Rhagonycha trimacula 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 trimacula

description: Rhagonycha (s.str.) trimacula Y. Yang, Liu & X. Yang, sp. nov.
(Figs 17D, 18D, 19C‒D, 20D‒F, 37)
Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ (IZAS), CHINA, Sichuan: Gonggashan, Yanzigou, 2300 m, 11.VI.1983, leg. S.Y. Wang. PARATYPES: CHINA, Sichuan: 1♀ (IZAS), same data as holotype; 1♀ (IZAS), same locality and collector as the preceding, 6.VI.1983; 2♂♂, 2♀♀ (IZAS), Kangding, 2300 m, 22.VI.1983, leg. S.Y. Wang; 1♀ (IZAS), Kangding, Huangjiagou, 4.VIII.2004, leg. Y. Zhang; 1♀ (IZAS), Luding, Xinxing, Yanzigou, 1560 m, 7.VIII.2004, leg. Y. Zhang; 1♂, 1♀ (IZAS), Luding, Xinxing, 19.VI.1983; leg. S.Y. Wang; 2♀♀ (IZAS), Hailuogou Protection Station, 16.V.2009, leg. H.B. Liang; 1♀ (IZAS), Emeishan, 2100 m, 23.VI.1955, leg. K.R. Huang & Y.T. Jin.
Differential diagnosis. It resembles Rh. flavimima sp. nov. in the general appearance, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: femora uniformly black, while bicolored in Rh. flavimima sp. nov.; pronotum with three black markings on disc, while only with a black longitudinal median band in Rh. flavimima sp. nov. (Fig. 19A, B); aedeagus: ventral process of each paramere bent ventrally and shorter than conjoint dorsal plate in lateral view, while bent dorsally and longer in Rh. flavimima sp. nov. (Fig. 20C); conjoint dorsal plate of parameres with lateral margins feebly converging apically, while diverging apically in Rh. flavimima sp. nov. (Fig. 20B).
Description. Body length: 6.8‒7.9 mm (6.9 mm in holotype); width: 1.6‒2.8 mm (1.7 mm in holotype).
Male (Fig. 19C). Coloration. Body black except for the following parts: head yellowish orange except black at vertex, elytra pale yellow, each elytron with a moderately wide longitudinal median black band that extending behind humerus to apex and narrower in the anterior part than the posterior part; trochanters yellowish orange; pronotum yellowish orange, with a large black marking in center and a pair of small black markings on both sides of disc. 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 long-triangular, widest in middle; antennae filiform, extending to apical third length of elytra when reclined, antennomeres II shortest, about 2.7 times as long as wide at apices, III about 1.7 times longer than II, VII longest, XI feebly longer than X and pointed at apices.
Pronotum subquadrate, about 0.9 times as long as wide, 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 sparsely punctate.
Elytra with lateral margins feebly diverging posteriorly, about 3.6 times as long as humeral width, 4.9 times longer than pronotum, surface finely rugulose-lacunose, almost lustrous at basal parts.
Aedeagus moderately swollen laterally near middle (Fig. 20D, E); ventral processes of parameres abruptly and strongly thinned apically near bases, feebly widened and rounded at apices, bent to each other in ventral view (Fig. 20D), moderately wide and bent ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 20F); conjoint dorsal plate of parameres longer than ventral processes, with apical margin roundly and deeply emarginate in middle, lateral margins feebly converging apically, latero-apical angles feebly widened and bent to each other in dorsal view (Fig. 20E), acute at apices and moderately inclined ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 20F); emargination between ventral process and conjoint dorsal plate about 2/5 length of aedeagus (Fig. 20F).
Female (Fig. 19D). Similar to male, but with larger and stouter body, antennae shorter, extending to elytral mid-length when reclined, eyes less protruding and head width across eyes about as wide as anterior margin of pronotum, pronotum wider and about 1.2 times as wide as long, anterior margin less arcuate, disc feebly convex on posterolateral parts, elytra about 3.5 times as long as humeral width, with lateral margins moderately diverging posteriorly.
Internal organ of reproductive system (Fig. 17D): vagina stout and abruptly thinned at ventroapical portion into a short and thin tube, where diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising separately; diverticulum long and spiral, evenly thin along the whole length; spermathecal duct short and about 1/3 length of apical tube of vagina; spermatheca provided with a spiral tube, progressively tinned apically and nearly as long as diverticulum; accessory gland long, almost twice longer than spermatheca.
Abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 18D) moderately narrowed posteriorly, widely rounded at latero-apical angles, and trapezodinally protuberant in middle of posterior margin.
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin tres (three) and macula (spot), referring to its pronotum with three black markings.
Distribution (Fig. 37). China (Sichuan).
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 34-36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5534.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14023514