Rhagonycha curtiapicis Y. Yang, Xiao & Liu 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 curtiapicis

description: Rhagonycha (s.str.) curtiapicis Y. Yang, Xiao & Liu, sp. nov.
(Figs 21A‒B, 22A‒C, 23A, 24A, 39)
Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ (MHBU), CHINA, Yunnan: Malipo, Ganbazi, 7.VI.2015, leg. L.M. Li. PARATYPES: CHINA, Yunnan: 3♀♀ (MHBU), same data as holotype.
Differential diagnosis. It is the most similar to Rh. tibetana in the overall shape of aedeagus, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: pro- and mesofemora bicolored, while uniformly black in Rh. tibetana; each elytron with a wide longitudinal black band, while uniformly black in Rh. tibetana (Fig. 6B); aedeagus: conjoint dorsal plate of parameres distinctly longer than ventral processes and strongly bent ventrally in lateral view, with lateral margins diverging apically in dorsal view, while conjoint dorsal plate feebly shorter than ventral processes and feebly bent ventrally (Fig. 5I), with lateral margins converging apically in Rh. tibetana (Fig. 5H).
Description. Body length: 7.6‒8.0 mm (7.7 mm in holotype); width: 1.8‒1.9 mm (1.8 mm in holotype).
Male (Fig. 21A). Coloration. Body black except for the following parts: head and pronotum yellowish orange, pro- and mesofemora yellowish orange and black along dorsal sides, coxae and trochanters yellowish orange; elytra pale yellow, each elytron with a evenly wide longitudinal median black band that extending from humerus to apex. Surface sparsely and finely yellow pubescent, anterior margin of clypeus fringed with pale bristles.
Head subtriangular, 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 2.7 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 transverse, about 1.2 times 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 with lateral margins feebly diverging posteriorly, about 3.4 times as long as humeral width, 4.5 times longer than pronotum, surface finely rugulose-lacunose, almost lustrous at basal parts.
Aedeagus moderately swollen laterally near middle (Fig. 22A, B); ventral processes of parameres abruptly thinned apically near bases, triangularly widened at apices, directing to each other in ventral view (Fig. 22A), moderately wide and feebly inclined ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 22A); conjoint dorsal plate of parameres obviously longer than ventral processes (Fig. 22A, C), with apical margin roundly and deeply emarginate in middle, lateral margins distinctly diverging apically in dorsal view (Fig. 22B), latero-apical angles acute, strongly bent ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 22C); emargination between ventral process and conjoint dorsal plate about 2/5 length of aedeagus (Fig. 22C).
Female (Fig. 21B). Similar to male, but with larger and stouter body, eyes less protruding, head width across eyes 0.9 times as wide as anterior margin of pronotum, antennae shorter and extending to apical third length of elytra when reclined, pronotum wider and about 1.2 times as wide as long, anterior margin less arcuate, disc feebly convex on posterolateral parts, elytra about 3.3 times as long as humeral width, with lateral margins moderately diverging posteriorly.
Internal organ of reproductive system (Fig. 23A): vagina stout and abruptly thinned at ventroapical portion into a long and thin tube, where diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising separately; diverticulum long and spiral, almost evenly thin along the whole length; spermathecal duct very short and about 1/8 length of apical tube of vagina; spermatheca provided with a spiral tube, progressively thinned apically and longer than diverticulum; accessory gland long, almost twice longer than spermatheca.
Abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 24A) moderately narrowed posteriorly, widely rounded at latero-apical angles, and trapezodinally protuberant in middle of posterior margin, with the middle protuberance feebly emarginate at apex.
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin curvus (curved) and apices (tip), referring to its conjoint dorsal plate bent ventrally.
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 page 37, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5534.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14023514