Neuraphes (Pararaphes) miniqinghaiensis, Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2015

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2015, Three new species of Neuraphes in eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), Zootaxa 3972 (2), pp. 291-300 : 296

Neuraphes (Pararaphes) miniqinghaiensis sp. n.

( Figs 3 , 11–13 , 17 )

Holotype: CHINA (Qinghai): ♂, two labels: " CHINA: Qinghai Prov. [ CH 11-19] / road 301 km 180, 43 km ESE Men / Yuan, 37º09'32.6''N, 102º02'06.0''E, 2704 m, creek valley with Picea, Salix, / Populus, Betula, litter and moss sifted / 5.VII.2011, leg. M. Schülke" [white, printed] ( PCMS). Paratypes (7 exs.): 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, same data as holotype ( PCMS, cPJ). Paratypes with yellow PARATYPUS labels.

Diagnosis. Small species, 1.68–1.80 mm in length, bicolorous: head and pronotum dark brown, elytra and appendages lighter brown; head with shallow but distinct pair of impressions; pronotum with median longitudinal carina about as long as 1/3 of PL; each elytral apex with fine pore but without convexity; ventral plate of aedeagus strongly elongate, in ventral view distinctly and broadly constricted in apical third.

Description. Body of male ( Fig. 3 ) strongly convex and elongate, with long appendages, BL 1.68–1.80 mm; head and pronotum dark brown, nearly black, elytra, legs and antennae lighter brown, maxillary palps and tarsi yet slightly lighter but not yellowish; vestiture lighter than cuticle.

Head subtriangular, broadest at eyes, HL 0.25–0.28 mm, HW 0.30–0.33; tempora short and strongly bent mesally; vertex convex with distinct posteromedian longitudinal carina; frons with posteromedian flattening bearing shallow but distinct lateral pair of pits separated by distance slightly wider than diameter of pit; supraantennal tubercles distinct; eyes large, strongly expanding laterally, coarsely faceted, in lateral view oval and vertically elongate. Punctures on vertex fine and inconspicuous, flattened area on frons with several unevenly distributed, small and slightly diffused punctures; setae sparse, long and erect. Antennae slender, AnL 0.98–1.03 mm, all antennomeres distinctly elongate, antennomere XI clearly shorter than IX–X together, twice as long as broad.

Pronotum in dorsal view subtrapezoidal, broadest near anterior third but only slightly narrowing posteriorly, PL 0.43–0.45 mm, PW 0.38–0.40 mm; anterior margin and sides in anterior third rounded, lateral margins in posterior half nearly straight, posterior corners slightly obtuse-angled and with acute tips, posterior margin arcuate; base with distinct transverse impression connected at each side to large subtriangular lateral impression and interrupted at middle by distinct median longitudinal carina equal to about 1/3 of PL. Punctures on pronotal disc fine, sharply marked, unevenly distributed, separated by spaces 0.5–3 times as wide as diameters of punctures. Setae on pronotal disc long, sparse and suberect.

Elytra suboval, broadest near anterior third, EL 1.00– 1.08 mm, EW 0.68–0.73 mm, EI 1.48–1.54; each elytron in anterior fourth with shallow but distinct adsutural flattening; basal elytral fovea located much closer to scutellum than to humerus; humeral calli moderately distinct, developed as elongate protuberances; each elytral apex without protuberance or convexity, only with fine pore, barely noticeable in dry-mounted specimens but clearly showing when elytra are soaked with ethanol or water. Punctures on elytra slightly larger and denser than those on pronotum, but shallow and with diffused margins, separated by spaces 1–2 times as wide as diameters of punctures; setae short, sparse and suberect. Hind wings well-developed, twice as long as elytra.

Legs long and slender; unmodified.

Aedeagus ( Figs 11–13 ) relatively slender, especially in lateral view, AeL 0.23 mm, in ventral view gradually broadening from base to subapical region; ventral plate narrow and long, with all margins sharply demarcated, sides broadly constricted in subapical region; lateral plates subtriangular; parameres narrow, with rounded subtriangular apices.

Female. Externally differs from male only in distinctly shorter antennae in relation to body length (evident only when measured); BL 1.80–1.83 mm; HL 0.25–0.28 mm, HW 0.31–0.33 mm, AnL 0.85–0.90 mm; PL 0.43– 0.45 mm, PW 0.38–0.40 mm; EL 1.10–1.13 mm, EW 0.70–0.73 mm, EI 1.52–1.61.

Distribution. China, Qinghai ( Fig. 17 l).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the similarity of the new species to N. qinghaiensis , from which it is clearly smaller.

Remarks. Neuraphes miniqinghaiensis belongs to a group of species with lateral aedeagal plates not bent and their apical portions not projecting laterally. This group comprises N. khumbuanus , N. tibetanus , N. aruensis , N. mephistopheles , N. qinghaiensis and N. hengduanus . Neuraphes mephistopheles is distinct within this group by having a pair of horn-like projections on the head, all its congeners inhabiting this area have unmodified heads. Neuraphes hengduanus has the lateral plates (in ventral or dorsal view) slightly curved outwards (rounded or nearly straight in all other species) and its aedeagus is very stout, less than twice as long as broad (in N. miniqinghaiensis the median lobe is much more elongate, more than twice as long as broad). Neuraphes khumbuanus and N. tibetanus clearly differ from N. miniqinghaiensis in the shape of the ventral aedeagal plate, which in these two species is strongly broadened in apical part, so that it is nearly T-shaped (plate not broadened in N. miniqinghaiensis ). Neuraphes aruensis has the aedeagus even more slender than that in N. miniqinghaiensis , with much longer and strongly curved parameres (nearly straight in N. miniqinghaiensis ) and rudimentary ventral plate. The aedeagus of N. miniqinghaiensis resembles most that of N. qinghaiensis , but the ventral plate in the latter species is nearly parallel-sided, while that in the newly described species has a broad and distinct subapical constriction. Moreover, these two species differ clearly in body length; N miniqinghaiensis is only 1.68–1.80 mm long, while the holotype of N. qinghaiensis slightly exceeds 2 mm.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Distribution of nominal species of Neuraphes in mountain ranges that surround Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Neuraphes aruensis Franz (a), N. jumlanus Franz (b), N. taksangensis Franz (c), N. himalayanus Franz (d), N. khumbuanus Jałoszyński (e), N. mephistopheles Jałoszyński (f), N. hengduanus Jałoszyński (g), N. tibetanus Jałoszyński (h), N. pseudojumlanus Jałoszyński (i), N. sichuanus sp. n. (j), N. tuyuhun sp. n. (k), N. miniqinghaiensis sp. n. (l), N. cf. qinghaiensis (m), N. qinghaiensis Jałoszyński (n).

FIGURES 1 – 4. Neuraphes, habitus of males: N. sichuanus sp. n. (1), N. tuyuhun sp. n. (2), N. miniqinghaiensis sp. n. (3), and N. cf. qinghaiensis (4).

FIGURES 11 – 16. Aedeagi in dorsal (11, 14), ventral (12, 15) and lateral (13, 16) views. Neuraphes miniqinghaiensis sp. n. (11 – 13), and N. cf. qinghaiensis (14 – 16).