Notes on the genus Microcriodes Breuning, with description of a new species from Xizang, China (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Batocerini)

Abstract 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.


Introduction
The genus Microcriodes was established by Breuning (1943) on the basis of an Indian species, M. sikkimensis Breuning, 1943. Gilmour andDibb (1948) only referred to Breuning's original description in their revision of the Batocerini, but Gilmour (1963) redescribed the species based on the holotype and an additional pair of specimens.
The locality of one male specimen mentioned by Gilmour (1963) was written in question as China (probably erroneous). Since then, few people have referred to this genus expect for Weigel (2012), who reported M. sikkimensis from Arunachal Pradesh, India, and Tavakilian and Chevillotte (2014), who summarized all related information.
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 M. sikkimensis and another similar congener.
In this paper, we describe it here as a second new species, M. wuchaoi sp. n., and simultaneously review M. 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 Gilmour (1963).
Materials are deposited in the following institutions, museums or private collections; abbreviations as shown in the text: 4 th antennomere. Pronotum wider than long; with fine transverse grooves at the anterior and posterior margin and transverse premedian and postmedian depressions; lateral spine short to long, acute at apex; prosternal process widened and emarginate at apex, procoxal cavities slightly open posteriorly; mesosternal process without tubercle and obliquely sloped in lateral view; mesocoxal cavities open externally to epimera. Elytra elongate, more than 3 times as long as the head and pronotum united, subparallel-sided, rounded at apex, distinctly wider than the base of pronotum. Leg long and slender, mesotibia with an external oblique groove near apex, tarsus five segmented, tarsal claws divaricate.
Diagnosis. 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.

Microcriodes sikkimensis
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.
Distribution. China (new country record): Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region; India: "Sikkim" (Breuning 1943), Arunachal Pradesh (Weigel 2012). Description. 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.
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.
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 . 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.
Diagnosis. This new species resembles M. 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.
Etymology. 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.