Rhagonycha ocula 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 ocula

description: Rhagonycha (s.str.) ocula Y. Yang, Xiao & Liu, sp. nov.
(Figs 23D, 24D, 25C‒D, 26D‒F, 38)
Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ (MHBU), CHINA, Yunnan: Suijiang, Luohanping, 23.VII.2017, leg. P. Wang & G. Wang. PARATYPES: CHINA, Yunnan: 4♀♀ (MHBU), same data as holotype; Chongqing: 1♂, 1♀ (MHBU), Nanchuan, Jinfo Shan, 24.–28.VII.2003, leg. C. X. Yuan & Y. S. Liu.
Differential diagnosis. It looks like Rh. bimucronata in the body coloration, but is evidently different from the latter in the aedeagus: ventral process of each paramere strongly bent to each other in ventral view, while nearly straight in the latter (Fig. 11A); conjoint dorsal plate of parameres with lateral margins nearly parallel, apical margin shallowly emarginate in middle, latero-apical angles rounded at apices in dorsal view, while lateral margins feebly diverging posteriorly, apical margin deeply emargination in middle, latero-apical angles acute in the latter (Fig. 11B).
Description. Body length: 5.7‒7.3 mm (5.7 mm in holotype); width: 1.5‒1.8 mm (1.5 mm in holotype).
Male (Fig. 25C). Coloration. Body yellow except for the following parts: antennae black except antennomeres Ⅰ yellowish orange, elytra pale yellow, almost transparent and feebly darkened at apices. Surface sparsely and finely yellow pubescent, anterior margin of clypeus fringed with pale bristles.
Head rounded, surface densely and finely punctate; eyes strongly protruding, head width across eyes as wide as 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 1.8 times as long as wide at apices, III about 2.4 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 nearly parallel-sided, about 2.9 times as long as humeral width, 3.5 times longer than pronotum, surface finely rugulose-lacunose, almost lustrous at basal parts.
Aedeagus moderately swollen laterally near middle (Fig. 26D, E); ventral processes of parameres abruptly thinned apically near bases, slender and thinned near apices, strongly bent to each other in ventral view (Fig. 26D), and moderately bent ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 26F); conjoint dorsal plate longer than ventral processes (Fig. 26F), with apical margin shallowly and triangularly emarginate in middle, lateral margins nearly parallel-sided, latero-apical angels rounded in dorsal view (Fig. 26E), feebly bent ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 26F); emargination between ventral process and conjoint dorsal plate about 2/5 length of aedeagus (Fig. 26F).
Female (Fig. 25D). Similar to male, but with larger and stouter body, eyes less protruding, head width across eyes 1.1 times as wide as anterior margin of pronotum, antennae thinner and shorter, 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 3.0 times as long as humeral width.
Internal organ of reproductive system (Fig. 23D): vagina stout and abruptly thinned at ventroapical portion into a very long and thin tube, where diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising separately; diverticulum moderately long and spiral, evenly thin along the whole length; spermathecal duct very short and about 1/6 length of apical tube of vagina; spermatheca provided with a spiral tube, progressively thinned apically and shorter than diverticulum; accessory gland extremely long, about four times longer than spermatheca.
Abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 24D) moderately narrowed posteriorly, widely rounded at latero-apical angles, and feebly bisinuate at posterior margin.
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin oculus (eye), referring to its strongly prominent eyes.
Distribution (Fig. 38). China (Yunnan, Chongqing).
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 43-47, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5534.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14023514