Tribasodites bedosae Yin and Li

Yin, Zi-Wei, Li, Li-Zhen & Zhao, Mei-Jun, 2011, Discovery in the caves of Guangxi, China: three new troglobitic species of Tribasodites Jeannel (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae), Zootaxa 3065, pp. 49-59 : 50-52

Tribasodites bedosae Yin and Li , new species

( Figs. 1, 4, 6, 8 , 10, 13, 16 )

Type material (2 33, 2 ƤƤ). Holotype: 3, labeled ‘ CHINA: Guangxi Prov. / Baise, Longlin Co. / Longhuo- Mayao / cave No. III, 22.iv.2010 / L. Deharveng, A. Bedos / & M. Y. Tian leg. // [red label] HOLOTYPE (printed) / Tribasodites bedosae Yin et Li (hand written) / SHNU Collections (printed)’. Paratypes: 1 3, 2 ƤƤ, same collecting data as holotype (1 3, 1 Ƥ in SHNU, 1 Ƥ in SCAU).

Description. Male. Body ( Fig. 1) yellowish brown, mouth parts, antennae and tarsi paler; BL 2.88–2.93. Head rounded-rectangular, HL 0.59–0.60, HW 0.55–0.56; lacking frontal rostrum, with prominent antennal tubercles and lateral postantennal pits; vertexal foveae nude, connected by U-shaped sulcus partially obliterated between antennal tubercles; vertex convex medially, with median longitudinal carina, with lateral longitudinal carinae extending from above eyes to head base; antennae with 11 antennomeres, scape stout, all antennomeres elongate, club formed by apical four antennomeres, bearing complex modifications ( Fig. 4 ); ocular-mandibular carinae present; eyes reduced, each with about 13–15 facets; maxillary palpi with palpomeres I small, II elongate and slightly pedunculate, III short, nearly triangular, IV nearly fusiform; gula with single large fovea, gular carina weakly developed.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide, PL 0.62–0.63, PW 0.60–0.61; median antebasal fovea replaced by large impression, lateral antebasal foveae large; inner and outer pairs of basolateral foveae present; lateral longitudinal sulci with mesal margins slightly carinate, antebasal spines just posterior to lateral antebasal foveae, median longitudinal sulcus extending through pronotal length; pair of large discal spines located between median and lateral sulci as part of discal carinae; lateral margins of pronotum carinate, with small marginal spines anterior to lateral antebasal foveae; paranotal carinae distinct on entire length; lateral procoxal foveae present.

Elytra barely wider than long, EL 0.85–0.86, EW 0.88–0.90, slightly rounded on sides; disc strongly convex; each elytron with three basal foveae, discal striae extending to apical three-fifths of elytral length; subhumeral foveae present, marginal striae extending to elytral apex.

Venter of pterothorax with lateral mesoventral foveae present, median mesoventral foveae widely separated, opening into shared large transverse cavity; lateral mesocoxal foveae large; lateral metaventral foveae close to each other; metacoxae widely separated; metaventrite with pair of median gibbosities, anterior margin with deep notch.

Legs conspicuously elongate, not spinose.

Abdomen longer than wide, AL 0.82–0.84, AW 0.78–0.81; tergite IV with outer marginal carinae thick, strongly constricted mesally, thinner inner carinae extending to tergal apex; prominent discal carinae short and thick; tergites IV and VII longest and subequal in length; lacking distinct basal impression, with small nude foveae bracketing base of short discal carinae, setose basal lateral foveae large; tergites V–VII with small basolateral foveae. Sternite IV–VI with mediobasal foveae, IV–VII with basolateral foveae, V about half as long as IV at midline. Aedeagus ( Figs. 6, 8 ) asymmetric, median lobe with deep apical split, short parameres semi-membranous, fused with ventral lobe at base, dorsal lobe broad, composed of several asymmetric sclerites.

Female. Similar to male; each eye with about 8–10 facets; unmodified antennal club weakly delimited; part of ventral wall of tergite VIII ( Fig. 10 ) projected and folded ventrally; sternite VIII ( Fig. 13 ) transverse; female genitalia ( Fig. 16 ), with elongate and well-sclerotized lateral arms, width 0.40. Measurements: BL 2.65–2.74; HL 0.57– 0.58, HW 0.57–0.58, PL 0.59–0.60, PW 0.57–0.58, EL 0.78–0.79, EW 0.85–0.87, AL 0.71–0.77, AW 0.75–0.76.

Distribution. South China, Guangxi Province.

Etymology. Anne Bedos, a French specialist in Collembola, who participated in collecting the specimens of the new species, is honored with the specific name.

Comparative notes. Male antennal features of this species are similar to those of T. deharvengi described below. Both species have an anterolateral protuberance on the ventral side of antennomere VIII, a ventral excavation of antennomere IX and X, and a basal projection of antennomere XI. Tribasodites bedosae can be readily separated by the reduced eyes of male, which are fully-developed in T. deharvengi , discal spines of the pronotum being much larger than the marginal spines, elytral disc being conspicuously convex, the lateral margins of the tergite IV being strongly constricted mesally and median lobe of the aedeagus with a deep apical split.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 9. Antennal club (4 – 5, in ventral view) and aedeagus (6 – 7, in lateral view; 8 – 9, in ventral view) of Tribasodites spp. 4, 6, 8. T. bedosae. 5, 7, 9. T. deharvengi. Scales: a – b = 0.3 mm; c – f = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 10 – 18. Tergite VIII (10 – 12), sternite VIII (13 – 15) and female genitalia (16 – 18) of Tribasodites spp. 10, 13, 16. T. bedosae. 11, 14, 17. T. deharvengi. 12, 15, 18. T. tiani. Scales: a – f = 0.2 mm; g – i = 0.1 mm.