Paederus (Harpopaederus) multidenticulatus, Li, Xiao-Yan, Solodovnikov, Alexey & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2014

Li, Xiao-Yan, Solodovnikov, Alexey & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2014, Two new species and a new synonym of the genus Paederus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) from China, Zootaxa 3847 (3), pp. 431-436 : 433-435

Paederus (Harpopaederus) multidenticulatus sp. nov.

Figures 2 A–H

Type material. Holotype ♂, China: Hubei Province, W-Hubei, Dalao Shan forest park (31.05N, 110.95E), 2004. VI.9–10, leg. Jaroslav Turna; Paratypes 7♂♂, 6♀♀, same data as holotype ( NHMW, IZCAS, ZMUC).

Description. Entire body length: 10.4–11.2 mm (N=14); forebody length 5.0– 5.3 mm, width: 1.6–1.7 mm (N=14). Body robust, head and two apical segments of abdomen black, elytra dark blue, other parts brown to reddish-brown.

Head wider than long (average HL/HW =0.88). Eyes small (average HL/EyL = 2.85), slightly protruding laterally, diameter of eye shorter than gena or temple (average ratio, gena ׃ eye ׃ temple = 1.13: 1: 1.25).

Surface of head smooth without clear microsculpture. Vertex and middle of frons without punctuation, glabrous. Punctation on lateral portion of head irregularly distributed, punctures of variable size, sparse, shallow and coarse; denser around eyes and temporal areas.

Antennae with pubescence starting from antennomere 8. Ventral portion of postoccipital suture anteriorly forming acute angle in middle of neck.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide (average PL/PW = 1.09). Scutellum longer than wide, glossy, with reticulate microsculpture and sparse pubescence. Mesoventrite with coarse and dense punctation in median area.

Elytra broadened posteriorly, only slightly longer than wide (average ELL\EW = 1.09, ESL/ELL = 0.81). Surface with luster and finely reticulate microsculpture, with larger, denser and deeper punctures than on head or pronotum, diameter of a puncture longer than interstices.

Tergites of abdomen with very fine and sparse setiferous punctures, base of each tergite dull without punctation. Sternites with punctation denser and larger than on tergites, base of each sternite with relatively sparse punctures.

Male. Tergite VIII slightly notched on both sides of the truncate apex. Sternites IV–VII glabrous and slightly depressed in middle, their lateral setae obliquely directed mediad. Sternite IX as in Fig. 2 F.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 2 B–E). Ventral plate with acute apex not reaching the level of apices of parameres. Parameres symmetric without lateral ridges, their apices not reaching apex of dorsal plate. Dorsal plate in apical part longitudinally keeled, its left margin (in dorsal view of the aedeagus) with about 20 small teeth, apex hooked. Internal sac with one large sclerotized piece.

Female. Sternite VIII as in Fig. 2 H. Sternite IX ( Fig. 2 G) gradually narrowed posteriorly, basal and apical margins deeply emarginated.

Comparison. Externally the new species is very similar to Paederus (Harpopaederus) konfuzius Willers, 2001 and P. (H.) dangchangensis Li & Zhou, 2007 . Paederus multidenticulatus sp. nov. differs from both of these species in the structure of the aedeagus as follows: 1) the number of teeth on the dorsal plate in the new species is about 20, i.e. significantly greater than in the other two species ( Figs. 2 B, D; Willers, 2001, figure 1; Li & Zhou, 2007, figures 36–38); 2) in the new species the teeth of the dorsal plate are situated on its margin, while in P. konfuzius and P. dangchangensis they form a longitudinal line close to the middle of the dorsal plate; 3) compared to the other two species, the armature of the internal sac in P. multidenticulatus is much shorter and of different shape.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin words multi - (many) and denticulatus (toothed). They refer to the presence of numerous teeth on the dorsal plate of the median lobe.

Distribution. The distribution of P. multidenticulatus is confined to the type locality, Dalao Shan forest park in northeastern Hubei. The specimens were collected in June.

Figures

FIGURES 2. Paederus multidenticulatus sp. nov. from Hubei. A. habitus; B. aedeagus, ventral view; C. aedeagus, lateral view 1; D. aedeagus, lateral view 2; E. aedeagus, dorsal view; F. sternite IX, male; G. sternite IX, female; H. sternite VIII, female; scale bars: A = 1 mm; B – H = 0.5 mm.