Megadrypta maozhoui Chen, Shi & Liang, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Chen, Jia-Heng
name: Shi, Hong-Liang
name: Liang, Hong-Bin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Megadrypta
Megadrypta maozhoui

description: Megadrypta maozhoui sp. nov.
Figs 2 A, 3, 5, 6 A, 7 Chinese vernacular name: 茂洲巨逮步甲
Type materials.
Holotype: China • male, labeled “ Sichuan, Qionglai, Mt. Tiantaishan, Sandaowan, 1246 m, 2024. V. 1-5, N 30.2674 E 103.1199, Maozhou XU & Tianxuan GU leg. ”; “ HOLOTYPE Megadrypta maozhoui sp. nov., det. Chen & Shi. 2024 ” [red label]; IZAS. Paratypes: China • 2 male and 1 female, labeled “ Sichuan, Qionglai, Mt. Tiantaishan, Sandaowan, 1246 m, 2024. V. 30, N 30.2674 E 103.1199, Maozhou XU leg. ”; CCJH. China • 1 female, labeled “ Yunnan, Zhaotong, Yiliang County, Luowang Township, Aiziping, N 27.8809 E 104.6809, 1311 m, 2024.9. 9, Anxian SHI leg. ”; CAU. China • 1 female, labeled “ Sichuan, Ya’an, Mt. Zhougongshan, 2018.7, Yong WANG leg. ” [alcohol immersion]; IZAS.
Diagnosis.
Dorsal surface dark with distinct bluish metallic luster, mouth parts, antennae and all parts of legs reddish brown. Mentum with anterior margin concave and shallowly emarginate at middle. Pronotum with lateral margins gradually sinuate twice, behind anterior angles and before posterior angles. Elytra with 7–8 parascutellar pores, significantly narrowed base and discontinuous striae, interrupted by coarse foveae (of similar size as interval width) (Fig. 3 C). Apical lamella of median lobe of aedeagus short (ALL / ALW 0.55–0.61), obtuse and rounded (Fig. 5 B, C); median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view stout, gradually attenuate to apex, ventral margin very faintly curved before apical lamella (Fig. 5 A, D); endophallus with a distinct central sclerite (Fig. 5 C, D).
Comparisons.
Megadrypta maozhoui sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from the type species of the genus by the combination of following characters: (1) dorsum with distinct bluish metallic luster (versus dark without or with very faint metallic luster in M. mirabilis); (2) legs entirely reddish brown, always much paler than that of the latter species; (3) mentum with anterior margin concaved and shallowly emarginate at middle (versus straight and without emargination in M. mirabilis); (4) pronotum narrower PL / PW 1.76–1.88 (versus PL / PW 1.62–1.68 in M. mirabilis); (5) elytra more elongated, EL / EW 1.56–1.68 (versus EL / EW 1.44–1.50 in M. mirabilis); (6) elytral striae discontinuous, interrupted by coarse foveae (versus striae entire with normal punctures in M. mirabilis); (7) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view gradually attenuate to apex, ventral margin nearly straight before apex (versus median lobe evenly thickened before apical third and then abruptly narrowed, ventral margin distinctly curved before apex in M. mirabilis); (8) apical lamella of aedeagus with apex obtuse and rounded in dorsal view (versus a little narrower in the latter species); (9) central sclerite of endophallus more distinctly sclerotized with clear border in ventral view (versus less sclerotized with ambiguous border in the latter species).
Description.
BL 13.6–15.5 mm (13.8 mm in holotype); dorsal and ventral surface with distinct bluish metallic luster; palpi, antennae and all parts of legs reddish brown, mandibles dark brown. Head (Fig. 3 A): mandibles long, about five times as long as labrum, hooked at apex; labrum trilobate, medial lobe slightly extended anteriorly, anterolateral angles rounded-obtuse, sparsely pubescent near anterior margin; clypeus impunctate and pubescent; vertex densely and coarsely punctate; temporae slightly shorter than eyes, well tumid behind eyes, superficially pubescent and punctate; antennae long, a little exceeding midpoint of elytra. Pronotum (Fig. 3 B) cylindrical (PL / PW 1.76–1.88), disc pubescent and coarsely punctate; anterior angles obtuse; lateral margins distinctly doubly sinuate behind anterior angles and before posterior angles; lateral margins entirely beaded; posterior angles nearly rectangular, apex rounded; median line shallow but distinct; sides of pronotum flattened from above and a little laterally extended near middle, median region elevated. Elytra (Fig. 3 C) wide (EL / EW 1.56–1.68), widest on apical third; with 7–8 parascutellar pores; base strongly narrowed; intervals slightly convex and evenly pubescent; striae discontinuous, interrupted by coarse foveae, the foveae much wider than parascutellar pores, in similar size of interval width; posterior margins truncated, slightly sinuate near outer-apical angles; outer-apical angles obtuse, sutural angles acute angled. Male genitalia (Fig. 5): median lobe of aedeagus relatively stout, gradually attenuate to apex; in lateral view, median lobe widest near base, ventral margin very weakly curved before apical lamella (Fig. 5 A – D), apical lamella slightly thickened apically; median lobe in dorsal view (Fig. 4 B, C), with short (ALL / ALW 0.55–0.61), obtuse and rounded apical lamella; endophallus with a distinct central sclerite, the central sclerite axe-shaped, with well-defined border in ventral view.
Etymology.
This species is named after Mr Mao-Zhou Xu, who collected and donated most of the type specimens.
Distribution.
This species is known from three localities in two provinces of southwestern China: Mount Tiantaishan and Mount Zhougongshan of central Sichuan, and Luowang Township of northeastern Yunnan.
Habitat.
(Fig. 7) All specimens were collected on low vegetation under latifoliate forest at night.
description: Published as part of Chen, Jia-Heng, Shi, Hong-Liang & Liang, Hong-Bin, 2025, Revision of the Chinese endemic genus Megadrypta Sciaky & Anichtchenko, 2020 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Dryptini), with description of a new species, pp. 183-193 in ZooKeys 1226 on pages 183-193, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1226.142678