Rhagonycha similis 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 similis

description: Rhagonycha (s.str.) similis Y. Yang, Liu & X. Yang, sp. nov.
(Figs 21C‒D, 22D‒F, 23B, 24B, 37)
Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ (IZAS), CHINA, Yunnan: Lushui, Yaojiaping, 2500 m, 4.VI.1981, leg. S.B. Liao. PARATYPES: CHINA, Yunnan: 1♀ (IZAS), same data as holotype; 6♂♂, 5♀♀ (MHBU), Lusaihe, 30.VI.2019, leg. Y.D. Chen & Q.L. Lei.
Differential diagnosis. It looks similar to Rh. limbatella in the general appearance, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by the following characters: tibiae and tarsi orange, while black in Rh. limbatella (Fig. 1D); aedeagus: conjoint dorsal plate of parameres with lateral margins nearly parallel, and apical margin obviously emarginate in middle, while lateral margins diverging apically, and apical margin hardly emarginate in middle in Rh. limbatella (Fig. 5B); female internal genitalia: spermatheca about as long as diverticulum, while longer in Rh. limbatella; accessory gland almost five times longer than spermatheca, while only twice longer in Rh. limbatella (Fig. 3D).
Description. Body length: 7.1‒8.1 mm (7.1 mm in holotype); width: 1.8‒2.0 mm (1.8 mm in holotype).
Male (Fig. 21C). Coloration. Body yellowish orange except for the following parts: pronotum with a small black marking in center of disc; antennae black, elytra pale yellow, each elytron with an 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 rounded, surface densely and finely punctate; eyes moderately protruding, head width across eyes about 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 1.7 times as long as wide at apices, III about 2.3 times longer than II, VII longest, XI feebly longer than X and pointed at apices.
Pronotum transverse, about 1.3 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 nearly parallel, about 3.3 times as long as humeral width, 4.5 times longer than pronotum, surface finely rugulose-lacunose, almost lustrous at basal parts.
Aedeagus feebly swollen laterally near middle (Fig. 22D); ventral processes of parameres abruptly thinned apically near bases, slender and even in width, rounded at apices, bent to each other in ventral view (Fig. 22D), and almost straight in lateral view (Fig. 22F); conjoint dorsal plate of parameres nearly as long as ventral processes (Fig. 22E, F), with apical margin roundly and shallowly emarginate in middle, lateral margins nearly parallel-side, latero-apical angles rounded in dorsal view (Fig. 22E), and nearly straight in lateral view (Fig. 22F); emargination between ventral process and conjoint dorsal plate about 1/3 length of aedeagus (Fig. 22F).
Female (Fig. 21D). Similar to male, but with larger and stouter body, antennae thinner and shorter, extending to apical third length of elytra when reclined, head width across eyes 0.9 times 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 3.2 times as long as humeral width.
Internal organ of reproductive system (Fig. 23B): vagina stout and abruptly thinned at ventroapical portion into a 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 1/8 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 five times longer than spermatheca.
Abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 24B) moderately narrowed posteriorly, widely rounded at latero-apical angles, and arcuately emarginate on both sides of posterior margin, with the portion between lateral emarginations truncate at apex and feebly extending over apices of latero-apical angles.
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin similis (resemble), referring to its similarity to Rh. limbatella in appearance.
Distribution (Fig. 37). 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 40, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5534.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14023514