Phorocardius alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, 2020

Ruan, Yongying, Douglas, Hume B., Qiu, Lu, Chen, Xiaoqin & Jiang, Shihong, 2020, Revision of Chinese Phorocardius species (Coleoptera, Elateridae, Cardiophorinae), ZooKeys 993, pp. 47-120 : 47

1. Phorocardius alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas sp. nov. Figs 2 , 3 , 23A , 24A , 25A , 26A

Type locality.

Shaanxi Prov., Yan-an (36.622°N, 109.457°E, alt. 993 m).

Etymology.

The name of this species refers to the alternating longitudinal maculation on elytra.

Distribution.

China (Shaanxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Guangxi).

Differential diagnosis.

Body length greater than 7.0 mm; integument dark brown (non-metallic), each elytron with three separate yellow stripes along interstriae III, V, and VII. Prothorax: procoxal cavities open. Prosternal process not strongly narrowed posterad to ventral apex in ventral view, with apex truncate to slightly rounded. Pterothorax: scutellar shield with posterior apex pointed. Tarsal claw with ventral apex not smaller than dorsal apex. Male genitalia: paramere without preapical lateral expansion or apical mesal callus. Female: apex of last abdominal ventrite (ventrite V) simple, not emarginate at apex.

This species is unique in Phorocardius in its alternating dark and yellow stripes on the elytra, the aedeagus is also unique due to its simple shape: without any preapical lateral expansion (but with ventral hook-like expansion).

Phorocardius alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. resembles P. flavistriolatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. and P. comptus ( Candèze, 1860) in having longitudinal yellow maculation on the elytron, but it could be distinguished from the latter two species by the following characters. In P. alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov., aedeagus gradually narrowed from base to apex in lateral view; apex of median lobe narrowly rounded in ventral view; and each elytron with three slender longitudinal stripes present separately on interstriae III, V, and VII, which partly merged near base and apex; while in P. flavistriolatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov., in lateral view, aedeagus with equal breadth from base to apical fifth, only slightly narrowed at apical fifth; apex of median lobe truncate to broadly rounded in ventral view; and each elytron with a single broad stripe covering basal half of interstria IV and interstriae V-VII.

In Phorocardius alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov., the parameres of the aedeagus have apical lateral expansions in dorsal view and lack preapical ventral expansions in lateral view; body brown-black; and each elytron with three slender longitudinal stripes present separately on interstriae III, V, and VII, with pale stripes partly joined near base and apex; while in P. comptus ( Candèze, 1860), the parameres lack apical lateral expansions in dorsal view and have preapical ventral expansions in lateral view; body black; and a single broad longitudinal stripe covering four interstriae (interstriae V-VIII).

Description.

(Based on all type specimens) Body brown-black. Each elytron with three separate longitudinal yellow stripes along interstriae III, V, and VII, partly joined near base and apex; stripes on mid-length of elytron absent or reduced in some females. Elytral stripes pale yellow in most males, orange in females. Antenna brown to dark brown, with first two antennomeres paler. Legs yellow-brown to brown, darker on tarsomere V and tibial apex. Body with yellow pubescence.

Measurements.

(based on all type specimens) Male body length 7.3-9.2 mm, width 2.3-3.0 mm. Female body length 8.2-10.6 mm, width 2.7-3.7 mm. Body length to width ratio 2.7-3.0. Pronotal width to length ratio 1.1-1.2. Pronotal width to body width ratio 0.83-0.90. Elytral length to pronotal length ratio 2.6-2.8; elytron length to width ratio 4.0-4.2.

Head. Frons and vertex with interspaces between punctures 0.5-1.0 × average puncture diameter; punctures slightly sparser at centre of vertex. Frontal carina convex in frontal view. Distance between eyes to width of eye ratio 4.2-4.5. Antenna with last antennomere entirely reaching beyond posterior angle of pronotum in male, only reaching to posterior angle in female. Antenna length to body length ratio, in male 0.39-0.41; in female 0.35-0.37. Proportions of antennomere lengths (male): 100 (scape); 53-58; 75-81; 82-83; 81-85; 83-88; 84-86; 85-90; 85-90; 85-90; 100-130.

