Batrisodes zhouchaoi, Jiang, Ri-Xin & Yin, Zi-Wei, 2017

Jiang, Ri-Xin & Yin, Zi-Wei, 2017, Eight new species of Batrisodes Reitter from China (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae), ZooKeys 694, pp. 11-30 : 25-28

Batrisodes zhouchaoi sp. n. Fig. 11

Type material

(2 exs). Holotype: CHINA: ♂, labeled 'China: Sichuan, Chengdu City (成都市), Dujiangyan City (都江堰市), Zipingpu Township (紫坪铺镇), Ling-yan-guan-yin-shan (灵岩观音山), 31.03°N, 103.61°E, 1180 m, 03.iv.2017, ant nest under rock, Zhou Chao & He Li leg.' (SNUC). Paratypes: CHINA: 1 ♂, same collecting data as the holotype, except 'ant colony under bark,' (SNUC).

Diagnosis.

Batrisodes zhouchaoi can be readily separated from all other Chinese congeners by the following combination of characters: antennomere X strongly transverse, with a small denticle at mesal margin, XI with a small denticle base; pronotum distinctly winder than long; mesotrochanter with a blunt ventral projection, mesofem ora with a long ventral protuberance at middle, mesotrochanter protuberant ventrally, metafemora expanded along the ventral margin; aedeagus strongly asymmetrical, with elongate, twisted ventral and dorsal lobes.

Description.

Male. (Fig. 11A), Body reddish brown, BL 2.18-2.19 mm. Head wider than long, near rectangular, and covered with short hair HL 0.45-0.46 mm, HW 0.50-0.51 mm, with large vertexal foveae, antennal tubercles prominent and punctate; area between obviously raised antennal tubercles concave and sparsely pubescent; clypeus slightly punctate, with round anterior margin; lateral longitudinal carinae extending from above eyes to occipital constriction. Each eye composed of about 55 facets. Antennomeres II–IX moniliform, X (Fig. 11B) much wider than long with small denticle near middle, XI (Fig. 11B) largest and with small denticle near base. Pronotum wider than long, PL 0.48-0.50 mm, PW 0.55- 0.56 mm, disc slightly convex; with small antebasal foveae, median and lateral longitudinal sulci clear; lateral antebasal fovea large and distinct, outer and inner basolateral foveae distinct. Elytra slight wider than long, EL 0.74-0.75 mm, EW 0.77-0.78 mm; each elytron with three large basal foveae, discal striae shallow and short. Mesotrochanter (Fig. 11C) with blunt, short spine; mesofemora (Fig. 11C) expanded at apical 1/3 and with long and distinct ventral spine at middle; mesotibiae (Fig. 11D) with distinct ventral denticle spine near middle and a small triangular apical denticle; metafemora (Fig. 11E) expanded along ventral margin, metatibiae (Fig. 11F) with long apical tuft of setae. Abdomen wider than long, AL 0.48-0.51 mm, AW 0.72-0.74 mm; tergite IV longest, three times as long as next, with distinct oblique marginal carinae. Aedeagus (Fig. 11 G–I) slender and asymmetrical, median lobe simple with two elongate and twisted lobe; length of aedeagus 0.48 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution.

Southwestern China: Sichuan.

Host ant.

Lasius sp. and Nylanderia sp.

Biology.

All adults were collected from ant colonies nesting under stone or bark.

Etymology.

The new species is named after Chao Zhou, who collected this new species and sent us the material as a gift.