Ptomaphagus (s. str.) piccoloi, Wang, Cheng-Bin, Ruzicka, Jan, Nishikawa, Masaaki, Perreau, Michel & Hayashi, Yasuhiko, 2016

Wang, Cheng-Bin, Ruzicka, Jan, Nishikawa, Masaaki, Perreau, Michel & Hayashi, Yasuhiko, 2016, Revision of the genus Ptomaphagus Hellwig (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Cholevinae) from Japan, ZooKeys 607, pp. 119-144 : 132-138

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Leiodidae

Ptomaphagus (s. str.) piccoloi sp. n. Figs 1D, E; 5A-J; 6A-G

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, [JAPAN] Mt. Yamanori-yama [ca. 35°14'N, 133°49'E] / Chûka-son, Maniwa- / ca. 900 m in alt. / gun, Okayama Pref. // W Honshu, W Japan / 26.VI.2004; FIT / Y. Fujitani leg. // 5 (NSMT). Paratypes: 1♀, same data as holotype except: 2.VII.2004 (NSMT); 1♀, JAPAN, Ibaraki Pref. / Tsukuba City env. [ca. 36°04'N, 140°04'E] / 12.XI.2005 / P. Jałoszyński leg. // PTOMAPHAGUS (PTOMAPHAGUS) sibiricus JEANNEL, 1934 / det. H. Hoshina, 2006 (CPJA); 4♂♂6♀♀, Kurokura [ca. 35°25'N, 139°04'E] / ca. 400 m, Yamakita-machi / Ashigarakami-gun / Kanagawa Pref., C Japan // [trap: under stones at base of / debris slope] 29.IV.-14.V.2011 / M. Nishikawa leg. (2♂♂2♀♀ in CCBW, 1♂3♀♀ in CJRZ and 1♂1♀ in CMPR); 1♂, same data as previous except: 13.II.-18.III.2016 (CMNE); 1♂, [JAPAN] YAWATA [ca. 34°52'N, 135°42'E] / KYOTO [Pref.] / 2.II.1985 / T. ITO [leg.] // Ptomaphagus sibiricus JEANNEL / Det. Y. HAYASHI, 1985 (NMPC); 2♂♂1♀, [JAPAN] 岡山県美作市 [Okayama Pref., Mimasaka-shi] / 白水 [Shiramizu: ca. 34°58'N, 134°15'E] / bait-trap / 28.IV.2005 / 藤谷美文 [Fujitani Yoshifumi] 採集 [leg.] // Ptomaphagus sibiricus JEANNEL / Det. Y. HAYASHI, 2014 (1♂ in CMNE; 1♂ in CYHK; 1♀ in NMPC); 1♀, [JAPAN] KAKEYU [ca. 36°18'N, 138°08'E] / NAGANO. Pref. / 6.IV.1979. / Y. Hirano. leg. // ♀ (CMNE); 1♂, 東京都西多摩郡奥多摩町 [Tokyo, Nishitama-gun, Okutama-machi] / 日原 [Nippara] 一石山 [Mt. Isseki-zan] -人形山 [Mt. Ningyio-yama] // FIT (地上 [above the ground] 0.5-1 m) // Japan: Honshu [FIT No.2] / Mt. Isseki-zan–Mt. Ningyô- / yama (1040 m in alt.), Nippara / Okutama Machi, Tokyo / 35.858761, 139.036059 [ca. 35°51'N, 139°02'E] / 23.V.-8.VII.2015 / KAMEZAWA Hiromu leg. (CMNE); 1♂, same data as previous except: WFIT: 1100 m in alt. // 35.858796, 139.034128 (CMNE); 1♀, 東京都八王子市高尾山 [Tokyo, Hachiôji-shi, Mt. Takao-san: ca. 35°37'N, 139°14'E] // Japan: Honshu / Mt. Takao-san / (approx. 500 m in alt.), / Hachioji Shi, Tokyo To / 10.III.2007 / KAMEZAWA Hiromu leg. // KAMEZAWA Collection (CMNE); 1♀, same data as previous except: 14.II.2004 (CMNE); 1♂, [JAPAN] Mt. MASUGATAYAMA [ca. 35°36'N, 139°33'E] / KAWASAKI KANA / GAWA [Pref.] 1985.II.2 / Coll. A. IZUMI (CMNE); 1♂, [JAPAN] 宮ヶ瀬 [Miyagase] / 1-c // MIYAGASE [ca. 35°31'N, 139°13'E] / TANZAWA [Mts., Kanagawa Pref.] / 6.VI.1989 / H. HARADA [leg.] (CMNE); 1♂, same data as previous except: 2-c (CMNE); 1♂1♀, JAPAN Kanagawa-ken / Ashigarakami-gun / Yamakitamachi Kurokura [ca. 35°25'N, 139°04'E] / 29.iv.2011 alt. ca. 400 m / Ichiro Oshio leg. (CYFO); 1♂, [JAPAN] Mikuni-toge [ca. 35°24'N, 138°54'E] / Kanagawa [Pref.] / 7.VI.1970 / H. Takizawa [leg.] (CMNE); 1♀, [JAPAN] (Near BODAI [ca. 35°24'N, 139°11'E]) / Tanzawa [Mts.], Kanagawa [Pref.] / May 3rd 1973 / Coll. Y. Shibata (CMNE); 1♀, [JAPAN] 鳥取県 [Tottori Pref.] 