Two new species of Itagonia Reitter (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Blaptini) from China

Abstract Two new species of Itagonia Reitter, 1887, Itagonia tibialis sp. n. and Itagonia litangensis sp. n. are described from Sichuan, China. A key to the known species of Itagonia from China is given.

In this study, we follow the classification of Medvedev and Merkl (2002). Within the subtribe Gnaptorinina, the genus Itagonia is diagnosed by the following characters: upper edge of inner surface of profemur with tooth or obtuse-angled or arcuate prominence; upper spur of male protibiae larger than the lower spur, that of female protibiae massive, digitiform, the lower spur very small or invisible; apicale of aedeagus with outer margins arcuately or evenly narrowing to apex, or with outer margins slightly sinuate.
During the identification of tenebrionid specimens collected in Sichuan in 2012, two new species of the genus Itagonia, I. tibialis sp. n. from Jinchuan and I. litangensis sp. n. from Litang were found, which are described below.

Material and methods
All specimens were examined and measured under a Leica M205C stereomicroscope. Drawings of the new species were prepared under the same microscope equipped with a drawing tube. The photos were taken with a Canon PowerShot SX150IS digital camera. All specimens studied are deposited in the Museum of China West Normal University (MCWNU), Nanchong, China. Lateral margins of pronotum distinctly reflexed. Plantar surface of pro-and mesotarsomeres without hair brush or only plantar surface of protarsomere 1 with small hair brush. Apicale of aedeagus (   Diagnosis. This new species can be distinguished from other Itagonia species by the following differences: each elytron with traces of two longitudinal carinae; inner surface of male protibiae with arcuate prominence near base. I. tibialis sp. n. belongs to the group including also I. bisetosa Medvedev, 1998, I. tuberculata Shi et al., 2010and I. trisetosa Medvedev, 1998. Representatives of this group differ from other Itagonia species in having apicale of aedeagus flat, smoothly tapering from base to apex, forming no sharp narrowing in apical part (Figs 9,11,13,22). Occurring together with I. bisetosa, I. tuberculata and I. trisetosa, the new species can be distinguished by upper edge of inner surface of profemur forming in apical part rectangular tooth. Also, the described species sharply differs from I. bisetosa and I. trisetosa in having less than anterior 1/2 of outer margin of epipleura visible from above, and from I. tuberculata in having the pronotum widest before middle.

Key to the species of the genus Itagonia from China
Etymology. Named after the protibiae of male, inner surface of which has an arcuate prominence near base. This sharply differs from those of other species of Itagonia.
Description. Body black, elytra dull, other parts of body weakly shining. Male (Figs 16, 18-26). Anterior margin of clypeus weakly sinuate. Lateral margin of head almost without incision above antennal base. Genal margin parallel before Pronotum (Fig. 18) 1.15-1.24 (1.19 on average, n=10) times as wide as long, maximum width before middle, 1.63-1.77 (1.68 on average, n=10) times as wide as head. Ratio of pronotal width at anterior margin to its maximum width and width at base (n=10) 0.55: 1.00: 0.94 on average. Lateral margins of pronotum sharply arcuately converging to anterior margin in anterior 1/3, slightly narrowing to base in basal half or nearly parallel in basal 1/4, entirely bordered. Anterior margin of pronotum weakly sinuate, bordered laterally; base straight, not bordered. Anterior angles of pronotum weakly obtuse, rounded apically; posterior ones weakly obtuse or nearly rectangular. Pronotal surface between lateral margins weakly convex, with shallow median depression at disc; punctures as large as those on head, fine at disc center and larger laterally. Propleura concave in basal half, with wrinkles and very sparse granules. Prosternum in front of procoxae gently sloping; intercoxal process with shallow median depression, steeply sloping behind procoxae.
Measurements. Male body length 13.4-15.1 mm, width 5.4-6.3 mm; female body length 13.8-15.6 mm, width 6.7-7.2 mm. Diagnosis. The new species resembles Itagonia medvedevi Shi et al., 2010 andI. cordiformis Shi &Ren, 2007 by less than anterior 1/2 of outer margin of epipleura visible from above and apicale of aedeagus with outer margins sinuate, apical part rather sharply narrowing apicad (Figs 12,15,36). I. litangensis sp. n. differs from I. medvedevi and I. cordiformis in having the prosternum in front of procoxae steeply sloping; upper spur of protibiae not massive, shorter than protarsomere 1; plantar surface of mesotarsomeres 1 to 2 with hair brushes; apical margin of abdominal sternite 8 weakly sinuate. Also, the new species can be distinguished from I. medvedevi by apical part of outer margin of epipleura invisible from above, and from I. cordiformis by lateral margins of pronotum weakly arcuately protruding.