Neoserica mianningana Ahrens 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ahrens, Dirk
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Neoserica
Neoserica mianningana

description: Neoserica mianningana sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 999264AD-0FAB-473B-9D75-2EB977E3ED9D
Fig. 1A–E
Diagnosis
Neoserica mianningana sp. nov. differs from N. nykli Ahrens, Liu & Fabrizi 2014 by the shape of the ventral phallobasal process, which is well curved and has a less pronounced ventral distal tooth (compared to that of N. nykli) as well as by the shape of both parameres which are longer and more strongly curved.
Etymology
The new species is named (name: adjective in the nominative case singular) for its occurrence close to the city of Mianning, China.
Type material examined
Holotype CHINA • ♂; “China, Daxue Shan Mts., Sichuan, 40 km W Mianning, 7-8.vi.1999, 2750m, 28°34’N, 102°00’E, V. Siniaev & A. Plutenko lgt. / 1152 Sericini: Asia spec.”; CP.
Paratype CHINA • 1 ♂; “China, Daxue Shan Mts., Sichuan, 40 km W Mianning, 7-8.vi.1999, 2750m, 28°34’N, 102°00’E, V. Siniaev & A. Plutenko lgt.”; ZFMK.
Description
MEASUREMENTS. Length: 8.8 mm, length of elytra: 6.2 mm, width: 4.6 mm.
HABITUS AND COLORATION (Fig. 1E). Body oblong, reddish brown, ventral surface and antenna yellow, dorsal surface dull and almost glabrous.
HEAD. Labroclypeus subtrapezoidal, widest at base, lateral margins weakly convex and convergent to moderately rounded anterior angles, lateral border and ocular canthus producing a distinct, blunt angle, margins weakly reflexed, anterior margin distinctly sinuate medially; surface flat and shiny, finely and densely punctate, with a few long, erect setae in coarser punctures; frontoclypeal suture feebly incised and medially curved; smooth area in front of eye approximately 1.5 times as wide as long; ocular canthus moderately long and slender, very finely and sparsely punctate, with a fine terminal seta. Frons dull, with fine and moderately dense punctures and with a few long setae beside eyes and behind frontoclypeal suture. Eyes small, ratio of diameter/ interocular width: 0.55. Antenna with ten antennomeres; club with four antennomeres, nearly 1.2 times as long as remaining antennomeres combined. Mentum convexly elevated anteriorly.
PRONOTUM. Short and wide, widest shortly before base, lateral margins evenly curved and narrowed anteriorly and posteriorly, anterior angles moderately produced and blunt, posterior angles blunt and slightly rounded at tip; anterior margin convexly produced medially, broad marginal line widely missing; basal margin without marginal line; surface with moderately dense and fine punctures, with minute setae, otherwise glabrous; anterior and lateral borders sparsely setose; hypomeron distinctly carinate at base. Scutellum narrow and long, sharp at apex, with fine and moderately dense punctures and minute setae.
ELYTRA. Oblong, widest in posterior third, striae finely impressed, finely and densely punctate, intervals flat, finely and sparsely punctate, on odd intervals with a few long erect setae, otherwise with minute setae; epipleural edge robust, ending at strongly curved external apical angle of elytra, epipleura densely setose, apical border membranous, with short microtrichomes.
VENTRAL SURFACE. Dull, with large and dense punctures, sparsely and shortly setose, setae partly adpressed; metacoxa glabrous, with fine setae laterally, apical margin convex and external apical angle rounded; each abdominal sternite with a distinct transversal row of coarse punctures each bearing a short seta between fine and moderately dense punctation. Mesosternum between mesocoxae nearly half as wide as mesofemur, with irregularly scattered, fine setae. Ratio of length of metepisternum / metacoxa: 1/ 1.5. Pygidium strongly convex, finely and densely punctate, without smooth midline, with short setae along apical margin.
LEGS. Slender; femora with two longitudinal rows of setae, finely and moderately densely punctate; metafemur ventrally dull, anterior margin sharply carinate, without a submarginal serrated line, posterior margin moderately convex, with a few strong setae medially, only weakly widened externally in apical half and not serrated ventrally in distal half, finely serrated dorsally, with dense, short setae. Metatibia slender and long, widest at apex, ratio width/ length: 1/ 3.6, dorsal margin sharply carinate, with two groups of spines, basal group shortly before middle, apical one at about three quarters of metatibial length, basally with a few single, fine spines; external face longitudinally convex, with coarse, sparse punctures, glabrous; ventral margin finely serrated, with four fine, equidistant spines; medial face impunctate, apex concavely truncate interiorly near tarsal articulation. Tarsomeres dorsally impunctate, with sparse, short setae ventrally; metatarsomeres glabrous dorsally, with a strongly serrated ridge ventrally, and with a fine longitudinal carina immediately beside it; first metatarsomere little longer than following two tarsomeres combined and distinctly longer than dorsal tibial spur. Protibia long, bidentate, protarsal claws symmetrical, basal tooth of inner protarsal claw bluntly truncate apically.
AEDEAGUS. Fig. 1A–D.
Variation
Length: 8.8–9.1 mm, length of elytra: 6.2–6.4 mm, width: 4.6–4.8 mm.
Female
Unknown.
description: Published as part of Ahrens, Dirk, 2023, Updates on the Neoserica vulpes group (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Sericini): new species and records, pp. 97-110 in European Journal of Taxonomy 888 (1) on pages 98-100, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.888.2231, http://zenodo.org/record/8246689