Gnaptorina nigra, Shi & Ren & Merkl, 2007

Shi, A-M., Ren, G-D. & Merkl, O., 2007, Six New Species Of Gnaptorina Reitter, 1887 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Blaptini) From The Tibet Plateau, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 53 (3), pp. 219-238 : 230-237

Gnaptorina nigra sp. n.

( Figs 61–72 , 83–84, 90)

Description – Body, antennae and legs black, weakly shining. Male body length 9.0– 10.4 mm, width 4.7–5.2 mm; female body length 9.7–11.0 mm, width 5.4–5.7 mm.

Male (Fig. 83). Anterior margin of clypeus straight. Outer margin of head with shallow obtuse-angled incision above base of antennae. Outer genal margin arcuately converging to clypeal base. Eyes protruding beyond outer margin of head. Dorsal surface of head with punctures clear and large. Antennae, when posteriorly extended, reaching posterior 1/4 of pronotum. Length (width) ratio of 2nd to 11th antennomeres 11 (8): 23(9): 9(9): 10(9): 10(9): 11(9): 10(12): 10(12): 11(14): 15(14).

Pronotum ( Fig. 61 ) cordiform, 1.28–1.34 (1.32 on average, n = 8) times as wide as long, widest before the middle, 1.85–1.90 (1.88 on average, n = 8) times as wide as head. Ratio of pronotal width at anterior margin to its maximum width and width at base (n = 8) 0.55: 1.00: 0.82 on average. Outer margins of pronotum more sharply arcuately narrowing to anterior margin than to base, sometimes shallowly sinuate in basal 1/4, bordered along entire length. Anterior margin weakly sinuate, bordered laterally, basal margin straight, not bordered. Anterior angles of pronotum rounded, posterior angles obtuse. Pronotal surface between outer margins convex, with shallow median depression in anterior 3/4; with well-defined punctures slightly smaller than those on head. Prothoracic hypomeron weakly concave, with irregular wrinkles and very sparse granules. Prosternum steeply sloping before coxae, intercoxal process with weak median depression, obliquely sloping behind procoxae.

Elytra elongate-oval, 1.48–1.53 (1.50 on average, n = 10) times as long as wide, widest in the middle, 1.26–1.32 (1.30 on average, n = 10) times as wide as pronotum. At least anterior 1/2 (sometimes the whole) of epipleural carina visible from above. Elytral surface sparsely covered with shallow punctures and irregular wrinkles. Epipleural surface with irregular wrinkles. Visible abdominal ventrites with punctures and brown setae, 1st to 3rd ventrites with irregular wrinkles.

Legs ( Figs 63–65 ) strong, length (width) ratio of fore, middle and hind femora 75(23): 87(21): 100(22); that of corresponding tibiae: 64(10): 68(13): 95(17). Fore tibiae parallel-sided in apical 3/4, with massive upper spur longer than 1st protarsomere, lower spur small. Only 1st protarsomere with a tuft of light setae at apical margin of plantar surface. Hind tibiae straight, gradually widening toward apex. Length (width) ratio of 1st to 4th metatarsomeres 23(6.5): 11(6.0): 10(6.0): 23(6.0).

Aedeagus ( Figs 66–68 ): length 2.34 mm, width 0.57 mm. Parameres 0.72 mm long and 0.41 mm wide, with outer margin sinuate. Spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 69 . Apical margin of abdominal sternite 8 shallowly sinuate ( Fig. 70 ).

Female (Fig. 84). Body longer and wider. Antennae short, when posteriorly extended, reaching posterior 1/3 of pronotum. Upper spur of fore tibiae very large, regularly widening toward apex. Plantar surface of 1st protarsomere without tuft of light setae. Ovipositor as in Figs 71–72 .

Type material – Holotype male, CHINA: Tibet, Damxung, Yangbajian , 3700–4100 m, N 31°06’, E 90°30’, 28 June 2004, Yi-Bin Ba and Ai-Min Shi leg. ( MHBU). First label of the holotype (written with Chinese characters) see Fig. 90 . Paratypes: 19 males (1, HNHM, 18, MHBU) and 5 females (1, HNHM, 4, MHBU), same data as holotype ; 18 males and 21 females, CHINA: Tibet, Damxung , 4000–4300 m, N 30°24’, E 91°06’, 8 July 2002, Guo-Dong Ren leg. ( MHBU) .

Etymology – Named after the black body. ventral view

Figs 73–76. 73–74 = Gnaptorina pilifera sp. n.: 73 = male, 74 = female. 75–76 = G. compressa sp. n.: 75 = male, 76 = female Figs 77–80. 77–78 = Gnaptorina kangmar sp. n.: 77 = male, 78 = female. 79–80 = G. himalayana sp. n.: 79 = male, 80 = female

Figs 81–84. 81–82 = Gnaptorina globithoracalis sp. n.: 81 = male, 82 = female. 83–84 = G. nigra sp. n.: 83 = male, 84 = female

Diagnosis – This new species resembles Gnaptorina globithoracalis sp. n., with the following differences: outer genal margin arcuately converging to clypeal base; antennae, when posteriorly extended, reaching posterior 1/4 of pronotum; pronotum cordiform, widest before the middle, base not bordered, posterior angles obtuse; parameres with outer margin sinuate.

