Members of the genus Pseudophanias can be distinguished from all other genera of the Tmesiphorini by a combination of the following characteristics: body form strongly stout to markedly elongate; male antennae usually with modified antennomeres 3–10, or 11 alone; greatly reduced maxillary palpi with fusiform palpomere 4; distinct paratergites on abdomen; tergite IV longest to subequal in size to tergite V; aedeagus usually tuberculate in shape, rarely bulbous.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan, Nepal.

Holotype (NSMT): ♂, “Japan: [Ryûkyû], Ishigaki- / jima, Takeda-rindô 23 X 2007, Teruaki Ban leg. // HOLOTYPE (red) /♂, Pseudophanias yaimensis sp. nov., / det. Inoue, Nomura & Yin, 2020” Paratypes: Japan: 1 ♀, [Ryûkyû], Okinawa ken, Ishigaki-jima Is., Mt. Omoto-dake, 16 VIII 1991, K. Ogata leg. (NSMT); 1 ♂, Ishigaki-jima Is., Mt. Omoto-dake, (FIT), 14–20 V 2002, S. Hori leg. (NSMT); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, China: Taiwan, Taichung Co. (台中县), Guguan (谷关), 1238 m, 24.180691N, 120.944213E, 29 III 2015, local collector, nest of Nasutitermes parvonasutus (SNUC). Each paratype pinned with the following label: “PARATYPE (yellow) / ♂ (or ♀), Pseudophanias yaimensis sp. nov., / det. Inoue, Nomura & Yin, 2020”.

Pseudophanias yaimensis is most similar to the Sumatran P. robustus Raffray, 1904, but can be distinguished by the distinctly smaller body size (3.00–3.20 mm in P. robustus), the angulate antennomere 11 at anterolateral margins in the male, the finely punctate head and pronotum, and the shorter discal carinae on tergite IV.

Male (Figs 1A, 2A). Body length 2.16–2.32 mm. Dorsal surface polished and weakly shining, with dense setae. Head (Fig. 3A) about as long as wide, HL 0.46 mm, HW 0.42–0.44 mm, same size as pronotum, nearly hexagonal, with dense setae; frontal rostrum with short longitudinal sulcus including large fovea; antennal tubercles prominent, with dense punctures which gradually disappear towards vertex; vertex polished, finely punctate, with pair of foveae; frontal, vertexal foveae glabrous; eyes prominent; postocular margins three times longer than length of eyes. Maxillary palpi (Fig. 3B) symmetrical; palpomere 1 minute; palpomere 2 elongate, narrowed in basal half; palpomere 3 small, widest at apices; palpomere 4 fusiform. Antennae (Fig. 2B) elongate, 1.42 mm in length; antennal club formed by apical antennomere alone; antennomere 1 thick, elongate, 1.5 times longer than 2; 2 slightly longer than wide; 3–11 successively widened towards apices; 3–7 each slightly elongate; 8–10 quadrate; 11 enlarged, roundly broadened towards apices in inner margin, straightened towards apices in outer margin; each apical half of outer margin distinctly carinate, with angulate spine at anterolateral part. Pronotum (Fig. 3C) slightly longer than wide, PL 0.48 mm, PW 0.46 mm; widest at anterior one-third, weakly constricted from widest point towards base, polished, with coarse punctures along posterior margin, with a median and pair of lateral antebasal foveae, with distinct conical spine just anterior of median fovea. Metaventrite (Figs 2D, 3D) finely punctate, moderately convex, but area just above metaventral apex impressed; that impression nearly trapezoidal, half as long as metaventral length, occupying 1/4 metaventral width; anterior margin of that impression straight, distinct. Elytra (Fig. 3E) nearly trapezoidal, widest near posterior 1/4 much wider than long, EL 0.60–0.62 mm, EW 0.85–0.94 mm; dorsal surface polished, with thin, long setae, finely punctate; each elytron with two basal foveae; discal stria shallow, extending from basal fovea placed middle to posterior half. Legs. All legs elongate and slender; femora each broadest near middle; tibiae each slightly broadened to apex, with dense yellow setae at apex; protibiae and mesotibiae nearly straight; metatibiae longest; tarsi each elongate, with tarsomeres 2 about as long as tarsomeres 3; mesotarsi (Fig. 3G) modified, broadest; tarsomeres 3 each with projection of 2/3 length of entire tarsomere; tarsal claws (Fig. 3H) each asymmetrical; posterior claws thin, short. Abdomen (Fig. 3F) wider than long, widest at tergite IV, AL 0.62–0.76 mm, AW 0.85–0.90 mm; tergite IV longest, twice as long as tergite V, with pair of short longitudinal carinae about one-fifth as long as tergal length, with setose depression at base. Tergite and sternite VIII as in Fig. 4D, E. Aedeagus (Fig. 4A–C) 0.39–0.40 mm in length, well-sclerotized, asymmetrical; parameres elongate, reaching near apex of median lobe; each paramere with three setae at apex; median lobe strongly widened towards apex in dorso-ventral view, constricted at median part in lateral view; ventral side of apical part asymmetrical, weakly sclerotized, nearly formed three pronged fork; medioapical part bended laterally; dorsal side of apical part asymmetrical, bifurcate from median part; endophallus indistinct.