Prothorax. Pronotum in dorsal view: sides evenly convex from anterior edge to constriction near posterior fourth, widest near mid-length; posterior angles with lateral sides almost straight, not bulged; surface with deep punctures, interspaces between punctures 0.5-1.0 × average puncture diameter. In ventral view, ventral surface of prosternal process with sides carinate and slightly and gradually narrow from anterior to posterior end, with apex almost truncate (Fig. 25A ). In lateral view, prosternal process with ventral surface curved slightly dorsad; with posterior end (i.e., area between ventral and dorsal apices (sensu Douglas 2011, 2017)) slightly concave to almost straight (Fig. 24A , upper arrow). Procoxal cavities open.

Pterothorax (Figs 24A , 25A ). Mesepisternum in ventral view with antero-mesal corner broadly rounded, facing antero-mesally (Fig. 25A , upper (green) arrow). Projections on posterior edge of mesosternum: in ventral view present (Fig. 25A , lower (red) arrow); in lateral view present, acute, produced anteriorly (Fig. 24A , red arrow). Scutellar shield: width to length ratio 0.97-1.00; anterolateral edges slightly sinuate; posterior apex pointed. Elytra: upper edge of epipleura with minute serrations.

Legs. Length ratio of metatarsomeres I-V (excluding claws): 100; 68-74; 66-70; 51-53; 125-128. Claw with ventral apex almost as large as dorsal apex.

Abdomen. Lateral edges of visible abdominal ventrites I-V with minute serrations.

Male genitalia. Robust in dorsal view (Fig. 2G ); in lateral view slender, gradually narrowing from base to apex. Median lobe in ventral view narrowed from base to mid-length; parallel-sided and slender on apical half, apex narrowly rounded. Median lobe in lateral view gently and evenly curved ventrad from base to apex, apex rounded. Paramere in dorsal view: wide from base to mid-length, gradually narrowed beyond mid-length, angulate at apex; preapical lateral expansion and apical mesal callus absent; width 2.5-3.5 × median lobe width (measured at mid-length of paramere and median lobe respectively). Paramere in lateral view: slender, gradually narrowed and evenly curved ventrad from base to apex; apex with sharp hook-shaped preapical ventral expansion (Fig. 2H , indicated by blue arrow).

Female. Body color slightly blacker than male (Fig. 2B ), elytral longitudinal yellow stripes partly absent on mid-length of elytron. Apex of abdominal ventrite V convex (Fig. 26A ). Bursa copulatrix with proximal sclerites ovoid, apex acute, base slightly concave; with numerous spines on concave internal surface: each with 9-12 large spines on mesal edge, 6-8 smaller ones on disc.

Type material.

Holotype. ♂ (SZPT), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Yan-an (延安), Yan-an University, Yao-yuan Holiday Hotel, leg. Yongying Ruan et al. 2018-VI-22-23 [in Chinese]; 2) 36.622°N, 109.457°E, 993 m; 3) Holotype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019.

