Lathrobium badagongense Peng and Li

Peng, Zhong, Li, Li-Zhen & Zhao, Mei-Jun, 2014, Seventeen new species and additional records of Lathrobium (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from mainland China, Zootaxa 3780 (1), pp. 1-35 : 21-22

Lathrobium badagongense Peng and Li , new species

( Figs 13 B, 15)

Type material. (4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀). HOLOTYPE: ♂, labelled ‘ CHINA: Hunan Prov., Sangzhi County, Badagong Shan, 29°40'N, 109°46'E, 12.vii.2005 alt. 1,640 m, Li & Zhao leg.’ ( SNUC). PARATYPES: 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, same label data as holotype ( SNUC).

Description. Measurements (in mm) and ratios: BL 4.91–5.52, FL 2.30–2.40, HL 0.65–0.70, HW 0.69–0.77, AnL 1.20–1.24, PL 0.93–0.96, PW 0.76–0.81, EL 0.56–0.61, AL 1.16–1.18, HL/HW 0.91–0.94, HW/PW 0.90– 0.95, HL/PL 0.70–0.73, PL/PW 1.19–1.22, EL/PL 0.60–0.64.

Habitus as in Fig. 13 B. Body brown with paler apex, legs light brown to yellowish brown, antennae light brown.

Head weakly transverse; punctation coarse and sparse, even sparser in median dorsal portion; interstices with shallow microreticulation. Eyes 0.38–0.43 times as long as postocular region in dorsal view and composed of approximately 30 ommatidia.

Pronotum nearly parallel-sided; punctation somewhat sparser than that of head; impunctate midline moderately broad; interstices without microreticulation.

Elytra moderately short; punctation moderately fine and shallow. Hind wings completely reduced. Protarsi without sexual dimorphism.

Abdomen with fine and dense punctation, that of tergite VII somewhat sparser than that of anterior tergites; interstices with very shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe; tergite VIII with pronounced sexual dimorphism.

Male. Posterior margin of tergite VIII broadly convex; sternites III–VI unmodified; sternite VII ( Fig. 15 D) strongly transverse and weakly modified, with shallow median impression posteriorly, this impression with few weakly modified setae posteriorly, posterior margin weakly concave or nearly truncate, without distinct concavity in the middle; sternite VIII ( Fig. 15 E) nearly symmetric and weakly transverse, with shallow median impression, with pair of conspicuous clusters of extremely dense modified black setae posteriorly, and with small concave posterior excision; aedeagus as in Figs 15 F, G, ventral process long, slender, asymmetric and curved to the left in ventral view; dorsal plate with distinctly sclerotized apical portion and with short basal portion; internal sac with a ring-shaped membranous structure, without spines.

Female. Posterior margin of tergite VIII ( Fig. 15 A) strongly produced and almost acutely pointed; sternite VIII ( Fig. 15 B) oblong, posterior margin strongly convex; tergite IX ( Fig. 15 C) with short median portion, without median suture, and with long postero-lateral processes; tergite X 3.1 times as long as antero-median portion of tergite IX ( Fig. 15 C).

Comparative notes. Based on the symmetric and moderately modified male sternites VII and VIII, and on the morphology of the aedeagus (ventral process slender, laterally weakly compressed, and apically acute; internal sac without sclerotized spines), Lathrobium badagongense may belong to the L. varisternale group ( Assing, 2013a), which was previously known from the Qinling Shan, the Daba Shan, and adjacent mountain ranges and which comprised thirteen species. The new species is distinguished from the other representatives of this group by smaller size, the chaetotaxy of the male sternite VIII, and the morphology of the aedeagus (ventral process curved to the left in ventral view; dorsal plate with shorter basal portion). For illustrations of the species of the L. varisternale group see Assing (2013a) and Peng et al. (2013a).

Distribution and biological notes. The type locality is situated in the Badagong Shan to the northwest of Sangzhi, north-western Hunan. Lathrobium badagongense is most likely endemic to the Badagong Shan. The specimens were sifted from leaf litter in a mixed deciduous forest at an altitude of 1,640 m.

Etymology. The species is named after its type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Habitus of Lathrobium spp., A — L. sanqingense; B — L. badagongense; C — L. xui. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 15. Lathrobium badagongense. A — female tergite VIII; B — female sternite VIII; C — female tergites IX – X. D — male sternite VII; E — male sternite VIII; F — aedeagus in ventral view; G — aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.