Liotesba expansipalpis, Zhou & Zhou, 2013

Zhou, Yu-Lingzi & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2013, Taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Liotesba Scheerpeltz (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Xantholinini) with descriptions of four new species, Journal of Natural History 47 (45 - 46), pp. 2869-2904 : 2882-2885

Liotesba expansipalpis sp. nov.

( Figure 3A–L )

Type material. Holotype: male, CHINA: Hubei: Muyu co., Shennongjia, Guanmen Shan , 1240 m, 23 July 1998, He Junjian collected ( IZ-CAS).

Description

Measurement. BL = 12.46 mm, FL = 7.26 mm, HL = 2.10 mm, HW = 1.80 mm, PL = 2.40 mm, PW = 1.90 mm, EL = 2.60 mm, EW = 2.00 mm.

Body nearly cylindrical, large size. Body ferruginous, except posterior margin of each abdominal segment brown. Legs dark brown, except tarsi much lighter in colour. Antennae entirely dark brown, basal three antennomeres smoother than remaining antennomeres. Maxillary and labial palpi brown.

Head ( Figure 3A ). Subrectangular (HL to HW ratio 1.2), tempora distinctly widened posteriorly, posterior angles rounded. Dorsal integument extensively bearing micropunctures; frontal region and anterior part of disc smooth, without punctures; posterior third of head bearing larger punctures, and becoming denser, smaller toward disc and posterior margin; deflexed portion of tempora with three rows of medium-sized punctures. Each side of cranium with three anterolateral punctures near antennal insertion, midlateral puncture about a distance of two punctures’ diameter from dorsal margin of eye, temporal puncture at the posterior one-fifth and occipital puncture at the lateral one-third. Frontal furrows relatively long and broad, anteocular furrows absent. Eye medium-sized, slightly shorter than half the length of tempora (eye: tempora = 0.48: 1.08 mm), protruding laterad; five to seven punctures located next to dorsal margin of eye. Epistoma distinctly broad, subrectangular. Distance between antennal insertions being equal to distance from antenna to eye (0.60 mm). Ventral side shiny, with large, scattered punctures on centre of each side, distance between punctures approximately diameter of two punctures, also with smaller, denser punctures near the base and outside gular sutures. Gular plate broad; gular sutures not fused.

Antennae ( Figure 3L ). Scape stout, thickened apically, much longer than three subsequent antennomeres combined, 0.88 mm; antennomere II slightly elongate, 0.28 mm; III distinctly elongate, longer than II, 0.32 mm; IV and V subequal in length of 0.20 mm; last antennomere relatively short, 0.40 mm, distinctly shorter than two preceding antennomeres combined.

Mouthparts ( Figure 3B–E ). Labrum transverse, with a pair of median teeth, and a lateral tooth at each side ( Figure 3B ), which distinctly protruding anteriorly. Mandibles falciform, right one with a sharp tooth on inner edge ( Figure 3C ). Maxillary palpus stocky, second segment longest, last segment, subcylindrical, not distinctly longer than the penultimate ( Figure 3D ). Labial palpus slender, last segment longest, dilated subapically ( Figure 3E ).

Neck. Wide (0.80 mm), slightly narrower than half the width of head.

Pronotum. Subrectangular, broad (PL to PW ratio 1.3), longer than head, but same in width. Not widened anteriad, lateral margins substraight, anterior angles well-defined, posterior angles broadly rounded. Dorsal integument extensively covered with micropunctures; with two large punctures on each anterolateral corner, one large puncture on each posterolateral corner, and also with additional irregular punctures near anterior and lateral margins of pronotum.

Mesoscutellum. Opaque, rugose, with three pairs of punctures lined in two rows.

Elytra. Subrectangular, distinctly elongate (EL to EW ratio 1.3), slightly longer, wider than pronotum. Humeri well developed, lateral margins divergent posteriorly, hind margin rounded. Dorsal integument bearing many rows of punctures, becoming smaller along median suture; deflexed portion of each elytron with five or six rows of denser punctures.

Legs. First four segments of protarsi heart-shaped, dilated, and those of mesotarsi and metatarsi not very slender. Last segment shorter than the II–IV combined, respectively.

Abdomen. Cylindrical, broadest at segment VI. Tergites III–VII slightly shiny, each segment covered with dense, distinct transverse microstriae, and also densely distributed with large punctures, distance between punctures about a puncture’s diameter. Each tergite with a basal impression near anterior margin, opaque and darker in colour, with few smaller scattered punctures. All abdominal sternites shiny, with microstriae and punctures as those on tergites.

Male ( Figure 3F–K ). Abdominal segment VIII entirely covered with punctures, posterior margin of tergite subtruncated, and sternite very slightly rounded medially ( Figure 3F, G ). Tergite IX symmetrical, connected mediobasally. Sternite IX asymmetrical, widest near middle, with distinctly broad base, and narrow, truncated apex ( Figure 3I ). Tergite X symmetrical, with sharp-pointed base, distinctly angulate at lateral margins ( Figure 3H ). Aedeagus pear-shaped, large ( Figure 3J, K ), basal bulb 1.59 mm long; median lobe distinct, 0.32 mm, anterior portion bearing a pair of black sclerites near apex in dorsal view. Parameres symmetrical, relatively short, subequal to one-third times the length of basal bulb. Internal sac broad, with spines on middle portion, coiled more than four times ( Figure 3J ).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Hubei: Muyu co.).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the combination of Latin words expansus (dilated) and palpis and refers to the subcylindrical shape of last segment of maxillary palpi.

Remarks. Although this new species is similar in body size to L. hubeiana Bordoni, 2007 and L. enthymema Bordoni, 2002 , it can be easily recognized from these two species by the distinctly dilated head, distributional pattern of punctures on head, four obviously protruding teeth of labrum, the cylindrical shape of the last segment of maxillary palpi, and the elytra with numerous rows.

Figures

Figure 3. Liotesba expansipalpis sp. nov., (A) head; (B) labrum; (C) right mandible; (D) maxillary palpus; (E) labial palpus; (F) male tergite VIII; (G) male sternite VIII; (H) male tergite X; (I) male sternite IX; (J) aedeagus, dorsal view; (K) aedeagus, ventral view; (L) antennae. Scale bars 0.30 mm.