Allopachria nigrocatta Jiang & Jia 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Jiang, Zhuo-yin
name: Chen, Ya-ru
name: Han, Li-bo
name: Jia, Feng-long
name: Wang, Bei-xin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Dytiscidae
Allopachria
Allopachria nigrocatta

description: Allopachria nigrocatta Jiang & Jia sp. nov.
Figs 1 A – E, 2 A – C, 4 A, 6, 7 C
Type locality.
China, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guilin, Ziyuan County, Maoershan Mt., Huilong Temple, c. 25.9125 ° N, 110.4656 ° E; 1557.2 m.
Type material.
Holotype • male (SYSU), labelled: “ 广西桂林市资源县 / 猫儿山迴龙寺 / 25.9125 N , 110.4656 E / 1557.2 m , 30. viii. 2020 / 姜卓寅 [p] // CHINA: Guangxi, Guilin / Ziyuan County, Maoershan Mt. / Huilong Temple / 25.9125 N, 110.4656 E / 1557.2 m, 30. viii. 2020 / Zhuoyin Jiang leg. [p] // HOLOTYPE / ALLOPACHRIA / nigrocatta sp. nov. / Jiang & Jia det. 2024 [red label, p] ”. Paratype • 1 female (SYSU), same label data as holotype, with a paratype label, labelled: “ PARATYPE / ALLOPACHRIA / nigrocatta sp. nov. / Jiang & Jia det. 2024 [red label, p] ”.
Description of male holotype.
Habitus (Fig. 1 A) regularly oval, with continuous outline, broadest in 1 / 3 of elytral length, moderately convex. Colouration. Head dark brown to black, somewhat paler at clypeal margin, with small yellowish-brown area behind eyes; pronotum black with lateral margins reddish-brown; elytra black, apex with an irregularly shaped yellowish-brown spot not reaching suture; appendages yellowish-brown to reddish-brown; ventral side reddish-brown to black. Head. Moderately broad, c. 0.67 × width of pronotum, trapezoidal. Anterior margin of clypeus regularly rounded, without bead (Fig. 7 C). Antenna with antennomeres long and slender. Shiny, microreticulation presents on anterior half of head and along eyes, consisting of well-impressed polygonal isodiametric meshes. Punctures spread sparsely and more distinct on vertex; setigerous punctures present along inner margin of eyes and anterolaterally to eyes in fronto-clypeal depressions. Pronotum. Strongly transverse (width / length ratio = 2.71), broadest between posterior angles. Lateral margins moderately curved, distinctly beaded. Shiny, microreticulation absent. Punctures and micropunctures spread sparsely and evenly; rows of setigerous punctures present along anterior margin; navel-like punctures present in posterior half. Posterior half also covered with some irregular longitudinal wrinkles. Elytra. Base as broad as pronotal base; lateral margins moderately curved. Shiny, microreticulation absent. Punctures and micropunctures spread sparsely and evenly; longitudinal rows of setigerous punctures incomplete. Legs. Protarsomere 1 minimally enlarged (Fig. 1 D), mesotarsomere 1 distinctly enlarged (Fig. 1 E), with adhesive setae on their ventral side; claws simple, metatarsal claws unequal. Ventral side (Fig. 1 B). Prosternum sinuate anteriorly. Prosternal process heart-shaped, with distinct wide lateral beads in basal two thirds, apex obtuse; surface distinctly punctured. Metaventrite distinctly beaded on anterior margin; lateral parts of metaventrite (“ metasternal wings ”) narrow. Metacoxal lines prominent, divergent anteriorly. Metacoxal plates with some indistinct wrinkles. Metacoxal processes with a small triangular lobe, obscuring part of metatrochanter. Abdomen with five ventrites (III – IV fused). Microreticulation presents on abdominal ventrites, consisting of well-impressed polygonal isodiametric meshes. Punctures and micropunctures spread sparsely and evenly on metaventrite, metacoxae and abdominal ventrites; setigerous punctures present along anterior margin of metaventrite and medially on ventrites II – IV. Male genitalia. Median lobe of aedeagus gradually narrowing from base to apex in ventral view, apex truncate (Fig. 2 A); ‘ Lʼ-shaped in lateral view, moderately curved, apex obtuse (Fig. 2 B). Parameres moderately broad, distal portion with a large triangular process on dorsal side, with a tuft of setae apically (Fig. 2 C).
Female (Fig. 1 C). Identical to male in habitus. Dorsal surface submatt, microreticulation presents on head, pronotum and elytra, more densely and longitudinally stretched on elytra. Pro- and mesotarsomeres not enlarged, without adhesive setae.
Variability.
Minor variability can be seen in dorsal colouration; there is an indistinct irregular reddish-brown spot on each elytral base in the paratype.
Measurements.
TL: 2.5–2.7 mm (mean value: 2.6 ± 0.1 mm); holotype: 2.7 mm. TL-h: 2.2–2.4 mm (mean value: 2.3 ± 0.1 mm); holotype: 2.4 mm. MW: 1.7–1.8 mm (mean value: 1.75 ± 0.05 mm); holotype: 1.8 mm.
Differential diagnosis.
Allopachria nigrocatta sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Allopachria species by its black colour pattern with a yellowish-brown spot on elytral apex. The shape of the median lobe and paramere is also unique. Female specimens can be easily identified by the submatt appearance.
Collection details.
On Maoershan Mt., Allopachria nigrocatta sp. nov. was collected syntopically with Platambus punctatipennis Brancucci, 1984 from a pool with decaying leaves under a rock wall covered with flowing water (Fig. 4 A).
Etymology.
The species name is a combination of “ nigro - ” from Latin “ nigriculus ” (= blackish) and “ - catta ” (= cat, in Chinese “ mao ” means cat), referring to its black appearance and the fact that it was collected from Maoershan Mt. The gender of the name is feminine.
Distribution.
So far, known only from the type locality on Maoershan Mt., northern Guangxi, China (Fig. 6).
description: Published as part of Jiang, Zhuo-yin, Chen, Ya-ru, Han, Li-bo, Jia, Feng-long & Wang, Bei-xin, 2024, Allopachria nigrocatta sp. nov. from Guangxi, with a key and checklist of Chinese species and additional records of Allopachria Zimmermann, 1924 from China (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae, Hyphydrini), pp. 287-302 in ZooKeys 1219 on pages 287-302, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1219.137179