Sinonichnus montanus Jałoszyński, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Jałoszyński, Paweł
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Sinonichnus
Sinonichnus montanus

description: Sinonichnus montanus sp. nov.
(Figs 1–6)
Type material studied. Holotype (CHINA: Yunnan): ♂, two labels: “CHINA (Yunnan) Nujiang Lisu Pref. / Gaoligong Shan E pass 20 km NW / Liuku 3000 m (creek valley with devast. / prim. forest, ferns, litter/moss sift.) / 25°58’49’’N 98°41’48’’E / 3.IX.2009 D.W.Wrase [25]” [white, printed], “ SINONICHNUS / montanus m. / P. Jałoszyński 2025 / HOLOTYPUS” [red, printed] (MNB).
Diagnosis. Antenna in male lacking modifications; aedeagus in ventral view elongate subtriangular with triangular apex, endophallus strongly asymmetrical.
Description. Body (Fig. 1) elongate, moderately convex; pigmentation light brown, body covered with yellowish setae; BL 1.05 mm.
Head much narrower than pronotum, broadest across eyes, HL 0.18 mm, HW 0.21 mm; frons and vertex confluent and weakly convex; supraantennal tubercles weakly elevated; eyes moderately large and weakly convex, in lateral view bean-shaped, with narrow posteromedian emargination. Frons and vertex with unremarkable fine punctures; setae sparse, short and suberect.Antennae short in relation to body, AnL 0.43 mm, scape and pedicel each weakly elongate, antennomeres 3‒6 each about as long as broad, 7‒10 each transverse, 11 distinctly shorter than 9 and 10 combined, indistinctly elongate.
Pronotum broadest near anterior third; PL 0.28 mm, PW 0.25 mm. Lateral margins rounded in anterior half and weakly sinuate in posterior half; pronotal base with distinct transverse groove deepened at each end; lateral pronotal grooves fine and obscured by dense bristles. Punctures on pronotal disc inconspicuous; setae short, moderately dense and suberect, lateral pronotal margins with dense thick bristles.
Elytra together oval, broadest distinctly anterior to middle; EL 0.60 mm, EW 0.41 mm, EI 1.45; humeral calli small, elongate, each mesally demarcated by short elongate impression; elytral apices separately rounded. Punctures indistinct, superficial and unremarkable; setae sparse and suberect, similar to those on pronotal disc.
Hind wings long and functional.
Legs slender, unmodified.
Aedeagus (Figs 2–5) elongate, AeL 0.23 mm; median lobe in ventral view broadest in sub-basal region, with lateral margins straight in distal 2/3 and converging distally to form subtriangular apex. Endophallus strongly asymmetrical, with several well-defined sclerites. Parameres slender, not reaching apex of median lobe, each with one apical seta.
Female. Unknown.
Distribution. S China: Yunnan Province (Fig. 6).
Etymology. The adjective montanus alludes to the altitude of 3000 m where the holotype has been collected.
Remarks. Sinonichnus montanus is externally similar to both previously described species. Males of S. leiodicornutus have modified antennae, while S. yunnanensis and S. montanus lack any modifications. Aedeagi of these three species differ strikingly (Fig. 6).
description: Published as part of Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2025, A new species of Sinonichnus Jałoszyński in China (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), pp. 497-500 in Zootaxa 5575 (3) on pages 498-499, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.3.10, http://zenodo.org/record/14746980