西伯郡 [Saihaku-gun] / 大山町 [ Daisen-chô] 三ノ沢 [Sannosawa: ca. 35°21'N, 133°32'E] / FIT alt 960 m / 6 月7– 23日2008年 [7-23.VI.2008] / 渡辺昭彦 [Watanabe, Akihiko] 採集 [leg.] (CYFO); 1♂, [JAPAN] 岡山県 [Okayama Pref.] 真庭市 [Maniwa-shi] / 蒜山 [Hiruzen] 蒜山大山S.L. [Hiruzen-Daisen Skyline road: ca. 35°19'N, 133°35'E] / 6 月9– 17日2007年 [9-17.VI.2007] / 渡辺昭彦 [Watanabe, Akihiko] 採集 [leg.] (CYFO); 1♂, [JAPAN] Jigokuana Cave [ca. 35°19'N, 135°27'E] / Mt. Chorosan / Wachi, KYOTO / 16.XI.1986 // Y. NISHIKAWA [leg.] // 仏主の地獄穴 [Hodosu-no-jigokuana Cave] / 16.XI.1986 (西川 [Nishikawa]) / Y. NISHIKAWA [leg.] (CYHK); 1♂, [JAPAN] OH-DOH [ca. 35°19'N, 139°19'E] 大堂 [ Ôdô] (Tul.) / Mt. Koma-yama Ohiso town / Kanagawa Pref. / 23.III.2001 / Shiho ARAI leg. (CMNE); 1♀, JAPAN Kanagawa-ken / Kamakura-shi / Inamuragasaki [ca. 35°18'N, 139°31'E] / 2.i.2011 / Eimon Ueda leg. (CYFO); 1♀, Shiraishijizo-no-ana / Cave [ca. 35°14'N, 139°06'E], Hakoneyumoto / Kanagawa Pref. // C Japan, Ethanol trap / 7.IV.-18.V.1996 / M. Nishikawa leg. (CMNE); 1♀, same data as previous except: 22.VI.1996 (CMNE); 1♂, same data as previous except: 14.VIII.1996 (CMNE); 3♂♂2♀♀, same data as previous except: baited trap / 16.IV.-13.V.1995 (CMNE); 1♀, [JAPAN] Kanagawa Pref. / Odawara C. / Iriuda [ca. 35°14'N, 139°07'E] / 15 Oct.1995 / H. Miyatani Leg. (CMNE); 1♂, [JAPAN] YUGAWARA [ca. 35°09'N, 139°05'E] / HAKONE [Kanagawa Pref.] / 29.IV.1984 / Y. Hirano. leg. (CMNE); 2♀♀, [JAPAN] 岡山県 [Okayama Pref.] 新見市 [Niimi-shi] / 千屋ダム湖畔 [Chiya Dam lakeside: ca. 35°03'N, 133°27'E] / FIT alt 460 m / 6 月7– 23日2008年 [7-23.VI.2008] / 渡辺昭彦 [Watanabe, Akihiko] 採集 [leg.] (CYFO); 1♂, (Kusama [ca. 34°56'N, 133°32'E], Niimi-shi) / Okayama Pref., Honshu / Japan. May 7th, 1997 / Coll. Y. Watanabe (CMNE); 1♂, nr. Rashomon-daiichi- / dô Cave [ca. 34°56'N, 133°33'E], Niimi-shi. / 370 m in alt. / Okayama Pref. // W Japan (carrion trap) / 18.VIII.2001 / Y. Fujitani leg. (CMNE); 1♀, same data as previous except: 27.III.2005 (CMNE); 1♀, Mt. Arato-yama [ca. 34°55'N, 133°22'E] / ca. 600 m, Tetta-chô / litter: sieve / Atetsu-gun // Okayama Pref. / W. Japan, 25.V.2003 / Y. Fujitani leg. (CMNE); 1♂, [JAPAN] 岡山県阿哲郡 [Okayama Pref., Atetsu-gun] / 哲多町 [ Tetta-chô] 無明谷 [ Mumyôdani: ca. 34°53'N, 133°27'E] / bait-trap // 25.IV.2004 / 藤谷美文 [Fujitani Yoshifumi] 採集 [leg.] (CMNE); 1♂, [JAPAN] MINOO [ca. 34°50'N, 135°28'E] / Osaka / 5.iv.1961 / Y. Kimura [leg.] // Ptomaphagus / sibiricus / Det. Y. HAYASHI, 19 (CYHK); 1♀, 28.v.2007 / [JAPAN] 広島県神石高原町 [Hiroshima Pref., Jinsekikôgen-chô] / 高光 [Takamitsu: ca. 34°48'N, 133°10'E] リタ ーより [from litter] / 妹尾鈴香 [Senoo Rinka leg.] (CYFO); 1♂, [JAPAN] ( Ôdaru-onsen [ca. 34°47'N, 138°56'E]) / Shizuoka [Pref.], Honshu / March 22nd,1983 / Coll. Y. Watanabe (CMNE); 1♀, [JAPAN] Mt. AOMINE [= Mt. Aonomine-san: ca. 34°24'N, 136°49'E] / TOBA, MIE [Pref.] / 17.VIII.1988 / T. ITO [leg.] (CYHK); 1♀, [JAPAN] Mt. Hiko[-san: ca. 33°29'N, 130°54'E] / Hukuoka [= Fukuoka Pref.] / 17-19.V.1967 / H. Takizawa [leg.] (CMNE); 2♀♀, [JAPAN] Ohsé-no-ko-ana / Cave [ca. 32°16'N, 130°36'E], Ohsé / Kuma-mura / Kumamoto Pref // SW JAPAN / 26.V.1998 / S. Uéno & S. Arai leg. [recorded as Ptomaphagus ( Ptomaphagus ) sp. in Nishikawa 1995] (CMNE); 1♂, [JAPAN] 屋代島 [Yashiro-jima Is.]. 源明峠 [ Genmei-tôge: ca. 33°53'N, 132°14'E] / 山口県周防大島町 [Yamaguchi Pref., Suo-Ôshima-chô] / 27.VI.2005 / Leg. 伴一利 [Ban Kazutoshi] (CMNE).

