Lycocerus rufipennis Y. Yang et Liu, 2021

Xi, Huacong, Wang, Younan, Yang, Xingke, Liu, Haoyu & Yang, Yuxia, 2021, New species and taxonomic notes on Lycocerus hickeri species-group (Coleoptera Cantharidae), Zootaxa 4980 (3), pp. 541-557 : 548-550

Lycocerus rufipennis Y. Yang et Liu , sp. nov.

Figs 4A–B , 5D–F, 6D, 7D

Type material. Holotype: ♂ ( MHBU), China, Yunnan, Dali, Baiquesi , 2645 m, 25˚69’N, 100˚11’E, 25.vi.2020, leg. L. L. Yuan. Paratypes: China, Yunnan: 2♂♂, 1♀ ( MHBU), same data as holotype ; 3♀ ( IZAS, IOZ (E)1436574, 1437044, 1436575), Yunlong, Zhibenshan, 2500 m, 22.vi.1981, leg. X. Z. Zhang ; 1♀ ( IZAS, IOZ (E)1436576), same locality as the proceeding one, 21.vi.1981, leg. S. Y. Wang.

Description. Male ( Fig. 4A ). Body black, mandibles dark brown, pronotum red, with a large dark brown marking in center of disc, elytra red, darkened at basal halves of first elytral interstices. Body densely covered with short, decumbent black pubescence, mixed with brown pubescence on head, pronotum and elytra, of which slightly longer on elytra.

Head evenly narrowed behind eyes, surface densely and finely punctate; eyes moderately protruding, head width across eyes wider than anterior margin of pronotum; terminal maxillary palpomeres long-triangular, arcuate and sharp at apical half-length of inner margins; antennae nearly extending to apical one-sixth length of elytra when reclined, antennomere II shortest, slightly longer than wide of apices, III ‒ XI dorso-ventrally flattened, III ‒ IX obliquely widened apically, long-triangular, III about twice as long as wide at apices, IV widest and about one-third longer than III, IV ‒XI each with an oval to round smooth impression at apical or middle part of inner margin, IX longest, X ‒ XI nearly parallel-sided, XI longer than X and pointed at apex.

Pronotum 1.1 times longer than wide, widest at base, anterior margin moderately rounded, lateral margins moderately diverging posteriorly, posterior margin slightly arcuate, anterior angles rounded, posterior angles rectangular, disc moderately convex at postero-lateral parts, surface semillustrous, slightly sparsely punctate than head.

Elytra about 5.8 times longer than pronotum, 3.9 times longer than humeral width, which about 1.4 times wider than posterior margin of pronotum, lateral margins nearly parallel, apices tapered, elytra venations strongly developed and costate, surface matt, wrinkled, sparsely and very finely punctate.

Legs slender, all tarsal claws simple.

Aedeagus (Figs. 5D–F): ventral process of each paramere slightly bent inwards in ventral view, nearly straight in lateral view, with apex rounded; dorsal plate shorter than ventral process, longitudinal-arcuately ridged laterally on inner surface, with inner margin widely emarginate at apical half, apical margin nearly straight, inner apical angle acute-angled, outer angle obtuse-angled; laterophyse shorter than dorsal plate, with apex acutely hooked and bent dorsally, opposite to the apical curved end of longitudinal ridge of dorsal plate.

Female ( Fig. 4B ). Similar to the males, but body larger; eyes less protruding, head width across eyes slightly wider than anterior margin of pronotum; antennae shorter, extending to basal one-third length when reclined, antennomeres III ‒ X obliquely widened apically, each slightly longer than wide at apex and nearly triangular, IV ‒ XI without impressions, XI widened in middle; pronotum 1.1 times wider than long, lateral margins nearly parallel, with a small dark brown marking in center of disc; elytra uniformly red, with lateral margins diverging posteriorly.

Abdominal sternite VIII ( Fig. 6D ) moderately deeply and roundly emarginate on both sides and in middle of posterior margin, lateral emarginate parts nearly as deep as the middle one, between which the portion acute at apex, latero-apical angles subtruncate at apex, exceeding over the portion between lateral and middle emarginate parts.

Internal organ of reproductive system ( Fig. 7D ): vagina stout and abruptly thinned at ventro-apical portion into a stout tube, where diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising separately; diverticulum short, thinned apically and spiral; spermathecal duct hardly shorter and obviously thicker than diverticulum; spermatheca provided with a spiral tube, gradually thinned apically, obviously longer than diverticulum; basal portion of spermatheca extended into a short tube, where accessory gland opening; accessory gland thin and longer than spermatheca.

Body length: 9.2 ‒ 11.5 mm (10.5 mm in holotype); width: 1.7 ‒ 2.8 mm (2.2 mm in holotype).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from Latin rufus (red) + pennis (wing), referring to its elytra uniformly red, without black interstices.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to L. acutiapices sp. nov., but can be distinguished by the male with moderately protruding eyes, longer antennomere IV, which is about one-third longer than III, pronotum with anterior margin moderately rounded, elytra mostly red, which are only black at basal halves of first elytra interstices. The aedeagus has the ventral process of each paramere nearly straight in lateral view, dorsal plate with inner margin roundly emarginate at apical half, inner apical angles acute and outer apical angle rectangular. Unlike in the new species, L. acutiapices sp. nov. has the eyes strongly protruding, antennomere VI feebly longer than III, pronotum with anterior margin strongly rounded, elytra darkened at all elytral interstices, and ventral process of each paramere is feebly bent dorsally in lateral view, dorsal plate bears nearly straight inner margin, subrounded inner apical angle and slightly emarginate outer apical angle.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Habitus, dorsal view (A, C. male; B. female): A–B. Lycocerus rufipennis sp. nov.; C. L. acutiapicis sp. nov. Scale bars: 2.0 mm.

FIGURE 6. Abdominal sternite VIII of female, ventral view: A. Lycocerus nigrobilineatus Pic, 1916; B. L. mainriensis sp. nov.; C. L. guangxiensis sp. nov.; D. L. rufipennis sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. Female internal genitalia, lateral view: A. Lycocerus nigrobilineatus Pic, 1916; B. L. mainriensis sp. nov.; C. L. guangxiensis sp. nov.; D. L. rufipennis sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.