Citation: Bi W-X, Lin M-Y (2014) Notes on the genus Microcriodes Breuning, with description of a new species from Xizang, China (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Batocerini). ZooKeys 412: 1–8. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.412.7585
The genus Microcriodes Breuning is newly recorded from China upon the discovery of M. sikkimensis Breuning, 1943 and M. wuchaoi sp. n. from Motuo, Southeast Xizang. Illustrations of the habitus, genitalia including non-everted endophallus, as well as diagnostic features are provided.
Microcriodes, new record, new species, taxonomy, Oriental region
The genus Microcriodes was established by
From 2010 to 2013, the first author and his team made several expeditions to Southeast mountainous region of Xizang and brought back a large number of cerambycid beetles. In the course of the identification work of these specimens, we found a species which was identical to Microcriodes sikkimensis and another similar congener.
In this paper, we describe it here as a second new species, Microcriodes wuchaoi sp. n., and simultaneously review Microcriodes sikkimensis with supplementary descriptions and notes on the variations. The male genitalia including non-everted endophallus of both species are figured to facilitate the comparison. This is the first formal record of Microcriodes from China though a doubtful record was presented by
Materials are deposited in the following institutions, museums or private collections; abbreviations as shown in the text:
CBWX Collection of Wen-Xuan Bi, Shanghai, China
CCCC Collection of Chang-Chin Chen, Tianjin, China
IZAS Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
NHML The Natural History Museum, London, UK
SNUC Insect Collection of Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
The following abbreviations for terminology of endophallic structures are used in the text: BPH-basal phallomere; MPH-median phallomere; APH-apical phallomere; MT-medial tube; CT-central trunk; PB-preapical bulb.
http://species-id.net/wiki/Microcriodes
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The following combination of characters apparently separate Microcriodes from other genera in Batocerini: Antennae smooth, without spinous rugosity or traces of spines on the surface. Antennal scape lacking a distinct cicatrix. Eye with lower lobe longer than broad.
http://species-id.net/wiki/Microcriodes_sikkimensis
Figures 1–4, 7–10Holotype, female (sex not mentioned in its original description and misidentified as male by
(21 specimens, 14 males and 7 females): China: Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region: 4 males, 2 females, Xizang, Motuo County (=Mêdog County), Hanmi, 2100m, 2011.VII.23-31, leg. Wen-Xuan Bi (CBWX); 1 male, same date but 2011.VII.29 (CBWX); 1 female, same date but 2011.VIII.2 (CBWX); 1 female, same date but 2011.VII.23–26, leg. Ye Liu (IZAS); 1 male, same date but 2011.VII.23, leg. Ye Liu (IZAS); 1 male, same date but 2013.VII.18 (CBWX); 1 male, same date but 2013.VII.22 (CBWX); 2 males, same date but 2013.VII.29 (CBWX); 2 males, same date but 2013.VII.30 (CBWX); 1 female, same date but 2, 128 m, 2013.VII.13, leg. Xiao-Dong Yang (CCCC); 1 male, same date but 1, 989 m, 2013.VII.26, leg. Xiao-Dong Yang (CCCC); 1 female, same date but 2, 128 m, 2013.VII.30, leg. Xiao-Dong Yang (CCCC); 1 male, Xizang, Motuo County, 80 K, 2, 100 m, 2012.VII.23, leg. Xiao-Dong Yang (CCCC); 1 female, Xiang, Motuo County, 62 K, 2, 780 m, 2013.VIII.13, leg. Chao Wu (CBWX).
Male (Fig. 1): Length: 21.0–28.0 mm, humeral width: 6.0–9.0 mm. Female (Fig. 2): Length: 30.0–34.0 mm, humeral width: 9.0–10.5 mm. The elytral maculae of this species is variable but generally as follows: besides some scattered small, round, yellow spots, each elytron provided with three main, bright yellow, well-defined, longitudinal but somewhat irregularly shaped maculae on basal one third, a little behind middle and near apex (Fig. 3); the middle macula commonly fused with the hind one as the holotype, but sometimes attach to the front one (Fig. 4). Antenna with 3rd antennomere twice as long as scape, slightly shorter than 4th in male while slightly longer than 4th in female; relative length of antennomeres as follows: male: 5.5 : 1.0 : 11.8 : 12.1 : 11.4 : 10.3 : 10.1 : 9.1 : 8.7 : 8.4 : 11.9; female: 4.7 : 1.0 : 9.9 : 9.4 : 8.0 : 7.1 : 6.4 : 5.7 : 5.6 : 5.3 : 7.1. Pronotum broader than long, 0.8 times as long as basal width, the width across lateral spines about 1.3 times of basal width; lateral spine long, thickened at base with acute apex; disk smooth, with several fine setigerous granules behind middle. Elytra ca. 1.8 times as wide as pronotal base, 2.7 times as long as humeral width, with some very fine granules at base.