Description.

Male. EBL: 2.7-3.0 mm (2.7 mm in holotype). Length of different body parts: HL: AL: PL: ELL = 0.5: 0.8: 0.8: 1.7 mm; width: HW: EW: PW: ELW = 0.7: 0.1: 1.2: 1.3 mm. Proportion of antennomeres from base to tip in µm (length × width): 116 × 61, 91 × 56, 70 × 61, 40 × 66, 43 × 76, 44 × 95, 67 × 102, 32 × 107, 59 × 112, 68 × 113, 121 × 104.

Habitus (Fig. 1D) elongated oval, regularly convex and sublustrous. Well pigmented: mostly brown; mouthparts, apical half of ultimate antennomere, protarsi, and apical parts of meso- and metatarsi more or less paler. Dorsum continuously clothed with fine, recumbent, yellowish pubescence. Insertions of pubescence on dorsal surfaces of pronotum, elytra and femora aligned along transverse striolations; interspace between two striolations glabrous.

Head transverse, HW/HL = 1.5. Clypeofrontal suture absent. Clypeus with anterior margin slightly rounded. Compound eyes small, EW/HW = 0.1. Antennae (Fig. 5A) slender, AL/HW = 1.1; antennomere III a little shorter than II; VI with length/width = 0.5; XI pear-shaped.

