Leiodes babai Nakane, 1989

Hoshina, Hideto, 2012, Review of the tribes Sogdini and Leiodini from Japan and North Chishima Islands. Part II. Genera Hydnobius and Leiodes (Coleoptera: Leiodidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl. 1) 52, pp. 1-168 : 24-26

1. Leiodes babai Nakane, 1989

Japanese name: Baba-ô-tamakinokomushi ( Figs. 7–9 , 110 )

Leiodes babai Nakane, 1989: 147 ; PERREAU (2004): 194 (catalogue).

Type locality. Japan, Honshu, Niigata Pref., N. Echigo, Mt. Ooishi.

Type material examined. JAPAN: HONSHU: HOLOTYPE, ♂, Niigata Pref., N. Echigo, Mt. Ooishi , 20.vi.1972, K. Baba leg. ( HUMS).

Additional material examined. JAPAN: HONSHU: 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Saitama Pref., Ohtaki Village, Nakatsukawa-keikoku , Oku-Chichibu-rindô (alt. 1300m), 30.vii.–7.viii.2004, K. Arai & S. Arai leg. ( FIT) ( FUFJ) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Tokyo Pref., Hinohara Village, Mt. Mitôsan , (alt. 1100 m), 23–30.vii.2008, H. Takano leg. ( FIT) ( FUFJ) .

Diagnosis. Coloration. Dorsum almost unicolor, brown; antennomeres 1–6 and 8 brown; antennomeres 7, 9, 10, and basal 3/5 of antennomere 11 dark brown; apical 2/5 of antennomere 11 light brown.

Body 2.6–3.0 mm long, ca. 1.7× as long as wide ( Fig. 7A ). Head densely and very minutely punctate, bearing some large punctures ( Fig. 7A ); antennomeres 1–4 longer than wide; remaining antennomeres each wider than long; antennomere 11 oval ( Fig. 7C ). Pronotum simply and very feebly curved at posterior margin and densely and very minutely punctate ( Fig. 7A ). Elytra not transversely strigose; each elytron bearing nine rows of punctures with small number of punctures and moderate number of very fine punctures between rows ( Fig. 7D ); row 9 invisible in dorsal view, subhumeral row as long as 1/4 of elytral length ( Fig. 7B ); elytral rows composed of minute but larger punctures than those of pronotum ( Fig. 7A ); sutural stria fine, arising from apex to ca. apical 3/5 of elytral length. Metathoracic wings fully developed. Mesoventrite with one distinct excavation between median carina and transverse carina ( Fig. 7E ); median carina of mesoventrite low ( Fig. 7E ); metaventrite without sexual dimorphism. Legs with weak sexual dimorphism on protarsi, mesotarsi, and metatibiae; protibiae gradually and very feebly widening from base towards apex ( Figs. 8E, 8F ); metafemur with a small dorsal projection posteroapically ( Figs. 8G, 8H ).

Male. Tarsomeres 2–4 of protarsi and mesotarsi feebly expanded ( Fig. 8A ); metatibiae feebly curved inwards ( Fig. 8C ); abdominal sternite feebly curved ( Fig. 9C ); aedeagus as shown in Figs. 9A, 9B .

Female. Protarsi and mesotarsi slender ( Fig. 8B ); metatibiae almost straight ( Fig. 8D ); abdominal sternite 8 with a spiculum ventrale at a central point of anterior margin ( Fig. 9D ); coxites and stylus as shown in Fig. 9E .

Differential diagnosis. Leiodes babai is similar to the Korean L. odaesanensis Park & Ahn, 2007 which it resembles in the morphology of the elytral punctures, but may be distinguished from it by having a relatively robust median lobe of the aedeagus ( Fig. 9A ).

Distribution. Japan: Honshu (Niigata, Saitama, and Tokyo Prefectures). Leiodes babai was described on the basis of a single specimen from Niigata Prefecture. In this study, additional specimens from other areas are recorded for the first time.

Figures

Fig. 7. Leiodes babai Nakane, 1989.A – body, dorsal view; B – ditto, lateral view; C – antenna; D – elytral punctures; E – mesoventrite, lateral view. Scale I: 1 mm for A and B; II: 0.5 mm for C; III: 0.2 mm for E.

Fig. 8. Leiodes babai Nakane, 1989. A – male fore leg, ventral view; B – female fore leg, ventral view; C – male hind leg, ventral view; D – female hind leg, ventral view; E – male protibia, dorsal view; F – female protibia, dorsal view; G – male metafemur, dorsal view; H – female metafemur, dorsal view. Scale I: 0.5 mm for A–D; II: 0.2 mm for E and F; III: 0.2 mm for G and H.

Fig. 9. Leiodes babai Nakane, 1989.A – aedeagus, dorsal view; B – ditto, lateral view; C – male abdominal sternite 8; D – female abdominal sternite 8; E – coxite and stylus. Scale I: 0.5 mm for A and B; II: 0.2 mm for C and D and E; III: 0.1 mm for E.

Fig. 110. Distribution of Japanese species of Leiodes babai group: (●) L. kandai sp. nov., (▲) L. babai Nakane, 1989, (■) L. yoshidai sp. nov.; arrow – suggested migration pathway of L. babai group from the continent to Japan.