Habitus of Microcriodes spp. 1–4 Microcriodes sikkimensis Breuning, 1943 1 male (28.0 mm), from Hanmi, Motuo, Xizang, China 2 female (31.0 mm), from 62K, Motuo, Xizang, China 3–4 right elytron, showing the varieties of maculae 5–6 Microcriodes wuchaoi sp. n. 5 holotype (25.5 mm), male, from 62 K, Motuo, Xizang, China 6 paratype (29.5 mm), female, from same locality. a head in frontal view b pronotum and basal part of elytra in dorsal view, showing granules on pronotal disk and elytral base. Not to scale.
Male genitalia (Figs 7–10). Tegmen (Fig. 7) in lateral view strongly curved near base, ca. 3.5 mm in length, rhombic in shape and widest behind middle in ventral view; lateral lobes ca. two-ninths of total length of tegmen, provided with long setae on apical half. Median lobe (Fig. 8) slightly shorter than tegmen; moderately curved in lateral view; apex rounded subacuminate in antero-dorsal view. Tergite VIII (Fig. 9) nearly as broad as long, apex distinctly emarginate, with moderately long setae. Endophallus in non-everted condition (Fig. 10) long, about 3 times as long as median lobe, with 3 membranous parts, BPH, MPH and APH; BMP short, about one quarter of the length of median lobe; MPH long, about 2.7 times as long as median lobe, strongly curved at basal two-thirds, with MT and CT fused each other, of which delimited from PB by a distinct constriction; MT+CT sparsely provided with small spicules which become denser near swollen apex; PB provided with same kind of spicules as MT+CT, which become denser at apical half, basal part of PB rather narrow, only 0.35 times as wide as anterior part; APH short, cylindrical in shape. Ejaculatory ducts double.
Male genitalia of the Microcriodes spp. 7–10 Microcriodes sikkimensis Breuning, 1943 11–14 Microcriodes wuchaoi sp. n. 7, 11 tegmen 8, 12 median lobe 9, 13 Tergite VIII with sternites VIII & IX 10, 14 endophallus in non-everted condition. a vetral view b lateral view c antero-dorsal view. Scale 1 mm. 10, 14 not to scale.
China (new country record): Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region; India: “Sikkim” (
http://zoobank.org/E15E3E47-7555-490D-AF0E-B937ABB0E6E2
http://species-id.net/wiki/Microcriodes_wuchaoi
Figures 5–6, 11–14Holotype: male, “China: Xizang, Motuo, 62K / 2013.VIII.9 / 2780 m / leg. Chao Wu” [white label printed] (SNUC). Paratype: 1 female, “China: Xizang, Motuo, 62K / 2013.VIII.10 / 2780 m / leg. Chao Wu” [white label printed] (SNUC).
Male (Fig. 5). Body length 25.5 mm, humeral width 8.0 mm. Body dark brown; most of ventral surface and legs evenly covered with dense grayish yellow pubescence. Head with mandible (base and outer face), frons, gena and vertex densely covered with grayish yellow appressed pubescence. Vertex with two vittae behind upper eyelobes only sparsely pubescent. Antenna with scape covered with same kind of pubescence as head; other parts covered with fine grayish pubescence. Pronotum covered with same kind of pubescence as head except for a median longitudinal glabrous area. Scutellum densely clothed with recumbent pubescence. Elytron densely covered with grayish yellow appressed pubescence, provided with two bright yellow, irregularly shaped maculae on basal one-third and basal two-third near lateral margin; with small, round, yellow spots scattered mainly around suture and near apex.