Paratypes (100♂, 136♀). 3♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Yan-an (延安), Yan-an University, Yao-yuan Holiday Hotel, leg. Yongying Ruan et al. 2018-VI-22-23, light trap [in Chinese]; 2) 36.622°N, 109.457°E, 993 m; 3) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 2♀ (IZCAS), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Liu-ba County (留坝县), Huo-shao-dian, Hong-ya-gou, 2012.VI.23, 33.51°N 106.93°E, 986 m, leg. Yi Hua [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♀ (IZCAS), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Tai-bai County (太白县), Huang-bai-yuan, He-tao-ping, 2012.VI.19, 33.822°N 107.556°E, leg. Li Sha, light trap [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♂ (IZCAS), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Liu-ba County (留坝县), 2012.VI.21, 33.616°N 106.907°E, 980 m, leg. Li Sha; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♂7♀ (in IZCAS, 1♀ to be transferred to LQCC), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Qin-ling Botanical Garden (秦岭植物园), grand canyon, 2012.VII.5, 33.9282°N 108.3525°E, leg. Hua Yi, 925 m [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♀ (IZCAS), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Qin-ling Botanical Garden (秦岭植物园), Bai-yang-ji-li-gou, 2012.VII.6, 33.9827°N 108.3282°E, leg. Hua Yi, 698-738 m [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♂ (IZCAS), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Zha-shui County, Niu-bei-liang (牛背梁), 2013.VII.1-2, leg. Junzhi Cui & Yuanyuan Lu, 33.85742°N, 108.99886°E [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♀ (IZCAS), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Shan-luo, Zha-shui County, Ying-pan township (营盘镇), Light trap 2014.VII.29, leg. Yuanyuan Lu, Chinese Academy of Sciences [in Chinese]; 2) 955 m, pure ethanol, 33.776572°N 109.043397°E, Chinese Academy of Sciences [in Chinese]; 3) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 53♂67♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Zi-wu-ling reserve (子午岭保护区), Hua-shu-gou, colleting method FIT, 2019.VI-VII [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2020. • 28♂38♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Zi-wu-ling reserve (子午岭保护区), Shi-hui-gou, colleting method FIT, 2019.VI-VII [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2020. • 9♂3♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Zi-wu-ling reserve (子午岭保护区), Chen-jia-he, sweeping, leg. Lei Dang, 2019.VI.26 [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2020. • 5♂9♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Shaanxi, Zi-wu-ling reserve (子午岭保护区), Chen-jia-he, colleting method MT-5, 2019.VII.5-19 [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2020. • 1♀ (SZPT, ex. LQCC), labels: 1) Sichuan, Jiu-zai-gou (九寨沟), 2015.6.11, leg. Hao Huang [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♂ (SZPT), labels: 1) Hubei, Wu-dang Mts., Chao-tian-gong (朝天宫), 1982.VII.5; 2) Phorocardius comptus ( Candèze), det. Shihong Jiang 19; 3) 7.30*2.60 cm; 4) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♂ (SZPT), labels: 1) Hubei, Wu-dang Mts., Zi-xiao (紫霄), 1982.VII.10; 2) Phorocardius comptus ( Candèze), det. Shihong Jiang 1993; 3) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Hubei, Wu-dang Mts., Jin-ding (金顶), 1982.VII.9; 2) Phorocardius comptus ( Candèze), det. Shihong Jiang 1993; 3) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Hubei, Wu-dang Mts., Lao-yan (老燕), 1983.VII.2; 2) Phorocardius comptus ( Candèze), det. Shihong Jiang 1993; 3) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Hubei, Wu-dang Mts., Nan-yan (南岩), 1983.VII.2; 2) Phorocardius comptus ( Candèze), det. Shihong Jiang 1991; 3) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019. • 1♂ (TARI, ex. SZPT), labels: 1) Guangxi, Jin-xiu, Tong-shui township (桐水镇), VI-25.2006, Shenzhen Polytechnic [in Chinese]; 2) Paratype Phorocardius alterlineatus sp. nov. Des. Ruan & Douglas, 2019.

Remarks.

Specimens examined were from low to middle elevations (0-2500 m), temperate to subtropical mountain evergreen forests in central and south China. Specimens of this species were collected at different environments using variable collecting methods, including flight interception trap (in forests), malaise trap (in forests), sweeping (on shrubs), and light trap (near a hill in suburbs of a city). Specimens came to light traps, or were caught by sweep-netting vegetation in daylight. This suggests that this species is nocturnal and diurnal. This species is known from central China (i.e., the boundary between the Palearctic and Oriental Regions), only one specimen examined is from south China (Oriental Region).

In the field, this beetle was spotted running on multiple plants. We have observed one live adult in the field with an aphid in its mouthparts. However, individuals taken back to containers in the laboratory were not observed to feed on live aphids presented there. Further evidence is required to learn the adult and larval feeding habits of this species.