Figure 1. 

Dorsal habitus of Pseudophanias yaimensis A male B female. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figure 2. 

Morphological details of Pseudophanias yaimensis A habitus in lateral view B male antenna C female antenna D male metaventrite. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (A); 0.5 mm (D); 0.2 mm (B, C).

Figure 3. 

SEM images of Pseudophanias yaimensis, male A head B maxillary palp C pronotum D metaventrite E elytra F abdomen G mesotarsus H mesotarsal claws. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, C–G); 0.1 mm (B); 0.05 mm (H).

Figure 4. 

Male genitalia of Pseudophanias yaimensis A ventral view B lateral view C dorsal view D tergite VIII E sternite VIII. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Female (Fig. 1B). BL 2.20–2.32 mm; HL 0.40–0.52 mm; HW 0.42–0.45 mm; PL 0.46–0.49 mm; PW 0.44–0.46 mm; EL 0.58–0.63 mm; EW 0.78–0.89 mm; AL 0.70–0.76 mm; AW 0.86–0.90 mm. Antennae (Fig. 2C) with antennomeres 11 unmodified, each ovoid, without carina and angulate spine; eyes smaller than male; mesotarsi without projection.

Ishigaki Island, where the type locality of this species was discovered, is a part of the Yaeyama Islands. This specific epithet refers to Yaima which is a local dialect of the Yaeyama Islands.

Japan (Ryûkyû: Ishigaki-jima Is.), China (Taiwan).

Two paratypes from Taiwan were collected with the termite Nasutitermes parvonasutus Nawa, 1911. In Japan, one paratype was collected using a Flight Interception Trap (FIT).

This species is distributed in Yaeyama-shotô Islands, Japan and Taiwan, China. The two localities are close to each other and shared the same fauna for some insect groups. The two populations show slight difference in the morphology of the aedeagus. The lateral projections of the median lobe of the population of Taiwan are relatively longer and narrower than those of the population of Yaeyama. But the general appearance and especially the male sexual characters are otherwise almost identical. Therefore, we treat such a difference as interspecific variation.

The Taiwanese specimens were collected from a nest of the Nasutitermes parvonasutus termite. However, the Japanese specimens were collected from leaf litter samples or by FIT. Some pselaphine species are known to live under the bark and rotten wood with termites. Thus, more information is needed to recognize the possible termitophyly of the new species.

Holotype (NSMT): ♂, “屋久島 小楊枝林道, alt. 190 m. / [Yakushima Is.], Japan: / Kagoshima-ken, Kumage-gun, / Yakushima-chô, Koyôji-rindô / 30°17'36"N, 130°25'30"E, / 21 IX 2018, F. Nakano leg. // HOLOTYPE (red) /♂, Pseudophanias nakanoi sp. nov., / det. Inoue, Nomura & Yin, 2020” Paratype: Japan: 1 ♀, [Ryûkyû; Tokara-rettô Isls.], Kagoshima-ken, Toshima-mura, Nakano-shima Is, Sato, 7–9 VII 2019, (leaf litter), N. Tsuji leg., with collecting permission of Toshima-mura Village (NSMT). Paratype pinned with the following label: “PARATYPE (yellow) / ♀, Pseudophanias nakanoi sp. nov., / det. Inoue, Nomura & Yin, 2020”.

