Necrophilus chinensis Zhou, new

Zhou, Hong-Zhang, Yu, Xiao-Dong & Luo, Tian-Hong, 2005, Discovery of the Subfamily Necrophilinae (Coleoptera: Agyrtidae) in China and Description of a New Species of Necrophilus Latreille, The Coleopterists Bulletin 59 (1), pp. 62-69 : 63-67

Necrophilus chinensis Zhou, new species

( Fig. 1 )

Diagnosis. This species is similar to N. rupinensis Schawaller, 1986 , but can be distinguished by the following characters: 1) always with a pair of hind wings, though reduced; 2) epistomal suture equally deep throughout length, not reduced in the middle; 3) always with two setae, never more, in the middle of the sides of epistomal region.

Description. Body length 9.1–11.0 mm (between apex of head and apex of elytra), with pronotum length 2.3–2.5 mm, elytron length 6.5–7.0 mm. Body width 5.0– 5.8 mm measured in the middle of elytra, head width 2.0 mm, pronotum width 4.4–4.7 mm. Body oblong, strongly depressed, with lateral margins explanate, especially pronotal lateral margins.

Color black, except for palpi, labrum, apical segments of antennae, margins of elytra and pronotum, and all tarsi, which are brown or dark brown. Sometimes body color reddish or dark brown. Dorsal surface shining, punctured or with striae, but never covered with hairs.

Head ( Fig. 2A ) not obviously convex, relatively even, dorsal surface glabrous, with microsculpture and punctures of different sizes; punctuation sparse and irregularly distributed. Epistomal 64 suture fine but clearly observable, located between antennal insertions, only slightly curved posteriorly, dividing epistomal region from vertex region. Epistomal region only with fine punctures that are obviously smaller than those on vertex; its anterior margin with a very fine membranous line. Two golden setae located at the middle of lateral margins of epistomal region, before antennal insertion. Head without ocelli. Eyes located immediately behind antennal insertions, protruding laterally, and temple longer than gena. Under side of head slightly rugose, and with a few scattered short setae. Gular plate and submentum not punctured, but with transverse microsculpture.

Labrum transverse, basal margin straight, anterior margin deeply and broadly emarginate, fringed with short golden setae along the margin and ten or more regularly distributed long golden setae. Mandibles robust, strong, moderately curved mesally and sharply pointed apically, without preapical teeth, each with strong molar lobe and fringed with fine golden hairs at base (prostheca).

Antennae reaching the base of elytra, with an apical club of 5 segments densely covered with golden pubescence, and 7th to 10th with apical periarticluar gutter; 1st and 3rd about equal length and each longer than 2nd or 4th; 1st to 5th glabrous, 3rd to 5th with many long golden setae, more than that on the two proceeding segments; 6th about equal in size to 5th, but not glabrous, with both long golden setae and pubescence, though its pubescence not as dense as 7th to 11th; the last segment pointed apically and much longer than wide.

Pronotum strongly transverse (width: length ca. 1.7), widest at basal 1/4; sides broadly explanate, disc evenly convex. Anterior margin emarginate for reception of retracted head. Lateral margins curved gradually and strongly convergent anteriorly, with marginal stria extending along margin and curved anteriorly and posteriorly. Hind margin nearly straight. Anterior angles not sharp; posterior angles not distinct and rounded. Convex disc region about equal in width anteriorly and posteriorly, thus the flattened lateral parts appear to become broader posteriorly. Punctuation on lateral region dense and regular, intervals obviously narrower than puncture diameters; convex disc region glabrous, punctures sparse and irregularly distributed, intervals several times larger than puncture diameters, microsculpture only observable at high magnification (.50).

Scutellum triangular, glabrous, with a length to width ratio of 0.56.

Elytra ( Fig. 2 B ) evenly convex, with a length to width ratio of 0.7. Lateral margins feebly arcuate, widest at middle, only slightly convergent to basal margin, but evenly tapered to apex, forming a relatively sharp angle between the side and sutural margin, not truncate posteriorly. Each elytron with 9 impressed and punctate striae extending from base to apex and spaced regularly. Stria 9 (outmost) obsolete at basal and apical one-fifth, outside of it forming a reflexed side of subequal width and punctured coarsely and regularly. Humeral angles rounded. Basal margin nearly straight, with a fine marginal stria normally covered by pronotum. Interval of longitudinal striae glabrous, with microsculpture of fine transverse striations; typically flat, only slightly elevated to apex. Interval between sutural margin and stria 1 elevated more than others. Epiplurae complete, sparsely punctured, and becoming narrow and less punctured from basal 1/3. Hind wings reduced, but observable, not extended beyond abdominal tergum 3.

Prosternum dull, leather-like texture, impunctate; anterior margin straight, fringed with golden hairs; posterior margin bordered, extended to form a sharp triangle between procoxae; procoxal cavities open posteriorly. Mesosternum dull, leather-like texture, sculpture coarser than prosternum, margin bordered, longitudinal elevation not obvious and only observable on posterior triangle. Metasternum dull, sparsely punctate and covered with a few setae midlaterally; posterior and anterior margins protruding to form acute triangles between meso- and metacoxae, respectively; near anterior margin with an arcuate fovea; hind one-half with a longitudinal fovea medially.

Abdominal sterna dull, occasionally with a few setae and punctures along hind margins; 5th sternum coarsely rugose in posterior one-half. Abdominal apex as in Figure 3 (E, F).

Procoxae contiguous, meso- and metacoxae narrowly separated. Tarsi long, claw joint very much longer than the others; claws simple; tibiae with two apical setae. Protibia apex asymmetrically notched outside.

66 Male about equal in body size to female, but pro- and mesotarsi with 1–3 joints expanded, thicker than the following two; pro-and mesotarsi also broader than hind tarsi and all female tarsi. Aedeagus as in Figure 3 (A, B, C, D).

Specimens Examined. Holotype male, CHINA: Sichuan Province, Jiulong County (29 8 17 9 N, 101 8 28 9 E), 3,845 m, VII.11–14. 2001, Xiao-dong Yu and Hong-zhang Zhou.

Paratypes: 292 males 326 females, same as holotype, detail see Table 1.

Etymology. The species epithet is from the word China, meaning ‘‘of China.’’

Remarks. We collected the beetles in different habitats near Jiulong County, Sichuan. We set up 26 study plots, each with 50 pitfall traps in a line, so that we can calculate abundance in different plots ( Table 1).

Figures

Fig. 1. Female of Necrophilus chinensis Zhou, new species.

Fig. 2. Necrophilus chinensis Zhou, new species. A) Dorsal view of head and pronotum; B) ventral view of elytron.

Fig. 3. Necrophilus chinensis Zhou, new species. A) Ventral view of abdominal apex of male, aedeagus tip and endophallus; B) lateral view of that shown in A; C) lateral view of aedeagus with endophallus everted; D) dorsal view of aedeagus with endophallus everted; E) lateral view of abdominal apex of female, with spermatheca exposed; F) lateral view of abdominal apex of female, with appendages exposed.