Lathrobium ningxiaense 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 : 5-6

Lathrobium ningxiaense Peng and Li , new species

( Figs 1 B, 3)

Type material (1 ♂). HOLOTYPE: ♂, labeled ‘ CHINA: Ningxia Prov., Jingyuan County, Heshangpu Lingchang, 35°21'N, 106°21'E, 28.vi.2008 alt. 2,400 m, Zi-Wei Yin leg.’ ( SNUC).

Description. Measurements and ratios: BL 6.23, FL 2.61, HL 0.70, HW 0.68, AnL 1.67, PL 0.93, PW 0.78, EL 0.63, AL 1.02, HL/HW 1.03, HW/PW 0.87, HL/PL 0.75, PL/PW 1.19, EL/PL 0.68.

Habitus as in Fig. 1 B. Body brown with paler apex, legs and antennae light brown.

Head approximately as long as broad; punctation coarse and dense, much sparser in median dorsal portion; interstices with shallow microreticulation. Eyes 0.33 times as long as postocular region in dorsal view and composed of 40 ommatidia.

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

Elytra moderately short; punctation dense, fine and very shallow. Hind wings completely reduced.

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

Male. Posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly convex; sternite VII ( Fig. 3 A) strongly transverse, with shallow median impression posteriorly, middle of this impression with sparse moderately modified dark setae, posterior margin weakly concave, weakly asymmetric; sternite VIII ( Fig. 3 B) asymmetric, with oblique median impression, this impression with cluster of moderately modified dark setae on either side of middle posteriorly, posterior margin with shallow excision of asymmetric shape and in asymmetric position; aedeagus as in Figs 3 C, D, ventral process distinctly asymmetric, broad in ventral view, and with acute and curved apex; dorsal plate sclerotized, with broad, large apical portion and with thin, slender basal portion; internal sac with dark membranous structures and several tooth-like sclerotized spines.

Female. Unknown.

Comparative notes. The similarly derived shapes and chaetotaxy of the asymmetric male sternites VII and VIII, the morphology of the aedeagus (asymmetric ventral process; presence of the sclerotized spines in internal sac) and the external characters (small body size and mostly dense punctation of the whole abdomen) suggest that L. ningxiaense belongs to the L. gansuense species group ( Assing 2013a), which was previously represented in the Min Shan, the Qinling Shan and adjacent mountain ranges by seven species. Lathrobium ningxiaense is distinguished from other representatives of this group particularly by the morphology of the aedeagus (several tooth-like sclerotized spines in internal sac), as well as by the less asymmetric male sternite VIII. For illustrations of the species of the L. gansuense group see Assing (2013a) and Chen et al. (2005a).

Distribution and biological notes. The type locality is situated in the Heshangpu Lingchang to the south of Jingyuan, southern Ningxia. The specimens were sifted from leaf litter and grass in a pine forest at an altitude of 2,400 m.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Ningxia Province, where the type locality is situated.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Lathrobium spp., A — L. liuae; B — L. ningxiaense; C — L. baiyunense. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 3. Lathrobium ningxiaense. A — male sternite VII; B — male sternite VIII; C — aedeagus in ventral view; D — aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.