Fissocantharis laticollis Y. Yang & X. Yang

Yang, Yuxia, Qi, Yaqing & Yang, Xingke, 2018, Four new species of Fissocantharis Pic, 1921 (Coleoptera, Cantharidae) from China, ZooKeys 738, pp. 97-115 : 106-109

Fissocantharis laticollis Y. Yang & X. Yang sp. n. Figs 1D, 3 D–F, 4D, 5D

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (IZAS): CHINA, Hainan, Jianfengling, Tianchi, 24.III.2008, leg. Y.X. Yang. Paratypes: CHINA, Hainan: 6♂♂, 3♀♀ (IZAS): same data as holotype; 5♂♂, 1♀ (IZAS): same locality and collector, 812m, 23.III.2008; 4♂♂, 10♀♀ (IZAS): Wenchang, Tongguling, 317m, 18.III.2008, leg. Y.X. Yang; 1♂, 4♀♀ (IZAS): Wuzhishan, 708-1206 m, 18.89°N, 109.69°E, leg. M.Y. Lin; 1♀ (IZAS): Jianfeng, Tianchi, 750m, 19.III.1980, leg. S.Y. Wang; 1♂ (IZAS): Jianfeng, 760m, 20.III.1980, collector unknown; 1♂ (IZAS): Qiongzhong, Wuzhishan, 800m, 6.IV.1980, leg. S.Y. Wang; 2♂♂ (IZAS): Qiongzhong, 1840m, 5.IV.1980, collector unknown.

Distribution.

China (Hainan).

Description.

Male (Fig. 1D). Head orange, vertex black, mouthparts orange, darkened at mandibular apices, terminal maxillary and labial palpomeres, antennae black, antennomeres I and II orange at ventral sides, prothorax orange, pronotum with an inverted triangular black marking at middle of anterior part on disc, scutellum and elytra black, legs orange, darkened at tarsi, ventral surface of body black, yellow at posterior edges and sides of abdominal ventrites. Body densely covered with short recumbent gray pubescence.

Head rounded, slightly narrowed posteriorly behind eyes; eyes moderately projecting, head width across eyes slightly wider than that of anterior edge of pronotum; apical maxillary palpomeres nearly long-triangular, widest at apical two-fifths length, acute at apices; antennae filiform and slightly thickened, extending to apical third of elytra, antenomeres II slightly longer than wide, III about twice as long as II, IV–X subequal in length, XI pointed at apices and slightly longer than X.

Pronotum transverse, about 1.2 times wider than long, anterior edge rounded, sides sinuate, slightly converging posteriorly at anterior one-third length, then slightly diverging posteriorly at posterior part, posterior edge slightly arcuate, anterior angles subrounded, posterior angles nearly rectangular, disc slightly convex at posterolateral parts, surface finely and densely punctate.

Elytra about 3.5 times as long as wide, 4.5 times as long as pronotum, width at humeri slightly greater than posterior edge of pronotum, sides nearly parallel, surface slightly more coarsely and densely punctate than on pronotum.

Legs with all tarsal claws bifid, each with lower projection as long as upper one.

Aedeagus (Fig. 3 D–F): ventral process of each paramere wide, narrowed apically and hardly hooked at apex; conjoint dorsal plate of parameres reduced, with apical edge deeply emarginate in middle.

Female. Similar to male, but eyes slightly projecting, head width across eyes nearly as wide as anterior edge of pronotum, antennae narrower and shorter, extending to midlength of elytra. Abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 4D) with a pair of small bilobate protuberances in middle of posterior edge, lateral angles obtuse.

Internal genitalia (Fig. 5D): vagina abruptly extended apically as a short and thick duct; diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising from end of duct of vagina; diverticulum evenly thin, long and spiral; spermathecal duct shorter and thicker than diverticulum; spermatheca nearly as long as and slightly thicker than diverticulum, with a short thin accessory gland, which much shorter than spermatheca.

Body length: 4.0-5.5 mm; width: 0.8-1.1 mm.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Latin latus (wide) and collum (neck), referring to its pronotum wider than long.

Diagnosis.

Elytra black; male antennae filiform and simple; pronotum transverse, about 1.2 times wider than long, sides sinuate, slightly converging posteriorly at anterior one-third length, then slightly diverging posteriorly at posterior part; aedeagus: conjoint dorsal plate of parameres reduced, with apical edge deeply emarginate in middle.

Remarks.

This species could be distinguished by its pronotum, which is distinctly wider than long, while always longer than wide or subequal in length in other species of Fissocantharis . It is more similar to F. imparicornis (Y. Yang & X. Yang, 2009) (China: Hainan) in body coloration, but differs from the latter by the following characters: the male antennae are simple and the aedeagus has a reduced conjoint dorsal plate of parameres, while in F. imparicornis , the middle antennomeres of the male are deformed and the aedeagus has a well-developed conjoint dorsal plate of parameres.( Yang and Yang 2009: figs 3-6, 8).