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Research Article
A new species of Catapiestus Perty, 1831 from China (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Cnodalonini)
expand article infoShulin Yang, Juan Guo
‡ Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, China
† Deceased author
Open Access

Abstract

A new species of the genus Catapiestus Perty, 1831 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Cnodalonini), C. bispinosus, is described from Leigonsan National Nature Reserve, Leishan County, Guizhou, China. The identification key by Lang and Ren for the species of Catapiestus is modified.

Keywords

darkling beetle, Guizhou, taxonomy, southwest China

Introduction

Catapiestus Perty, 1831 is a genus in the tribe Cnodalonini (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), with twelve species recorded from south and southeast Asia and China; only four species were previously known from China. The species have quite uniform strongly flattened body form and coloration, and scarce or no apparent external sexual dimorphism (Lang and Ren 2009). Morphological differentiation of the species mainly depends on features of the pronotum (e.g., shape, lateral serration pattern, presence or absence of mid-longitudinal groove) and number of teeth or denticles of profemora (Lang and Ren 2009). A new species of the genus is described herein based on specimens collected from the Leigongshan National Nature Reserve, Leishan County, Guizhou, China.

Materials and methods

Specimens were collected with six level Lindgren funnel traps which used ethanol as the lure and glycol as the killing and preserving agent in the collection bottles. Specimens were glued on pinned paper points. Labels were handwritten in Chinese. The type material is preserved in the School of Life Sciences, GZNULS (GZNULS). An AmScope SM-4TZ stereo microscope was used for specimen observation and dissection. Photographs were taken with a Canon EOS 6D digital camera with EOS MP-E 65 lenses.

Taxonomy

Catapiestus bispinosus sp. n.

Figures 1, 2, 3

Type locality

Holotype, ♂, China, Guizhou Province, Leishan County, Leigongshan National Nature Reserve, 26°22'25"N, 108°11'58"E, 23.VI.2017, border of broad-leaf forest and Chinese white pine (Pinus armandii Franch) forest, leg. S. Yang. Paratypes, 1♂, China, Guizhou Province, Leishan County, Leigongshan National Nature Reserve, 26°22'29"N, 108°11'54"E, 19.VIII.2011, broad-leaf forest, leg. S. Yang; 1♀, China, Guizhou Province, Leishan County, Leigongshan National Nature Reserve, 26°22'25"N, 108°11'58"E, 2.VIII.2017, border of broad-leaf forest and Chinese white pine (Pinus armandii Franch) forest, leg. Yaokui Yang and Gugangzu Yang.

Type specimens

Holotype, ♂, glued on pinned paper point, with genitalia in a separate microvial. Original label (slash, “/”, represents new line): “中国 贵州 雷山/雷公山 八公里入口处 下一/26°22'25"N, 108°11'58"E / 2017.VI.23 / 杨书林采 [handwritten label]” (translation: China, Guizhou, Leishan / Leigongshan, Entrance at 8km Lower #1 / 23.VI.2017 / leg. Shulin Yang), “HOLOTYPE: / Catapiestus bispinosus Yang & Guo / ♂ [handwritten on red label]”. Paratypes, 1♂, glued on pinned paper point, with genitalia in a separate microvial. Original label (slash, “/”, represents new line): “中国 贵州 雷山 / 雷公山 生态定位点 / 26°22'29"N, 108°11'54"E / 2011.VIII.19 / 杨书林采 [handwritten label]” (translation: China, Guizhou, Leishan / Leigongshan Eco-monitoring site / 19.VIII.2011 / leg. Shulin Yang), “PARATYPE:/ Catapiestus bispinosus Yang & Guo / ♂ [handwritten on red label]”. 1♀, glued on pinned paper point. Original label (slash, “/”, represents new line): “中国 贵州 雷山/雷公山 八公里入口处 下一 / 26°22'25"N, 108°11'58"E / 2017.VIII.2 / 杨耀奎 杨光祖 采 [handwritten label]” (translation: China, Guizhou, Leishan /Leigongshan, Entrance at 8km Lower #1 / 26°22'25"N, 108°11'58"E / 2.VIII.2017 / leg. Yaokui Yang and Gugangzu Yang), “PARATYPE:/ Catapiestus bispinosus Yang & Guo / ♀ [handwritten on red label]”.Type specimens deposited in School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University (GZNULS).

Differential Diagnosis

The new species C. bispinosus sp. n. has two distinctive teeth on profemora. Catapiestus clavipes Lang & Ren, 2009, which also has two teeth on profemora, differs from C. bispinosus sp. n by larger size and different shape, and tooth positions of profemora. The profemora of C. bispinosus are nearly parallel-sided, not expanded at base, the larger tooth is situated at apex, and a small tooth is located at the base of profemora (Figs 1, 2). The profemora of C. clavipes are expanded at base with a large tooth at the base and a small tooth at apex. Aedeagus of C. bispinosus is more rounded in lateral view and gradually widening from apex to base while aedeagus of C. clavipes is nearly parallel-sided in basal half of parameres and phallobase.

