Rhagonycha maculaticeps Y. Yang, Xiao & Liu 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Xiao, Yun-Feng
name: Liu, Hao-Yu
name: Yang, Xing-Ke
name: Yang, Yu-Xia
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cantharidae
Rhagonycha
Rhagonycha maculaticeps

description: Rhagonycha (s.str.) maculaticeps Y. Yang, Xiao & Liu, sp. nov.
(Figs 27A‒B, 28A‒C, 29A, 30A, 37)
Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ (MHBU), CHINA, Yunnan: Changjun Workstation, 24.5438° N, 101.0278° E, 10.VII.2018, leg. Y.J. Tong. PARATYPES: CHINA, Yunnan: 1♀ (MHBU), same data as holotype; 1♂, 2♀ (MHBU), Lincang, Wulao Shan Foresty, 9.–10.VII.2000, leg. J. S. Xu & J. X. Zhang; 1♀ (MHBU), Yunnan prov., Lushui County, Pianma Town, 2400 m, 6.VII.2010, leg. J.Q. Zhu.
Differential diagnosis. It is the most similiar to Rh. limbatella in the overall shape of aedeagus, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: head with a black marking on vertex, while uniformly orange in Rh. limbatella; pronotum with a black longitudinal median band, while with a black rounded marking in center of disc in Rh. limbatella (Fig. 1D); aedeagus: ventral process of each paramere widened near apex, while thinned in Rh. limbatella (Fig. 5A); female internal genitalia: vagina abruptly thinned into a long tube, while into a short tube in Rh. limbatella (Fig. 3D).
Descriptive. Body length: 6.0‒ 7.8 mm (6.0 mm in holotype); width: 1.6‒2.0 mm (1.6 mm in holotype).
Male. (Fig. 27A). Coloration. Body yellowish orange except for the following parts: head with a black marking at vertex, antennae, tibiae and tarsi black, pronotum with a wide longitudinal median black band that is about one third width of pronotum, elytra pale yellow, each elytron with an evenly wide longitudinal median black band that extending from humerus to apex. Surface sparsely and finely yellow pubescent, anterior margin of clypeus fringed with pale bristles.
Head rounded, surface densely and finely punctate; eyes moderately protruding, head width across eyes 1.1 times wider than anterior margin of pronotum; terminal maxillary palpomeres subtriangular, widest at apical third; antennae extending to basal 3/4 length of elytra when reclined, antennomeres II shortest, about 2.5 times as long as wide at apices, III about 1.9 times longer than II, VIII longest, XI feebly longer than X and pointed at apices.
Pronotum transverse, about 1.2 times as wide as long, anterior margin rounded, anterior angles subrounded, lateral margins feebly diverging posteriorly, posterior margin feebly bisinuate, posterior angles sub-rectangular, disc strongly convex on posterolateral parts, surface finely and densely punctate.
Elytra nearly parallel-sided, about 3.3 times as long as humeral width, 4.4 times longer than pronotum, surface finely rugulose-lacunose, almost lustrous at basal parts.
Aedeagus moderately swollen laterally in middle (Fig. 28A); ventral processes of parameres abruptly thinned near bases, then widened apically, subrounded at apices, bent to each other in ventral view (Fig. 28A), and almost straight in lateral view, with apices long-triangularly widened (Fig. 28C); conjoint dorsal plate of parameres nearly as long as ventral processes (Fig. 28B, C), with apical margin almost straight, lateral margins feebly diverging apically, latero-apical angles widely rounded in dorsal view (Fig. 28B), and feebly inclined ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 28C); emargination between ventral process and conjoint dorsal plate about 1/3 length of aedeagus (Fig. 28C).
Female (Fig. 27B). Similar to male, but with larger and stouter body, antennae shorter and extending to apical third length of elytra when reclined, head width across eyes as wide as anterior margin of pronotum, pronotum wider and about 1.3 times as wide as long, anterior margin less arcuate, disc feebly convex on posterolateral parts, elytra about 3.3 times as long as humeral width.
Internal organ of reproductive system (Fig. 29A): vagina stout and abruptly thinned at ventroapical portion into a long and feebly stout tube, where diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising separately; diverticulum short and spiral, evenly thin along the whole length; spermathecal duct very short and about 1/8 length of apical tube of vagina; spermatheca provided with a spiral tube, progressively thinned apically and twice longer than diverticulum; accessory gland long, about twice longer than spermatheca.
Abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 30A) moderately narrowed posteriorly, widely rounded at latero-apical angles, and semicircularly protuberant in middle of posterior margin.
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin maculatus (spotted) and ceps (head), referring to its head with a black marking on vertex.
Distribution (Fig. 37). China (Yunnan).
description: Published as part of Xiao, Yun-Feng, Liu, Hao-Yu, Yang, Xing-Ke & Yang, Yu-Xia, 2024, Taxonomic review of the Rhagonycha flava species group (Coleoptera, Cantharidae), with descriptions of fourteen new species from China, pp. 1-69 in Zootaxa 5534 (1) on pages 47-49, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5534.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14023514