Pseudophanias nakanoi is similar to P. clavatus Raffray, 1904, but P. nakanoi can be distinguished from the latter by its modified antennal clubs, which are formed by three apical antennomeres, and the finely punctate head and pronotum.

Male (Figs 5A, 6A). Body length 2.59 mm. Dorsal surface densely covered with long setae. Head (Fig. 7A) as long as wide, HL 0.52 mm, HW 0.52 mm, nearly trapezoidal; frontal rostrum broad, short, strongly sulcate along midline, with large fovea in frontal sulcus; antennal tubercles distinct, with dense punctures which gradually disappear towards vertex; vertex polished, finely punctate, with pair of foveae; frontal, vertexal foveae glabrous; eyes large, weakly prominent; postocular margins two times longer than length of eyes. Antennae (Fig. 6B) moderately elongate, 1.36 mm in length; antennal clubs formed by apical three antennomeres; antennomeres 1 thick, elongate, 1.5 times longer than 2; 2 slightly longer than wide; 3–7 nearly moniliform; 8 transverse; 9–11 enlarged, slightly excavated in outer margin; 9 nearly ovoid, each with smooth area on ventral surface; 10 transverse, half as long as 9, each with smooth area on ventral surface; 11 enlarged, widest at apical 1/3, strongly produced outward, roundly broadened to apices in inner margin, each with smooth area on ventral surface. Maxillary palpi (Fig. 7B) symmetrical; palpomeres 1 minute; palpomeres 2 elongate, narrowed in basal halves; palpomeres 3 small, widest at apices; palpomeres 4 fusiform. Pronotum (Fig. 7C) slightly wider than long, PL 0.53 mm, PW 0.55 mm; widest near anterior 1/3, then narrowed anteriorly, posteriorly, with coarse punctures along posterior margin, with a median and pair of lateral antebasal foveae, with distinct conical spine just anterior of above median fovea. Metaventrite (Figs 6D, 7D) finely punctate, moderately convex, but just above metaventral apex roundly impressed; that impression half as long as metaventral length, occupying 1/4 metaventral width; anterior margin of that impression moderately rounded, distinct. Elytra (Fig. 7E) nearly subtrapezoidal, widest near posterior 1/4 much wider than long, EL 0.72 mm, EW 0.99 mm, with dense setae, coarsely punctate, each elytron with two basal foveae; discal stria shallow, extending from median fovea to posterior 1/3. Legs. All legs moderately elongate and slender; femora each broadest near middle; tibiae each slightly broadened to apices, with dense yellow setae at apices; protibiae and mesotibiae nearly straight; metatibiae longest; tarsi each elongate, with tarsomeres 2 two-thirds as long as 3; mesotarsi (Fig. 7G) modified, broadest; tarsomeres 3 each with projection of 3/4 length of entire tarsomeres; tarsal claws (Fig. 7H) asymmetrical; anterior claws long; posterior claws thin, short. Abdomen (Fig. 7F) wider than long, widest at tergite IV, AL 0.82 mm, AW 1.03 mm; tergite IV longest, twice as long as tergite V, with pair of longitudinal carinae extending to posterior half, with mediobasal setose depression distinct. Tergite and sternite VIII as in Fig. 8D, E. Aedeagus (Fig. 8A–C) 0.46 mm in length, well-sclerotized, symmetrical in dorso-ventral view; parameres extremely elongate, reaching near apical fourth, each with three setae at apex; median lobe broad at base, split into ventral and dorsal lobes in lateral view; ventral lobe broadened from base toward apex in dorso-ventral view, curved ventrally and narrowed apically in lateral view; dorsal lobe terminated apical 1/3 of ventral lobe; endophallus indistinct.