Figure 1. 

Habitus of C. bispinosus, male, dorsal view.

Figure 2. 

Femora of C. bispinosus, male, ventral view.

Description

Male (Fig. 1): Body broad, flat, length 12.98–13.14 mm, width 4.02–4.1 mm. Integument dark brown to black. Head, pronotum, and elytra densely punctured, ventral head and pro-thorax, and abdomen weakly punctured and wrinkled.

Head: broad, trapezoidal, constricted at base to cylindrical neck. Labrum transverse, densely punctured and with sparsely short hairs, margin nearly rounded, with dense hairs. Clypeus broad, frontal slightly concave, lateral corners rounded. Outer edges of gena raised at antennal insertions. Fronto-clypeal suture visible as a lineal ridge, fronto-genal sulcus indistinct. Interocular space 4× eye width. Antennae not reaching beyond middle of pronotum when extended backwards, pedicel and 3–5th antennomeres nearly conical, 6–11th antennomeres clavate with shape transition from nearly triangular of the 6th to oval of the last antennomere.

Thorax: pronotum transverse, raised, and with mid-longitudinal sulcus, glossy with sparse small shallow punctures in inner half, outer half inclined toward lateral margins with dense large deep punctures; anterior margin slightly concave; lateral margins arched, widest nearly at middle, serrate with 5 to 6 blunt teeth; base nearly straight with narrow ridge. Propleura densely punctured, pro-sternal process also punctured, gradually widening, trapezoidal, base angles acute, mesepisterna and mesepimera with denser but shallower punctures. Scutellum nearly semicircular, with sparse small shallow punctures.

Elytra nearly parallel; epipleura reaching apex, not glossy as other part; scutellary striole short, with 4–6 punctures; each elytron with nine punctured striae, 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th connected at base, respectively; intervals between 5th and 6th, and 6th and 7th striae carinate, carina of interval between 6th and 7th striae starting at elytral base and ending at basal 2/5 of elytral length, where carina of interval between 5th and 6th striae starting. The two carinae connected, sometimes weakly, at basal 2/5 of elytra, forming a longitudinal plica on elytron.

Legs: slender with dense punctures; anterior side of ventral profemur slightly extended and ridged with two teeth, one smaller near basal third and one larger near apex. Meso- and metafemora with only one tooth on ventral anterior side of each femur near apex, larger on metafemura (Figs 1, 2).

Abdomen: densely and coarsely punctured, first three ventrites with longitudinal winding wrinkles.

Male genitalia: aedeagus nearly spindle shaped in dorsal view, arcuate in lateral view, ratio of width to length 1:5, ratio of parameres to phallobase nearly 3:5 (Fig. 3).

Figure 3. 

Aedeagus of C. bispinosus, male, left to right: ventral view, dorsal view and lateral view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Female, no apparent external sexual dimorphism except body slightly smaller, length 12.66 mm, width 3.74 mm.

Etymology

The name of the new species refers to two spine-like teeth on each profemur.

Distribution

China: Guizhou, Leishan, Leigongshan.

Discussion

The range of Catapiestus in China has a distributional gap between Yunnan and Fujian provinces below 30°N in southern China. The discovery of C. bispinosus in Guizhou province presents a range extension for the genus and a provision for new species and distribution records of the genus in the area of southern China between Guizhou and Fujian provinces.

Modified couplets to the key to Catapiestus by Lang and Ren (2009)

The couplets 2 and 3 of the key to Catapiestus by Lang and Ren (2009) should be modified as follows to receive C. bispinosus sp. n.

2 Profemur with 2 teeth 2a
Profemur with 1 or 3 teeth or denticles 3
2a Profemur strongly expanded at base, with 1 large tooth at widest point, 1 small tooth at apex C. clavipes
Profemur not expanded at base, nearly parallel-sided, with 1 small tooth at base and 1 large tooth at apex C. bispinosus
3 Profemur with only 1 tooth in front margin 5
Profemur with 3 denticles C. mediocris

Acknowledgements

The study was funded by Guizhou Science and Technology Department (Grant No. 黔科合SY字 [2013]3170 and 黔科合J字LKS[2011]38号 to Shulin Yang, and 黔科合J字LKS[2012]21号to Juan Guo), Guizhou Human Resources and Social Security Department [黔6人项目资助合同(2013)12号] and National Science Foundation of China (31360435) to Shulin Yang. We thank the subject editor, Wolfgang Schawaller, and the two reviewers, Ottó Merkl and Kiyoshi Ando, for their help in improving this manuscript.

References

  • Lang JT, Ren GD (2009) A review of the genus Catapiestus Perty, 1831 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Cnodalonini) with descriptions of two new species from China. Caucasian Entomological Bulletin 5(2): 195–199.
  • Perty JAM (1831) Observationes nonnullae in Coleoptera Indiae orientalis. Mich. Lindauer, Monachii, 44 pp. [1 pl.]
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