Laena hui, Wei & Ren, 2024

Wei, Zhonghua & Ren, Guodong, 2024, Review of the genus Laena Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) from Gansu Province, China, with the description of a new species, ZooKeys 1190, pp. 121-130 : 121

Laena hui sp. nov.

Fig. 2A-G

Type locality.

China, Gansu Province, Tianshui City, Dongchazhen.

Type specimens.

Holotype: China • ♂; Gansu Province, Tianshui City, Dongchazhen, Dongcha forest farm; 34°15'54″N, 106°35'39″E; elev. 1840 m; 2021-8-29; Qi Liu leg.; MHBU. Paratype: China • 1♀ (in 95% ethanol); the same data as holotype; CWNU.

Diagnosis.

Based on morphological characteristics (as provided in the identification key) and the phylogenetic position in the ML tree, the new species is most similar and closest to L. fengileana . However, L. hui sp. nov. can be distinguished from L. fengileana by the following characters: body larger, length 7.1-7.7 mm (5.7-5.9 mm in L. fengileana ); body surface with very short setae, elytral intervals glabrous (elytral intervals each with a row of small punctures in L. fengileana ); all tibiae distinctly hooked at their inner apex, protibiae gradually broadened from base to apex (abruptly widened at base in L. fengileana ; Fig. 2H ); and apices of parameres rounded and constricted, lateral margins nearly straight (distinctly concave in posterior in L. fengileana ).

Description.

Holotype (Fig. 2A-G ). Body length 7.7 mm, width 3.0 mm. Body black; antennae, maxillary palpi, and legs blackish brown; dorsal surface shiny, with sparse punctures bearing short setae.

Head hexagonal, surface smooth, with dense, large punctation bearing short setae. Genae distinctly raised, surface without punctures in apical part, and sides with small punctures. Eyes ovate and prominent. Epistome trapezoidal, with anterior margin weakly emarginated; surface slightly convex at middle, with shallow, small punctures, and each lateral side with a longer seta near anterior angle. Fronto-clypeal suture indistinct, not depressed. Frons distinctive longitudinal convex at middle, with large, sparse large punctures; lateral parts depressed, with large, dense punctures. Vertex weakly convex, with large, sparse punctures on middle. Antennae slender, reaching pronotal base when directed backwards; antennomere III approximately 2.1 × as long as antennomere II, the relative ratio of the length of antennomeres II-XI as follows: 0.16:0.33:0.26:0.24:0.26:0.26:0.26:0.26:0.28:0.42.

Pronotum widest at anterior 1/3, widened anteriorly and significantly convergent from anterior 1/3 to anterior margin; anterior margin slightly emarginated at middle; lateral margins neither marked nor beaded; basal margin neither bent downwards nor beaded; disc strongly convex, surface with large, sparse punctures, and distance between punctures 0.5-3.0 × puncture diameter; anterior and posterior angles rounded, not produced. Prothoracic hypomera with punctures as large as those on disc, but with shorter setae. Prosternal process widest at middle and bent downwards behind coxae; surface with dense and large punctures bearing very short setae.

Elytra (Fig. 2C ) elongate-oval, widest at middle, approximately 1.6 × longer than wide; lateral sides arcuate; humeral angles rounded. Elytral surface smooth, with rows of punctures without striate, bearing very short setae; punctures in rows as large as those on pronotal disc; elytral intervals with few punctures nearly invisible, interval IX with three setigerous pores (one on anterior part, two on posterior part). Elytral apices significantly prolonged and with apex obtuse.

Abdomen ovoid, approximately 1.7 × as long as wide. Surface convex, smooth, with punctures gradually became smaller from ventrites I-IV, bearing short setae; posterior part of ventrites IV distinctly convex transversely at posterior part before posterior margin; ventrites V with setae at posterior part longer than those on anterior part.

Legs (Fig. 2D-F ) long and slender. Femora with sharp teeth near apex on inner sides; tooth on profemora rounded at apex, and meso- and metafemoral teeth acute and pointed at apex. All tibiae slender and distinctly hooked at inner apex; protibiae gradually becoming broader from base to apex, metatibiae slightly S-shaped on inner sides.

Aedeagus (Fig. 2G ) subfusiform, length 2.2 mm, width 1.8 mm. Parameres trapezoidal, widest at base and narrowing to apex, with rounded apex; lateral sides of parameres shortly constricted before apex.

Sexual dimorphism.

Female. Body length 7.1 mm, width 3.0 mm. Apex of tibiae not hooked at inner sides.

Distribution.

China: Gansu.

Etymology.

The name of this species honors the late Prof. Jinchu Hu (China West Normal University, Nanchong City, China) who is a famous expert on the Giant Panda.

Note.

The specimens were collected by sifting leaf litter in a mixed forest. The paratype was preserved in 95% alcohol, and a hind leg was used to extract the whole genome. The mitochondrial gene COI of this new species is provided in Table 1 .

Figures

Figure 2. Laena species A-G Laena hui sp. nov., holotype A, B dorsal and ventral views C elytra D-F pro- meso- and metaleg, in ventral view G aedeagus H proleg of L. fengileana.