Female (Fig. 5B). BL 2.56 mm; HL 0.49 mm; HW 0.52 mm; PL 0.53 mm; PW 0.57 mm; EL 0.73 mm; EW 1.00 mm; AL 0.81 mm; AW 1.03 mm. Antennae (Fig. 6C) unmodified, nearly moniliform, successively broadened apically; antennomeres 11 largest; eyes smaller than in male; mesotarsi without projection.

Figure 5. 

Dorsal habitus of Pseudophanias nakanoi A male B female. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figure 6. 

Morphological details of Pseudophanias nakanoi A habitus in lateral view B male antenna C female antenna D male metaventrite. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (A); 0.5 mm (D); 0.2 mm (B, C).

Figure 7. 

SEM images of Pseudophanias nakanoi, male A head B maxillary palp C pronotum D metaventrite E elytra F abdomen G mesotarsus H mesotarsal claws. Scale bar: 0.2 mm (A, C–G); 0.1 mm (B); 0.05 mm (H).

Figure 8. 

Male genitalia of Pseudophanias nakanoi A ventral view B lateral view C dorsal view D tergite VIII E sternite VIII. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

The new species is named after Mr Fumitaka Nakano, the original collector of the holotype.

Japan (Ryûkyû: Tokara-rettô Isls.; Kyûshû: Yakushima Is.)

The holotype was collected from a dead tree of the family Fagaceae, and the paratype female was collected from leaf litter.

Holotype (NSMT): ♂, “Tengshih (1400 m, litter) / Kaosiung Hsien / [M-Taiwan] / 台湾高雄縣藤枝 / 20–22. iv. 2001, H. Sugaya leg. // HOLOTYPE (red) /♂, Pseudophanias excavatus sp. nov., / det. Inoue, Nomura & Yin, 2020” Paratypes: (NSMT, KUM, NMNS) 1 ♂, 3 ♀, same data as holotype; 6 ♂, 1 ♀, same data as holotype, but 29–30 IV 2001; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, same data as holotype, but 30 IV 2001. Each paratype pinned with the following label: “PARATYPE (yellow) / ♂ (or ♀), Pseudophanias excavatus sp. nov., / det. Inoue, Nomura & Yin, 2020”.

This species is readily distinguished from other members of Pseudophanias by the clasping formed antennae in the male, frontal sulcus indistinct, and the rounded pronotum.

Male (Figs 9A, 10A). Body length 2.21–2.48 mm. Dorsal surface with dense setae.

Head (Fig. 11A) as long as wide, HL 0.45–0.50 mm, HW 0.43–0.50 mm, densely punctate, with dense, long setae; frontal rostrum broad, with frontal fovea nude; antennal tubercles distinct; vertex flat, with pair of glabrous foveae; eyes prominent, small; occiput with dense setae; postocular margin two times longer than eyes; small areas just posterior to U-shaped setose sulci finely punctate. Antennae (Figs 10B, 12A–E) strongly modified, 0.98–1.12 mm in length; antennomeres 1 elongate, as long as 2–4 combined; 2–4 each transverse, successively shorter; 5–11 strongly excavated on ventral side, with tufts of setae on ventral surface, modified to form clasping, each excavated on ventral surface; 5–9 each two times wider than 4, each transverse; 9 longer than 8; 10 as long as 9, asymmetrical; outer side strongly produced ventrally in 9; 11 enlarged, with glabrous areas on ventral side. Maxillary palpi (Fig. 11B) symmetrical; palpomeres 1 minute; palpomeres 2 elongate, narrowed in basal halves; palpomeres 3 small, widest at apices; palpomeres 4 fusiform. Pronotum (Fig. 11C) about as long as wide, PL 0.47–0.55 mm, PW 0.50–0.55 mm, broadly rounded, widest at middle, finely punctate on dorsal surface, with a median and pair of lateral antebasal foveae; antebasal area strongly punctate. Metaventrite (Figs 10D, 11D) finely punctate, strongly convex, but area just above metaventral apex roundly impressed; that impression 2/3 as long as metaventral length, occupying 1/4 metaventral width; anterior margin of that impression sharply rounded, distinct. Elytra (Fig. 11E) much wider than long, EL 0.57–0.65 mm, EW 0.90–0.98 mm, trapezoidal, finely punctate, each elytron with two basal fovea; discal stria shallow, extending from basal fovea placed middle to posterior 1/3. Legs. All legs moderately short; each femora broadest near middle; protibiae, mesotibiae with dense yellow setae at apices; protibiae, metatibiae moderately straight; mesotibiae slightly arcuate at apical fourth; tarsi (Fig. 11G) each with tarsomere 2 half as long as tarsomere 3; tarsal claws (Fig. 11H) asymmetrical; anterior claws long, posterior claws thin, short. Abdomen (Fig. 11F) much wider than long, widest at tergite IV, AL 0.64–0.81 mm, AW 0.97–1.05 mm, lacking discal carinae; tergite IV longest, twice as long as V, with setose depression at base. Tergite and sternite VIII as in Fig. 13D, E. Aedeagus (Fig. 13A–C) 0.60–0.63 mm in length, well-sclerotized, slightly asymmetrical in dorsal and ventral view, tubular in lateral view; parameres symmetrical, extremely elongate, reaching apical third, each with five setae at apex; median lobe roundly curved, C-shaped in lateral view; apical part widely opened, narrowed towards basal part to connect ovoidal dorsal diaphragm; apical lobe extending downward, curved to form S-shaped in lateral view, widely opened at base, strongly produced laterally at apex; endophallus indistinct.