Distribution – China: Tibet.

85 86 87 88 89 90

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF THE GENUS GNAPTORINA REITTER, 1887 LACKING HAIR BRUSHES

1 Elytra widest behind middle 2

– Elytra widest in or before middle 3

2 Upper surface of head and pronotum with weak punctures. Pronotum transverse, outer margins slightly sinuate in basal 1/3, with very short and shallow median depression at pronotal base. Wrinkles of elytral surface dense and delicate, nearly concealing punctures G. tishkovi MEDVEDEV, 1998

– Upper surface of head and pronotum with moderately strong punctures. Pronotum subquadrate, outer margins converging to base in straight line, with weak median depression on pronotal surface. Elytral surface without wrinkles and strongly punctate G. brucei BLAIR, 1923

3 Anterior margin of pronotum sinuate. Elytral surface between outer side of epipleura and sutural margin with 2 rows of tubercles, dense granules and sparse unevenly spaced tubercles. Antennae, when posteriorly extended, reaching posterior 1/4 of pronotum. Pronotum widest in the middle, outer margins arcuately protruding. Epipleural carina visible from above throughout its entire length G. pilifera sp. n.

– Anterior margin of pronotum weakly sinuate or straight. Elytral surface between outer side of epipleura and sutural margin with punctures and wrinkles, sometimes only with punctures, without carinae, granules and tubercles 4

4 Less than basal half of epipleural carina visible from above. Intercoxal process of prosternum steeply sloping behind coxae 5

– More than basal half of epipleural carina visible from above. Intercoxal process of prosternum obliquely sloping behind coxae 6

5 Anterior margin of clypeus sinuate. Eyes slightly protruding beyond outer margin of head. Pronotum with outer margins converging to base with almost straight sides in basal half, anterior margin bordered laterally, posterior angles almost rectangular, pronotal surface with a shallow elongate impression on each side of pronotal base and a smooth spot on each side of median depression. Middle part of prosternum in front of procoxae sharply concave. Epipleural carina visible from above in anterior 1/3 G. compressa sp. n.

– Anterior margin of clypeus slightly sinuate to straight. Eyes not protruding beyond outer margin of head. Pronotum with outer margins arcuately narrowing to base in basal half, anterior margin not bordered, posterior angles obtuse, pronotal surface without smooth spot. Middle part of prosternum in front of procoxae not concave. Less than basal half of epipleural carina visible from above G. kangmar sp. n.

6 Eyes not protruding beyond outer margin of head. Anterior margin of pronotum straight, not bordered 7

– Eyes protruding beyond outer margin of head. Anterior margin of pronotum shallowly sinuate, bordered laterally 8

7 Anterior margin of clypeus sinuate. Pronotum widest before middle, with outer margins shallowly sinuate or narrowing to base with almost straight sides in basal 1/3. Elytra widest in middle. Epipleural carina visible from above in anterior 2/3. Elytral surface with punctures only

G. cordicollis MEDVEDEV, 1998

– Anterior margin of clypeus slightly sinuate to straight. Pronotum widest in middle, with outer margins arcuately narrowing to base in basal half. Elytra widest immediately before middle. More than anterior 2/3 (sometimes the whole) of epipleural carina visible from above. Elytral surface with punctures and wrinkles G. himalayana sp. n.

8 Genae parallel-sided before eyes. Antennae long, when posteriorly extended, reaching pronotal base. Pronotum not cordiform, widest in middle, base bordered laterally, posterior angles nearly rectangular. Elytra widest immediately before the middle. Parameres with outer margin linearly narrowing toward apex G. globithoracalis sp. n.

– Outer genal margin arcuately converging to clypeal base. Antennae short, when posteriorly extended, reaching posterior 1/4 of pronotum. Pronotum cordiform, widest before middle, base not bordered, posterior angles obtuse. Parameres with outer margin sinuate G. nigra sp. n.

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Acknowledgements – We are very grateful to YI-BIN BA and YANG YU ( College of Life Sciences , Hebei University , China) for their assistance while collecting specimens in Tibet. This study was supported by the fund of Heibei Key Provincial Discipline Zoology (No. 2005008) .

Figures

Figs 61–72. Gnaptorina nigra sp. n.: 61 = pronotum, 62 = antenna, 63 = fore leg, 64 = middle leg, 65 = hind leg, 66 = apical part of aedeagus in dorsal view, 67 = same, ventral view, 68 = aedeagus in lateral view, 69 = spiculum gastrale, 70 = abdominal sternite 8, 71 = ovipositor in dorsal view, 72 = same,

Figs 85–90. First labels of the holotypes: 85 = Gnaptorina pilifera sp. n., 86 = G. compressa sp. n., 87 = G.kangmar sp.n., 88 = G.himalayana sp.n.,89 =G. globithoracalis sp.n.,90 =G. nigra sp. n.