Ascelosodis emarginata, Ren, Guo-Dong & Shi, Ai-Min, 2006

Ren, Guo-Dong & Shi, Ai-Min, 2006, A taxonomic review of the Chinese species from the genus Ascelosodis Redtenbacher (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 1228, pp. 1-24 : 4-6

Ascelosodis emarginata , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–13 , 146 )

Type material

Holotype: male, CHINA: Tibet, Burang, 30º18’ N, 81º06’ E, 3800 m, 12 Jul. 2004, collected by Yi­bin Ba and Ai­min Shi ( MHBU). Paratypes: 23 males and 20 females, same data as the holotype ( MHBU); 4 males and 3 females, same data as the holotype but 18 Aug. 1974, collected by Ji­jun Li ( MHBU); 3 males and 2 females, same data as the holotype but 18 Aug. 1974, collected by Xiang­chu Yin ( MHBU); 1 male, same data as the holotype but Gar, 32º06’N, 80º00’E, 4200 m, 15 Jul. 2004, collected by Ai­min Shi and Yi­bin Ba ( MHBU).

Diagnosis

The new species is closely related to A. intermedia Bates, 1879 (as demonstrated by clypeal lobe separated from lateral lobes by shallow incisions, outer margins of epipleura not extending to shoulders of elytra), but can be distinguished by body shiny, anterior margin and base of pronotum bordered along entire length, pronotal surface with dense coarse punctures, elytra widest before the middle and humeral angles rounded.

Description

Male ( Figs 1–8 ). Ovate, black to reddish­brown, shiny; antennae, legs and palpi pitchy­brown to reddish­brown.

Clypeal lobe ( Fig. 2 ) moderately prominent, nearly semiglobate, separated from lateral lobes by shallow obtuse­angled incisions. Genae weakly convex, outer margins arcuately converging to clypeus. Dorsal surface of head weakly convex, with dense punctures, denser on clypeal lobe and genae than on disc, punctures elongate at inner parts of eyes and obscure at anterior margin of clypeus. Antennae ( Fig. 1 ) long, extending to or nearly to pronotal base. Length (width) ratio of antennomeres 2 to 11 as follows: 8.8(5.5): 12.2(5.0): 6.8(5.1): 6.1(5.1): 6.1(5.1): 5.8(5.1): 6.1(5.5): 6.7(6.9): 6.7(8.1): 7.1(6.2). Apical parts of inner margins of antennomeres 8 and 9, apical part of inner and outer margins of antennomere 10 and apical part of antennomere 11 with dense hair and sparse long setae.

Pronotum ( Fig. 3 ) transverse, 1.85–2.11 (1.97, on the average, n=10) times as wide as long, widest in the middle, 1.53–1.64 (1.58, on the average, n=10) times as wide as head. Lateral margins of pronotum arcuately protruding, bordered along entire length; anterior margin sinuate, base almost parallel with it, both bordered along entire length. Anterior angles of pronotum nearly rectangular; posterior ones obtuse. Pronotal surface convex, with clear punctures sparser on disc than on sides; lateral margins narrowly and steeply sloping. Propleura concave, with incomplete punctures and sparse granules. Intercoxal process of prosternum linguiform, slightly prominent behind coxae and steeply sloping at apex.

Elytra ovate, 1.25–1.37 (1.31, on the average, n=10) times as long as wide, widest immediately before the middle, 1.16–1.31 (1.25, on the average, n=10) times as wide as pronotum. Elytral base not bordered, humeral angles rounded. Elytral surface with dense punctures on disc; sides with granules and several long hairs. Epipleura narrow, completely ventral, outer margins not extending to shoulders, with very sparse granules. Visible abdominal ventrites punctate, each puncture with a light seta.

Legs strong. Outer margins of protibiae clearly serrate, outer apical angles elongate, extending beyond anterior margin of protarsomere 4. Length ratio of metatarsomeres 1–4 as follows: 21: 8: 7: 15.

Aedeagus ( Figs 4–6 ): length 1.57 mm (when body length 7.2 mm). Parameres 0.91 mm long, 0.29 mm wide, with setae at apices. Spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 7 . Apical margin of abdominal sternite VIII deeply sinuate ( Fig. 8 ).

Female ( Figs 9–13 ): Difficult to distinguish from male by general characters. Ovipositor as in Figs 9–10 . Posterior margin of urotergite VIII ( Fig. 11 ) arcuately prominent. Urosternite VIII ( Fig. 12 ) and spiculum ventrale ( Fig. 13 ) with posterior margins very weakly sinuate.

Distribution

China: Tibet (Burang and Gar).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 13. Ascelosodis emarginata, sp. nov.. 1. antenna; 2. head in dorsal view; 3. pronotum; 4 – 6. aedeagus in dorsal, ventral and lateral view; 7. spiculum gastrale; 8. abdominal sternite VIII of male; 9 – 10. ovipositor in dorsal and ventral view; 11. urotergite VIII of female; 12. urosternite VIII of female; 13. spiculum ventrale.

FIGURES 146 – 149. 146. Ascelosodis emarginata, sp. nov., male; 147. A. punctulata, sp. nov., male; 148. A. rugulosa, sp. nov., male; 149. A. emarginiventris Koch, 1948, male.