Some of the paratype specimens of P. alterlineatus sp. nov. Ruan & Douglas were previously misidentified and used for distributional records as P. comptus in Jiang (1993) and Jiang and Wang (1999). The label information for these specimens is listed as follows. 1♂ (SZPT), labels: 1) Hubei, Wu-dang Mts., Chao-tian-gong (朝天宫), 1982.VII.5; 2) Phorocardius comptus ( Candèze), det. Shihong Jiang 19; 3) 7.30*2.60 cm. • 1♂ (SZPT), labels: 1) Hubei, Wu-dang Mts., Zi-xiao (紫霄), 1982.VII.10; 2) Phorocardius comptus ( Candèze), det. Shihong Jiang 1993. • 1♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Hubei, Wu-dang Mts., Jin-ding (金顶), 1982.VII.9; 2) Phorocardius comptus ( Candèze), det. Shihong Jiang 1993. • 1♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Hubei, Wu-dang Mts., Lao-yan (老燕), 1983.VII.2; 2) Phorocardius comptus ( Candèze), det. Shihong Jiang 1993. • 1♀ (SZPT), labels: 1) Hubei, Wu-dang Mts., Nan-yan (南岩), 1983.VII.2; 2) Phorocardius comptus ( Candèze), det. Shihong Jiang 1991.

Figures

Figure 2. Phorocardius alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. A male habitus, paratype (Shaanxi, Zha-shui County, Niu-bei-liang), dorsal view B female habitus, paratype (Shaanxi, Shan-luo, Zha-shui County, Ying-pan township), dorsal view C female habitus, paratype (same individual as in inset B), ventral view D female abdominal sternite VIII E ovipositor, dorsal view (paratype), arrow indicating coxites F distal (upper side) and proximal sclerites of bursa copulatrix (the two proximal sclerites are viewed from different angles, resulting in different shapes shown above) G aedeagus, dorsal view (paratype, dry), arrow indicating apex of paramere H aedeagus, lateral view (paratype, dry), arrow indicating apex of paramere. I aedeagus (mounted in glycerin), dorsal view (paratype).

Figure 3. Phorocardius alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. A male head, frontal view (paratype) B male pronotum, dorsal view (paratype) C male on foliage (indoors; holotype) D female head, frontal view (paratype) E female pronotum, dorsal view (paratype) F female on foliage (indoors; paratype; collected from Shaanxi, Yan-an).

Figure 23. Shape of supraantennal carina of Chinese Phorocardius species. Arrows indicating supraantennal carina forked near eye. A P. alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. B P. flavistriolatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. C P. florentini. D P. magnus. E P. manuleatus. F P. minutus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. G P. rufiposterus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. H P. unguicularis. I P. yunnanensis Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. J P. zhiweii Ruan, Douglas & Qiu, sp. nov. K head, frontal-lateral view, arrows indicating forked supraantennal carina.

Figure 24. Lateral view of prosternal process and mesosternum of Chinese Phorocardius species. Upper green arrows indicating shape of posterior end of prosternal process; lower red arrows indicating projections (absent or present) on posterior edge of mesosternum (i. e., on anteroventral angle of mesosternal fossa according to Douglas 2003). A P. alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. B P. flavistriolatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. C P. florentini. D P. magnus. E P. manuleatus. F P. minutus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. G P. rufiposterus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. H P. unguicularis. I P. yunnanensis Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. J P. zhiweii Ruan, Douglas & Qiu, sp. nov.

Figure 25. Ventral view of pro- and mesothorax of Chinese Phorocardius species. Showing shape of ventral surface of prosternal process (upper, yellow dashed line), mesepisternum (middle, green arrow and dashed line) and projections on posterior edge of mesosternum (lower, red arrow and solid line) middle, green arrows indicating anterior-mesal angle of mesepisternum. A P. alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. B P. flavistriolatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. C P. florentini. D P. magnus. E P. manuleatus. F P. minutus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. G P. rufiposterus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. H P. unguicularis. I P. zhiweii Ruan, Douglas & Qiu, sp. nov.

Figure 26. Female abdominal ventrite V in Chinese Phorocardius species (ventral view). A P. alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. B P. flavistriolatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. C P. florentini. D P. magnus. E P. manuleatus F P. rufiposterus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. G P. unguicularis H P. yunnanensis Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov, arrows showing incisions near apex.