Pseudohesperus pedatiformis, 2011

Li, Liang & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2011, Revision and phylogenetic assessment of the rove beetle genus Pseudohesperus Hayashi, with broad reference to the subtribe Philonthina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 163 (3), pp. 679-722 : 705-707

PSEUDOHESPERUS PEDATIFORMIS LI & ZHOU SP. NOV. ( FIG. 26A–G )

Type material: Holotype: China: Sichuan: ♂, Wolong: Wulitun (31°28′N, 103°36′E), 2600 m asl, 6.v.2004, Yu Xiaodong collected (IZ-CAS).

Description: Head and pronotum black, shining. Antennae black with antennomere XI dark brown. Elytra and scutellum black. Abdomen black with strongly iridescent lustre. Mandibles, maxillary and labial palpi reddish-brown. Legs dark brown.

Body 8.98 mm long ( HPL: 2.61 mm). Head of rounded quadrangular shape, 1.14 mm long, 1.22 mm wide, slightly wider than long ( HW: HL = 1.07). Tempora 0.41 mm long, almost evenly rounded, sparsely and coarsely punctate; eyes moderately large, slightly prominent, 0.49 mm long, 1.20 times as long as tempora. Lateral portion of head with scattered, large setiferous punctation, vertex largely impunctate. Entire head with distinct and profound microsculpture of transverse waves. Antennae long, antennomere I very long, distinctly thickened towards apex, antennomere III much longer than antennomere II, following antennomeres gradually decreasing in length, but all distinctly longer than wide, antennomere XI obliquely truncated.

Pronotum slightly narrowed anteriad, 1.31 mm long, 1.31 mm wide, slightly wider than head ( PW: HW = 1.07), sparsely and finely punctate, punctures separated by three to six times their diameter, narrowly impunctate along midline, disc with distinct and profound microsculpture of oblique line.

Elytra 1.71 mm long, 1.96 mm wide, along sides about 1.31 times as long as pronotum, densely and finely punctate, punctures separated by one to two times their diameter. Scutellum large, triangular, densely and finely punctate, and pubescent.

Abdomen a little narrowed posteriad, widest 1.71 mm, densely and finely punctate, punctures separated by two to three times their diameter at base, gradually becoming sparser toward apex; tergites III–V with two basal carinae, elevated area between basal carinae almost impunctate.

Male: Tergite VIII with arcuate apex ( Fig. 26E ). Sternite VIII with moderately wide, obtusely triangular medioapical emargination, partly filled by semimembranous extension ( Fig. 26F ). Genital segment with stylus of tergite IX simple, densely setose apically. Sternite IX with asymmetrical basal portion, apex deeply emarginate, without modified rod-like extensions ( Fig. 26G ). Tergite X triangular with moderately deep medioapical emargination ( Fig. 26D ).

Aedeagus quite characteristic; median lobe narrowed into obtusely rounded apex ( Fig. 26A ); in lateral view, apical portion of median lobe slightly bent dorsad (parameral side) ( Fig. 26B ); paramere slightly exceeding median lobe, trilobed apically, middle lobe distinctly longer and slightly narrower than lateral lobes, face adjacent to median lobe with peg setae closely arranged along apical margin of each lobe of paramere ( Fig. 26C ).

Female: Unknown.

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from a combination of the Latin words pedat- (pedate) and form- (shape), and refers to the shape of paramere of the aedeagus.

Distribution: At present known only from China (Sichuan).

Remarks: Pseudohesperus pedatiformis Li & Zhou sp. nov. is closely related to P. tripartitus Li & Zhou sp. nov. Pseudohesperus pedatiformis Li & Zhou sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from P. tripartitus Li & Zhou sp. nov. by much larger eyes and completely different paramere of aedeagus.

Figures

Figure 26. Pseudohesperus pedatiformis sp. nov. A, aedeagus, dorsal (parameral side) view; B, median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view; C, underside of paramere; D, tergite X of male; E, tergite VIII of male; F, sternite VIII of male; G, sternite IX of male. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.