dorsal view H lateral view.

Figure 3. Tree topology resulting from Bayesian and ML analyses of four gene fragments.