Rhagonycha tibetanimima Y. Yang, Liu & X. Yang 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 tibetanimima

description: Rhagonycha (s.str.) tibetanimima Y. Yang, Liu & X. Yang, sp. nov.
(Figs 27C‒D, 28D‒F, 29B, 30B, 39)
Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ (IZAS), CHINA, Yunnan: Lushui, Pianma, 2100 m, 29.Ⅴ.1981, leg. X.Z. Zhang. PARATYPES: CHINA, Yunnan: 2♀♀ (IZAS), Yunlong, Zhibenshan, 2430 m, 20.Ⅴ I.1981, leg. S.Y. Wang; 1♂ (IZAS), Lushui, Pianma, 2300 m, 28.Ⅴ.1981, leg. S.Y. Wang; 2♀♀ (IZAS), same data as the preceding, 29.Ⅴ.1981; 1♂, 1♀ (IZAS), same data as the preceding, leg. X.Z. Zhang; 1♂ (CAS), Tengchong, Jietoutown, Dantang, Dahelingganjiao, 27.73939° N, 98.69633° E, 2010 m, 17.Ⅴ.2006, Sino-Amer Exped, leg. H.B. Liang.
Differential diagnosis. It looks similar to Rh. tibetana in the body coloration, but can be distinguished from the latter by the aedeagus: conjoint dorsal plate of parameres with lateral margins distinctly diverging apically in dorsal view, while feebly converging in Rh. tibetana (Fig. 5H); ventral process of each paramere triangularly expanded at apices in ventral view, shorter than conjoint dorsal plate in lateral view, while roundly expaned at apices (Fig. 5G), longer than conjoint dorsal plate (Fig. 5I); female reproductive system: spermatheca nearly as long as diverticulum, while longer in Rh. tibetana (Fig. 7B).
Description. Body length: 7.5‒8.4 mm (7.5 mm in holotype); width: 1.9‒2.3 mm (1.9 mm in holotype).
Male. (Fig. 27C). Coloration. Body balck except for head and pronotum yellowish orange. 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 2.4 times as long as wide at apices, III about 2.5 times longer than II, VII longest, XI feebly longer than X and pointed at apices.
Pronotum subquadrate, about as wide as long, anterior margin rounded, anterior angles subrounded, lateral margins feebly diverging posteriorly, posterior margin nearly straight, posterior angles sub-rectangular, disc strongly convex on posterolateral parts, surface finely and densely punctate.
Elytra nearly parallel-sided, about 3.5 times as long as humeral width, 5.0 times longer than pronotum, surface finely rugulose-lacunose, almost lustrous at basal parts.
Aedeagus strongly swollen laterally in middle (Fig. 28D); ventral processes of parameres abruptly thinned apically near bases, widened and acute at apices, directing to each other in ventral view (Fig. 28D), and almost straight in lateral view (Fig. 28F), with apices widened and wide-traigular shaped; conjoint dorsal plate of parameres longer than ventral processes (Fig. 28D, F), with apical margin moderately deeply and roundly emarginate in middle, lateral margins distinctly diverging apically in dorsal view (Fig. 28E), latero-apical angles acute, feebly bent ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 28F); emargination between ventral process and conjoint dorsal plate about 1/3 length of aedeagus (Fig. 28F).
Female. (Fig. 27D). 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 1.1 times as wide as long, anterior margin less arcuate, disc feebly convex on posterolateral parts, elytra yellowish brown at humeri and progressively darkened apically, about 3.3 times as long as humeral width, with lateral margins moderately diverging posteriorly.
Internal organ of reproductive system (Fig. 29B): vagina stout and abruptly thinned at ventroapical portion into a long and feebly stout tube, where diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising separately; diverticulum long and spiral, evenly thin along the whole length; spermathecal duct short and about 1/8 length of apical tube of vagina; spermatheca provided with a spiral tube, progressively thinned apically and nearly as long as diverticulum; accessory gland extremely long, about four times longer than spermatheca.
Abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 30B) moderately narrowed posteriorly, widely rounded at latero-apical angles, and trapezodianlly protuberant in middle of posterior margin.
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin mimus (imitator), referring to its similarity to Rh. tibetana.
Distribution (Fig. 39). 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 49-50, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5534.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14023514