Pronotum (Fig. 5B) transverse, widest just before hind angles, PW/PL = 1.6. Sides gently arched, gradually narrowing from posterior to anterior; hind angles slightly drawn out and bluntly rounded. Posterior margin widely protruding in the middle part, distinctly emarginate near hind angles.

Elytra oval, widest at approx. basal 1/4, ELL/EW = 1.35. Sides weakly arched, gradually narrowing from widest part to apices, which narrowly rounded (Fig. 5G). Sutural striae present. Metathoracic wings fully developed.

Prolegs robust, with basal three protarsomeres (Fig. 5C) moderately expanded: TW/BTW = 1.5. Protibiae (Fig. 5E) distinctly expanded towards apex. Profemora broad. Mesotibiae slightly arcuate, mesotarsi simply linear. Metatibiae much thick and straight.

Abdominal ventrite VIII (Fig. 5I) almost round at posterior edge and with a distinct median notch. Spiculum gastrale of genital segment (Fig. 5J) with nearly 1/2 of length protruding beyond anterior edge of epipleurite IX.

Aedeagus small, slender and narrow, with median lobe gradually narrowing towards a leaf-shaped apex and terminated by an obtusely rounded knob in dorsal view (Fig. 6A); opening of genital orifice situated on dorsal surface, deeply cut inwards on left edge of median lobe at subapex. Ventral surface of the apex of the median lobe (Figs 6B, D) inserted with 4 ventrally oriented setae on the left side and 5 ventrally oriented setae on the right side; parameres narrow, reaching almost apical 1/8 of median lobe, each apex (Fig. 6E) with 2 lateral setae and 1 apical seta relatively shorter. In lateral view (Fig. 6C), median lobe thin, bent in basal half and almost straight in apical half, gradually tapering apically. Endophallus with stylus quite slender, a cheliform complex just below the base of stylus, and a circular complex at the basal region.

Female. Similar to male in general appearance (Fig. 1E), but distinguished by the following characteristics: protarsi (Fig. 5D) simply linear; protibiae (Fig. 5F) narrower; elytral apices (Fig. 5H) acuminate; ventrite VIII (Fig. 6F) slightly protruded in median of posterior margin; genital segment as shown in Fig. 6G; spermatheca (Fig. 6G) sinuous or coiled in distal part, not coiled in proximal part.

Distribution.

Japan (Fig. 9).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is from the name of “Piccolo”, a fictional character in the Dragon Ball manga series created by Akira Toriyama, which also has an Italian origin meaning of “small” that refers to the small body size of this new species.

Remarks.

Several examined specimens of this tiny species had been previously identified as Ptomaphagus (s. str.) sibiricus (maybe more specimens are deposited in different Japanese researchers’ collections); however, it is conspicuously different to the holotype of Ptomaphagus (s. str.) sibiricus . The new species is smaller, with metatibiae much thicker (Fig. 1D, E) and female elytral apices acuminate (Fig. 5H); while Ptomaphagus (s. str.) sibiricus is larger, with metatibiae slender (Fig. 1F) and female elytral apices narrowly rounded (Fig. 7B).

Interestingly, the new species has the thickest metatibiae and most apparent sexual dimorphism on the elytral apices that we have encountered in any Ptomaphagus from East Asia and adjacent areas.

The new species has hitherto been known from Honshu and Kyushu ( Hisamatsu and Hayashi 1985, for example), Japan, under the name Ptomaphagus (s. str.) sibiricus . Despite a long history of studies, it has not yet been recorded from Shikoku; also we have not examined any specimens of this new species from northern Honshu, above the 37th parallel (Fig. 9). In these two areas, the new species can be regarded as at least rare or more probably completely absent. Specimens from Yashiro-jima Island in the Setonaikai Inland Sea were previously reported (as Ptomaphagus sibiricus ) in Tanaka and Ban (2006).

As indicated in the material examined, Ptomaphagus (s. str.) piccoloi sp. n. has been collected from various habitats such as caves, under stones at the base of debris slopes and in litter layers.

Collecting methods for the material mostly indicate a necrophagous association, such as traps baited with decaying animal matter.