Morphostenophanes linglong Zhou

Zhou, De-Yao, 2020, A revision of the genus Morphostenophanes Pic, 1925 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Stenochiinae, Cnodalonini), Zootaxa 4769 (1), pp. 1-81 : 37-38

Morphostenophanes linglong Zhou , new species ḢẇẎȐAEƤ

( Figs. 21 A–D; 23A, E, C, G, I, K–M; 24A, C, F)

Type materials. CHINA: Yunnan: ♂ (Holotype, SNUC) , Lincang City, Mount Dachao , 24°12’18.14”N, 100°19’14.25”E, 2018.xii., Zi-Chun Xiong. Paratypes (3♂♂, 4♀♀) : CHINA: Yunnan: 1♀ ( SNUC) , 1♀ ( MHBU) , 2♀♀ ( CZDY, a sample of muscle tissue was preserved in 99.7% ethanol at –18 °C) , Lincang City, Mount Dachao , 24°12’18.14”N, 100°19’14.25”E, 2018.xi.10, Zi-Chun Xiong; 1 ♂ ( MHBU) , 2 ♂♂ ( CZDY) , Lincang City, Mount Dachao , 24°12’18.14”N, 100°19’14.25”E, 2018.xii, Zi-Chun Xiong .

Diagnosis. Small, bronze, extremely glossy and strongly shiny, short and strongly convex species. Elytral with rows of tubercles of variable sizes, each with purple central part. Superior margin of apical lobes of sternite VIII with shallow tick-shaped notch, dorsum of parameres strongly ridged.

Description. Male ( Fig. 21A, C ). Bronze and strongly shiny, antennomeres VII–XI and mouthparts brownish; elytra slightly greenish, elytral sutural band and central parts of elytral tubercles purplish; claws reddish brown. Body elongate, length 14.0– 14.8 mm, width 5.2–5.5 mm, strongly convex, noticeably constricted between pronotum and elytra.

Head ( Fig. 23A, E ) transversely subquadrate, sparsely and finely punctate, outer margin strongly notched between genae and clypeus; clypeus transversely hexagonal, slightly convex in middle, gently bent downwards in front, with anterior margin nearly straight, weakly emarginate in middle, convex in middle before frontoclypeal suture; frontoclypeal suture moderately depressed; genae strongly raised, depressed before eyes, strongly and roundly produced anterolaterally; frons broad, gradually sloping forwards, vertexal lateral impressions vague; eyes transversely reniform, strongly convex laterally; inner ocular sulci shallowly grooved along inner margin; tempora moderately convex, finely punctate. OI = 53.4–55.5. Antennae ( Fig. 23I ) slender, extremely long, exceeding basal third of elytra, with antennomeres weakly thickened to each apices; relative lengths of antennomeres: 0.54: 0.27: 0.83: 0.78: 0.78: 0.80: 0.85: 0.85: 0.85: 0.82: 0.99. Mentum ( Fig. 23E ) quadrate, lateral margins nearly straight, finely punctate, with several large pores bearing long setae, gradually rising from base to apex, both sides of posterior half depressed.

Pronotum ( Fig. 23C ) quadrate, PW/PL = 1.10–1.13, widest slightly anterior to the midpoint, anterior margin projecting in middle, anterior marginal border faintly presented, missing in middle; lateral margins weakly curved, lateral marginal borders visible in dorsal view along anterior half; posterior margin nearly straight, posterior marginal border marked; anterior angles rounded; posterior angles obtuse; disc moderately convex, smooth, sparsely scattered with small but sharply marked punctures, pair of impressions marked or missing slightly before the middle. Scutellum widely triangular, extremely glossy.

Elytra fusiform, widest in apical 2/5, EL/EW = 1.73–1.83; strongly convex, highest in basal third, weakly ridged in apical portion along suture; striae twisted, intervals intermittently dilated and convex, forming rounded or ovate tubercles, glossy, sparsely and finely punctate.

Prosternum ( Fig. 23G ) weakly rugulose, finely and sparsely punctate; prosternal process declivous, truncate at apex; hypomeron weakly rugulose. Metasternum glossy, weakly wrinkled. Abdomen depressed, surface smooth, somewhat wrinked along anterior margins and sides of each sternite, densely and finely punctate; sternite III with a short median border on anterior part between metacoxae; sternite III and IV weakly sulcate along both sides.

Legs slender. Protibiae ( Fig. 23K ) moderately curved at apical third, apical half of inner margins sparsely pubescent; mesotibiae ( Fig. 23L ) weakly curved, apical 2/5 of inner margins pubescent; metatibiae ( Fig. 23M ) nearly straight, more than half of apical inner margins pubescent, outer margins depressed before apices.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 24A ) elongate, curved in lateral view, with pair of large pits on apical flank of basal piece; parameres slender, dorsum strongly ridged along midline, 0.26 as long as total length, with broadly widened and flabellate apex, apical margin weakly thickened. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 24C ) with apical lobes strongly oppositely curved in dorsal view, each superior margin with a shallow tick-shaped notch in lateral view.

Female ( Fig. 21B, D ) slightly larger than male, stouter, length 15.2–16.6 mm. More constricted between pronotum and elytra; OI = 55.8, PW/PL = 1.15–1.17; elytra more convex, EL/EW = 1.50–1.60; abdomen straight in lateral view. Ovipositor ( Fig. 24F ) shortened, abruptly narrowing terminally from apical third, apex beveled.

Comparative notes. Morphostenophanes linglong is closely related to M. metallicus . Both species have small and glossy body with reflective luster, slender antennae and legs, similar pronotal shape, fusiform elytra, similar sternite VIII and short ovipositor. The elytra of M. linglong bear intervals intermittently convex, forming purple tubercles. This character state is shared with M. bannaensis , but not seen in M. metallicus . However, M. bannaensis is clearly related to species within atavus -group, which contains other species with striate elytra.

Distribution. ( Map 1 ) CHINA: Yunnan.

Etymolo gy. The specific epithet ‘linglong [Ḣẇ]’ means small and elegant in Chinese, in reference to its small and gorgeous body.

Figures

Map 1. Distribution of the Morphostenophanes species. A. Enlargement of Central and Western Yunnan Province.

FIGURE 21. Habitus of Morphostenophanes linglong Zhou new species. Male (A, C), and female (B, D); in dorsal (A, B), and lateral view (C, D). Scale bars = 3 mm.

FIGURE 23. External characters of Morphostenophanes species in the metallicus-group: M. linglong Zhou new species (A, C, E, G, I, K–M) and M. metallicus Zhou new species (B, D, F, H, J, N–P). Male heads (A, B, E, F), and prothoraces (C, D, G, H); in dorsal view (A–D), and in ventral view (E–H). Male antennae in dorsal view (I, J); protibiae in dorsal view (K, N); mesotibiae in ventral view (L, O); and metatibiae in dorsal view (M, P). Scale bars of A–H = 1 mm, K–P =2 mm.

FIGURE 24. Anatomic structures of Morphostenophanes species in the metallicus-group: M. linglong Zhou new species (A, C, F) and M. metallicus Zhou new species (B, D, E). Aedeagi (A, B), male sternites VIII (C, D), and female reproductive organs (E, F); in dorsal view (d), lateral view (l), and enlargements of paramere apices (p). Scale bars of A–D= 1 mm; E, F = 2 mm; all parameres apices not to scale.