Body elongate, subcylindrical, feebly narrowed posteriorly. Head nearly as wide as pronotal width at base, occiput with several granules anteriorly; eyes emarginate, coarsely faceted; lower eye lobe twice as long as width, about twice as long as gena (Fig. 5a). Antenna long and thick, about 1.8 times as long as body length, approximately surpassing elytral apex at tip of sixth antennomere; scape gradually thickened apically; scape and basal third of 3rd antennomere sparsely fringed beneath by suberect short setae; 3rd antennomere 1.8 times as long as scape, subequal to 4th and 5th; relative length of antennomeres as follows: 4.9 : 1.0 : 8.7 : 8.7 : 8.5 : 7.5 : 7.4 : 6.4 : 5.8 : 4.6 : 5.5.
Pronotum broader than long, 0.8 times as long as basal width, the width across lateral spines about 1.25 times of basal width; lateral spine short, thickened at base with acute apex; disk with a posteromedial longitudinally oval callus, provided with several distinct setigerous granules at both sides of callus and behind lateral spines.
Scutellum obtuse-triquetrous. Prosternum with prosternal process widened apically; procoxal cavities closed posteriorly. Mesosternal process without tubercle and obliquely sloped in lateral view.
Elytra ca. 1.8 times as wide as pronotal base, 2.4 times as long as humeral width, very slightly convergent toward apices; basal tenth of elytron provided with distinct round granules near suture and humerus, respectively; disk moderately punctured, becoming more shallow near apices.
Leg moderately slender, mesotibia with an external oblique groove near apical third, metatibia reaching elytral apex at apical one-fourth.
Male genitalia (Figs 11–14). Tegmen (Fig. 11) in lateral view moderately curved, ca. 3.8 mm in length, rhombic in shape and widest near middle in ventral view; lateral lobes ca. one-fourth of total length of tegmen, which moderately provided with short setae on apex. Median lobe (Fig. 12) shorter than tegmen; gently curved in lateral view; apex emarginate in antero-dorsal view. Tergite VIII (Fig. 13) slightly broader than long, apex slightly emarginate with short setae. Endophallus in non-everted condition (Fig. 14) moderately long, about 2.7 times as long as median lobe, with 3 membranous parts, BPH, MPH and APH; BMP short, about one-third length of median lobe; MPH long, about 2.1 times as long as median lobe, strongly curved at basal two-fifths, with MT and CT fused with each other, of which delimited from PB by a moderate constriction; MT+CT slightly swollen at apical tenth, sparsely provided with small spicules which are getting denser at apical one-fifth; PB provided with same kind of spicules as MT+CT, which are getting denser at apical half; basal part of PB moderately narrow, ca. 0.5 times as wide as anterior part; APH short, moderately swollen at middle and rounded at apex. Ejaculatory ducts double.
Female (Fig. 6). Body length 29.5 mm, humeral width 9.4 mm. Almost identical to male in general appearance. Antenna about 1.1 times as long as body, surpassing elytral apex at the middle of tenth antennomere; relative length of antennomeres as follows: 4.6 : 1.0 : 7.4 : 6.5 : 5.7 : 4.9 : 5.0 : 4.4 : 3.7 : 3.2 : 3.8. Leg slightly shorter, metatibia hardly reach elytral apex.
This new species resembles Microcriodes sikkimensis Breuning, 1943 by the general habitus, but is distinguishable from the latter by combination of the following characters: color of integument darker; elytron shorter in relation to the body length; antenna shorter and thicker; lower eye lobe narrower; pronotal lateral spine shorter; pronotal disk with a shiny posteromedial callus; distinctly granulated on pronotal disk and elytral base; elytron with the main maculae relatively short and small, lacking a bright yellow macula near apex.
The new species is dedicated to its discoverer, Mr. Chao Wu. We use the Chinese format “Wu +Chao” (family name + first name) for this name.
China: Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region.
We thank Chao Wu (Beijing, China) for collecting specimens. He and Xiao-Dong Yang (Sichuan, China) provided great companionship to the first author during the Xizang expedition. We thank Yi-Kai Zhang (Hangzhou, China) and Max Barclay (NHML) for preparing and sharing the type pictures of Microcriodes sikkimensis Breuning, 1943. We are very grateful to Nobuo Ohbayashi (Miura City, Japan), Eugenio H. Nearns (Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, USA), two anonymous reviewers and the editor Steven W. Lingafelter (National Museum of Natural History, Washington, USA) for improving the manuscript. Special thanks are due to Chang-Chin Chen (Tianjin, China) for his continuous support in various ways.