Chinecallicerus orbiculatus Assing 2018, nov.sp.
Creators: name: Assing, Volker
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Chinecallicerus
Chinecallicerus orbiculatus

description: Chinecallicerus orbiculatus nov.sp. (Figs 7-12, Map 1)
T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype ♀ [slightly teneral]: "P. R. CHINA, Sichuan, NE slope Gongga Shan, N29°50'50'' E102°02'28'', 18.iv.2011, 3170 m, sift21, V. Grebennikov / Holotypus ♀ Chinecallicerus orbiculatus sp. n., det. V. Assing 2018" (CAS).
E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective) alludes to the orbicular shape of the head.
D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 6.6 mm; length of forebody 2.6 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 7. Coloration (note that the holotype is slightly teneral): head dark-brown; pronotum reddish-brown; elytra dark-yellowish; abdomen dark-yellowish with the antero-median portions of tergites III-V, most of tergite VI, and the anterior half of tergite VII somewhat infuscate; legs and maxillary palpi yellow; antennae yellowish-brown.
Head (Figs 8-9) of conspicúously orbicular shape, 1.05 times as long as broad; lateral margins behind eyes smoothly convex in dorsal view, i.e., posterior angles completely obsolete; punctation dense and very fine; interstices with shallow microreticulation. Eyes flat, not protruding from lateral contours of head, and very small, less than one-third as long as distance from posterior margin of eye to posterior constriction of head in dorsal view. Antenna (Fig. 10) long and slender, 2.4 mm long; antennomeres IV-X all longer than broad.
Pronotum (Fig. 8) as long as broad and 1.17 times as broad as head, broadest in anterior half, in postero-median portion somewhat impressed; punctation dense and fine, though somewhat more distinct than that of head; microsculpture nearly obsolete, barely visible even at a magnification of 100 x.
Elytra (Fig. 8) rather short, 0.75 times as long as pronotum; punctation dense, fine, and defined; microsculpture very shallow, visible only at high magnification. Hind wings not examined, probably reduced.
Abdomen (Fig. 9) noticeably broader than elytra; tergites with very shallow anterior impressions; tergite IV without anterior impression; punctation fine, dense on anterior tergites, decreasing in density towards apex of abdomen, rather sparse on tergite VII; interstices with very shallow and fine transverse microsculpture visible only at high magnification (100 x); posterior margin of tergite VII with very narrow rudiment of a palisade fringe.
♂: unknown.
♀: posterior margin of tergite VIII smoothly convex; sternite VIII distinctly concave in the middle; spermatheca shaped as in Fig. 12.
C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: This species is distinguished from all its congeners by numerous characters, particulary its orbicular head, small and flat eyes, shorter elytra, a rudimentary palisade fringe at the posterior margin of tergite VII, and the shape of the spermatheca. It additionally differs from most species of the genus by more slender antennae, paler coloration, and a more glossy forebody.
D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: The type locality is situated in the Gongga Shan, Sichuan (Map 1). The holotype was sifted at an altitude of 3170 m. The reduced palisade fringe at the posterior margin of tergite VII and the reduced eye size suggest that the species is incapable of flight.
Chinecallicerus granulosissimus nov.sp. (Figs 13-15, 17-19, 24-25, Map 1)
T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype ♀ [both antennae missing]: " CHINA: Qinghai province, Yunning Si (lamasery), 2890 m, 36°45.6N, 102°10.6'E (GPS), 1.-2.VII.2005, J. Hájek, D. Král & J. Růžička leg. / [Ch 10], individually under stones, under excrements and on vegetation on the pasture and along the path to a village / Holotypus ♀ Chinecallicerus granulosissimus sp.n., det. V. Assing 2018" (NMP).
E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is the superlative of the Latin adjective granulosus. It alludes to the conspicuously dense granulose punctation of the head and pronotum.
D e s c r i p t i o n: Largest species of the genus; body length 6.8 mm; length of forebody 3.2 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 17. Coloration: head and pronotum blackish; elytra pitchy-reddish with the vicinity of the scutellum and the anterior margins diffusely darker; abdomen blackish with the posterior margins of the segments rather broadly reddish; legs pale reddish-brown.
Head (Figs 18, 24) slender, oblong, 1.05 times as long as broad, and of subtrapezoid shape, broadest across eyes; lateral margins behind eyes converging posteriad and nearly straight; punctation very densely granulose, along middle of dorsal surface with a glossy, nearly impunctate band with shallow microreticulation. Eyes strongly convex, approximately 0.7 times as long as distance from posterior margin of eye to posterior constriction of head in dorsal view.
Pronotum (Figs 18, 25) as long as broad and 1.37 times as broad as head; punctation densely granulose; surface practically matt.
Elytra (Fig. 18) approximately 0.9 times as long as pronotum; punctation extremely dense, ill-defined (confluent), and somewhat rugose; surface matt. Hind wings probably fully developed (not examined).
Abdomen (Fig. 19) narrower than elytra; tergites III-V with moderately deep anterior impressions anteriorly, punctation rather coarse, conspicuously dense on anterior tergites, decreasing in density towards apex of abdomen, rather sparse on tergite VII; interstices with very shallow microreticulation visible only at high magnification (100 x); posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.
♂: unknown.
♀: posterior margin of tergite VIII obtusely pointed in the middle; sternite VIII weakly concave in the middle; spermatheca shaped as in Fig. 15.
C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: This species is distinguished from all its congeners by its large size in combination with the dense granulose punctation of the head and pronotum alone. In addition, it is characterized by the shape of the head, dense and coarse punctation of the anterior portion of the abdomen, and by the shape of the spermatheca.
D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: The type locality is situated in the extreme east of Qinghai province (China), not far from the border with Gansu (Map 1). The holotype was found at an altitude of 2890 m, probably under a stone.
description: Published as part of Assing, Volker, 2018, Six new species of Chinecallicerus from China, with a new synonymy (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Geostibini), pp. 47-63 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1) on pages 57-59, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3985251