Lycocerus aurantiacus Hsiao & Okushima, 2016

Hsiao, Yun, Okushima, Yûichi, Yang, Ping-Shih & Ko, Chium-Cheng, 2016, Taxonomic revision of the Lycocerus hanatanii species group (Coleoptera, Cantharidae), with the description of new species from Taiwan, European Journal of Taxonomy 170, pp. 1-33 : 24-25

Lycocerus aurantiacus Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1CD64F32-4749-48C6-80CF-C8981514E12B

Figs 2 N–O, 4H–J, 6G–H, 8

Diagnosis

This species resembles L. griseopubens and the yellowish brown pronotum form of L. nigripennis ; the differential diagnosis is given in Table 3 .

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin aurantiacus (“orange”), referring to its orange fringed pronotum.

Type material

Holotype

TAIWAN: ♂, Majia Township , 900 m, Pingtung, 12 Mar. 2014, Y.-T. Chung leg. ( NMNS).

Paratypes

TAIWAN: 9 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, same data as for holotype (5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀ in NMNS; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ in TARI; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ in YHC); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Tengchih, Taoyuan, Kaohsiung Hsien , 29 Mar.–1 Apr. 2001, S. Nagashima leg. ( KURA); 1 ♀, Baedawushan [=North Dawushan], Pingtung, 2 Apr. 2013, R.- H. Liou leg. ( YHC); 2 ♂♂, Tienchih, Kaohsiung, 8 Mar. 2014, W.- C. Liao leg. (1 ♂ in NMNS; 1 ♂ in YHC).

Description

Coloration

Eyes and head black. Antennae black, with yellow tinge at base of first segment. Mandibles yellowish brown. Pronotum orange, with black marking in medio-longitudinal part. Elytra black. Legs black. Pro-, meso- and metasterna, as well as abdomen black, with margins of abdominal ventrites yellowish brown. Body closely covered with pale pubescence; anterior margin of clypeus, antennae, elytra and legs fringed with pale bristles.

Male ( Fig. 2N )

HEAD. Nearly as long as wide; vertex faintly hollowed, depressed along apical margin of clypeus and in lateral areas before eyes; surface densely and finely punctate and semilustrous; anterior margin of clypeus arcuate and faintly indented in middle; eyes not so large, globular and slightly prominent, ratio of eye diameter to interocular space 1:5.3; terminal labial palpomeres rounded ax-shaped; terminal maxillary palpomeres rounded ax-shaped; antennae filiform, barely exceeding elytral midlength; antennomere I clavate, II short and a little expanded apicad, III to XI subcylindrical, all antennomeres without groove, ratio of antennomere lengths: 16: 10: 18:21: 21: 20: 20: 20:19: 17: 19.

PRONOTUM. Subquadrate, about 0.90 times as wide as head, slightly longer than width; anterior and posterior margins moderately arcuate; lateral margins feebly sinuate, slightly diverging posteriorly; anterior angles rounded; posterior angles obtuse; dorsum convex in postero-lateral and hollowed in antero-lateral areas; medio-longitudinal groove distinct in posterior half; surface smooth and semilustrous. Scutellum triangular with rounded apex.

ELYTRA. Conjointly about 1.5 times as wide as pronotum, about 3.0 times as long as wide, sides subparallel; surface densely and finely punctate and semilustrous.

LEGS. Moderately slender; femora mostly straight; tibiae mostly straight, with basal part feebly arcuate; claws simple.

AEDEAGUS ( Fig. 4 H–J). Ventral process thick, strongly expanded and rounded apically, apex moderately curved inwards, basal part broad and extending inwards onto ventral side; dorsal plate of each paramere slightly longer than ventral process, protuberant and narrowed apically, apical margin rounded, with some hairs on it. Laterophyse very short, with pointed apex, invisible in lateral view. Inner sac swollen, lengthened behind, somewhat shorter than tegmen.

Body length 5.00–6.00 mm (holotype: 5.60 mm); width 0.80–1.30 mm (1.10 mm).

Female ( Fig. 2O )

Similar to male. Body wider than in male. Eyes somewhat smaller than in male, ratio of eye diameter to interocular space 1:5.4. Antennae distinctly shorter than in male, barely exceeding humeri, ratio of antennomere lengths: 14.5: 10: 13.5:15: 15: 14: 14: 13: 13:12: 15.

PRONOTUM. Slightly wider than head, slightly shorter than width. Elytra conjointly about 1.4 times as wide as pronotum, about 2.8 times as long as wide. Claws simple. Abdominal ventrite VII widely emarginate on each side of terminal margin, forming subtriangular lateral lobes, median lobe moderately developed and triangularly concave in middle ( Fig. 6G ).

FEMALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 6H ). Vagina stout, abruptly extended apically as long and thick duct; diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising from apex of long duct of vagina; diverticulum moderately thin and spiral; spermathecal duct considerably shorter than diverticulum; spermatheca provided with thin spiral tube, tube shorter than diverticulum; accessory gland thin, shorter than spermatheca.

Body length 5.50–6.50 mm; width 1.20–1.50 mm.

Remarks

This species is distributed in the southern area of Taiwan at about 1000 m altitude according to the label data. It was observed being attracted by light at night.

Distribution ( Fig. 8 )

Taiwan (endemic).

Figures

Fig. 2. Habitus, dorsal view. A–B. Lycocerus pictus (Wittmer, 1983). C–E. L. yitingi Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov. F–G. L. araticollis (Fairmaire, 1897). H–I. L. griseopubens (Pic, 1928). J–M. L. nigripennis (Pic, 1938). N–O. L. aurantiacus Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov. P–Q. L. evangelium Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov. R. L. kintaroi Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov. C, F, H, J, N, P, R. Name-bearing types. D, O, Q. Paratypes. A–B, E, G, I, K–M. Non-type specimens. A, C, F–G, I, K–L, N, P, R. Male. B, D–E, H, J, M, O, Q. Female. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Fig. 4. Aedeagus. A–B. Lycocerus araticollis (Fairmaire, 1897). C–D. L. griseopubens (Pic, 1928). E–G. L. nigripennis (Pic, 1938). H–J. L. aurantiacus Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov. A. Ventrolateral view. B. Dorsolateral view. E, H. Ventral view. D, F, I. Lateral view. C, G, J. Dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Fig. 6. A–B. Lycocerus pictus (Wittmer, 1983). C–D. L. yitingi Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov. E–F. L. nigripennis (Pic, 1938). G–H. L. aurantiacus Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov. I–J. L. evangelium Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov. A, C, E, G, I. Abdominal ventrite VII of female. B, D, F, H, J. Female genitalia, lateral view. Scale bars: A, C, E, G, I = 1.0 mm; B, D, F, H, J = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 8. Distribution map of L. nigripennis (Pic, 1938), L. evangelium Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov., L. aurantiacus Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov. and L. kintaroi Hsiao & Okushima sp. nov. from Taiwan.