Female (Fig. 9B). BL 2.21–2.27 mm; HL 0.44–0.48 mm; HW 0.44–0.48 mm; PL 0.47–0.55 mm; PW 0.46–0.51 mm; EL 0.56–0.63 mm; EW 0.90–0.94 mm; AL 0.67–0.70 mm; AW 0.94–0.96 mm. Antennae (Fig. 10C) with antennomeres 11 simple, successively widened towards apices; antennomeres 2–10 each transverse; 11 ovoid, largest. Metaventrite convex, lacking metaventral impression.

Figure 9. 

Dorsal habitus of Pseudophanias excavatus A male B female. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figure 10. 

Morphological details of Pseudophanias excavatus A habitus in lateral view B male antenna C female antenna D male metaventrite. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (A); 0.5 mm (D); 0.2 mm (B, C).

Figure 11. 

SEM images of Pseudophanias excavatus, male A head B maxillary palp C pronotum D metaventrite E elytra F abdomen G protarsus H protarsal claws. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, C–F); 0.1 mm (B, G); 0.05 mm (H).

Figure 12. 

Male antenna of Pseudophanias excavatus by SEM images A lateral view B ventral view C antennomere 11 in ventral view D antennomeres 5–10 in ventral view E special setae on antennomere VIII in ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A, B); 0.1 mm (C, D); 0.01 mm (E).

Figure 13. 

Male genitalia of Pseudophanias excavatus A ventral view B lateral view C dorsal view D tergite VIII E sternite VIII. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

The specific epithet refers to the strongly excavated antennae in the male of the new species.

China (Taiwan).

This species was collected from leaf litter.

This species is readily distinguished from other members of Pseudophanias by a combination of the following character states: Body length over 3 mm; antennal club formed by apical 4 antennomeres; antennomeres each distinctly elongate; antennomeres 8 angularly expanded laterally, 9 triangularly expanded in male; pronotal disc with conical spine; profemora concave at basal third, with bunch of thick setae; protarsomeres 2 and 3, and mesotarsomere 2 each spinose; aedeagus symmetrical, with median lobe greatly extended ventrally (Yin, Coulon and Bekchiev 2015).

This species is readily distinguished from other members of Pseudophanias by a combination of the following character states: Body length over 3.50 mm; antennal club formed by antennomere 11 alone; antennomere 11 strongly enlarged and modified to form bowl-like in male; aedeagus symmetric, median lobe tri-lobed at apex; parameres elongate, narrowing from base toward apex, with several long apical setae (Yin 2019).