Romattalus flavojubatus Tong & Yang, 2022

Tong, Junbo, Tshernyshev, Sergei E., Liu, Haoyu & Yang, Yuxia, 2022, A contribution to the genus Romattalus Tshernyshev, 2021 (Coleoptera, Malachiidae), Zootaxa 5222 (6), pp. 585-590 : 586-590

Romattalus flavojubatus Tong & Yang , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Chinese name: WDZIfiffm http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:42272B76-5C79-4361-807F-B94AE4D2E619

Diagnosis. This species is similar to R. dudkoi , but can be distinguished from the latter by having pronotum with yellow hairs on lateral sides ( Figs 1a, 1c ), and aedeagus approximately parallel sided for basal 2/ 3 in ventral view, then slightly narrowing to blunt apex ( Fig. 3c ). In R. dudkoi , pronotum with brown and yellow hairs on lateral sides, and aedeagus approximately parallel sided for basal 1/ 2 in ventral view, then distinctly swollen, widest at basal 3/4 ( Fig. 4a ).

Description. Male. Length of body 3.7 mm, width at widest part of elytra 1.5 mm and at the base of elytra 1.1 mm.

Head yellow with frons and interocular area black, mouthparts yellow. Antennae yellow to dark brown, antennomeres 1–4 yellow with dark spots on dorsal side, remaining part mostly dark brown. Pronotum yellow. Elytra black with blue metallic lustre and yellow elytral bases and humeral angles. Scutellar shield yellow to black. Fore legs yellow with brown tibia and tarsi, middle legs yellow with dark stripes on upperside femora and black tibia and tarsi, hind leg mostly black ( Fig. 1a ). Prosternum and mesoventrite yellow. Metaventrite black. Abdomen mostly yellow. Vesicles and thoracic mesepimera yellow. Body sparsely covered with yellow adpressed pubescence. Sculptures evenly punctuated, stronger on elytra than other parts.

Head wider than pronotum. Frons flat, interocular area slightly impressed. Clypeus distinct. Antennae filiform reaching middle of the elytra; antennomere 1 elongate, slightly widened and subconical; 2 shortened and rectangular; 3–4 shortened and subcylindrical; 5–11 cylindrical and almost equal in length.

Pronotum subquadrate, anterior and posterior margins straight; basal side is slightly elevated; anterior angles strongly impressed and possessing a compact tuft of long yellow hairs on lateral sides of pronotum.

Scutellar shield trapezoid and transverse, almost hidden by pronotum, slightly thickened and elevated.

Elytra subparallel, widened behind the base and evenly rounded at apices, base of elytra distinctly wider than pronotum. Humeri distinct, slightly protruding. Disc distinctly impressed just below scutellum and strongly convex posteriorly. Elytral apices evenly rounded.

Hind wings normally developed.

Legs slender. Hind femora reaching elytral apices. All tibiae thin and straight.All tarsi with 5 tarsomeres; tarsomere 2 of the fore tarsi simple, lacking special comb; tarsomere 5 longest and tarsomere 4 shortest in all legs. Claws thin and curved, with membrane at base and long setae in the middle.

Metathorax simple, lacking appendages. Pygidium (apical tergite) short and transverse, with triangular emargination on distal side ( Fig. 3a ); ultimate abdominal ventrite (apical sternite) bilobed, strong and elongate, each lobe with stretched narrow apex curved inward ( Fig. 3b ). Tegmen short and wide; aedeagus short and stout, approximately parallel sided for basal 2/ 3 in ventral view, then slightly narrowing to blunt apex; endophallus with a strong spine in the middle ( Figs 3c–d ).

Female. Length of body 3.9 mm, width at widest part of elytra 1.6 mm and at the base of elytra 1.1 mm.

Similar to male species except for pronotum lacking hairs on lateral sides ( Fig. 1b ). Pygidium sub-trapezoid with apical margin emarginate ( Fig. 3a ). Ultimate abdominal ventrite divided, with long spiculum ventrale ( Fig. 3b ). Ovipositor elongate and membranous ( Fig. 3c ).

Material examined. Holotype: China: Xizang: ♁, Nyalam County, 28.VII.2005, Aimin Shi leg ( MHBU) . Paratype: China: Xizang: 1♀, same data as holotype .

Distribution. China (Xizang).

Etymology. The specific epithet flavojubatus derives from the Latin words “ flavus ” (= yellow) and “ jubatus ” (= long pendent hairs), refers to its yellow hairs on lateral sides of pronotum.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Romattalus flavojubatus Tong & Yang, sp. nov., habitus: a holotype, male, dorsal view, b paratype, female, dorsal view, c holotype, male, lateral view. Scale bars: a–c: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 2. Romattalus flavojubatus Tong & Yang, sp. nov., holotype, male: a pygidium, b ultimate abdominal ventrite, c aedeagus with tegmen and spicular fork, lateral view, d aedeagus with tegmen and spicular fork, ventral view. Scale bars: a–d: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Romattalus flavojubatus Tong & Yang, sp. nov., paratype, female: a pygidium, b ultimate abdominal ventrite, c ovipositor. Scale bars: a–c: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Romattalus dudkoi Tshernyshev, 2021, holotype, male genitalia: a aedeagus with spicular fork, ventral view, b tegmen, ventral view. Scale bars: a–b: 0.2 mm.