Neoserica minshia sp. nov.

Type material examined.

• Holotype ♂ “ MYANMAR: Danashan 2800 m, Minshia vi- 2004 leg. Yin et al. / PHIL # 11-2004: 4 / 1335 Sericini Asia spec. ” (ZFMK).

Diagnosis.

Neoserica minshia sp. nov. is in shape of aedeagus rather similar to N. myanmarensis Ahrens, 2023. Neoserica minshia sp. nov. differs from N. myanmarensis by the shorter and straight ventral process of the phallobase, which is at apex convexly rounded rather than sharply pointed (as in N. myanmarensis), and by the left paramere, which is apically more enlarged and at the distal margin deeply emarginate in Neoserica minshia sp. nov. Both species differ from the other taxa of the N. vulpes group by the dense, erect dorsal pilosity.

Description of holotype.

Length: 8.8 mm, length of elytra: 6.0 mm, width: 4.9 mm. Body oblong, dark brown, ventral surface and antenna yellow, dorsal surface dull and with dense, short and long, erect setae.

Labroclypeus subtrapezoidal, widest at base, shiny, lateral margins weakly convex and convergent to moderately rounded anterior angles, lateral border and ocular canthus producing a blunt angle, margins weakly reflexed, anterior margin deeply emarginated medially; surface convex and moderately shiny, finely and sparsely punctate, with numerous long, erect setae in coarser punctures; frontoclypeal suture feebly incised and medially curved; smooth area in front of eye approximately as wide as long; ocular canthus moderately long and slender, finely and sparsely punctate, with a fine terminal seta. Frons dull, with fine and moderately dense and coarse punctures and with numerous, long, erect setae. Eyes small, ratio of diameter / interocular width: 0.53. Antenna with ten antennomeres; club with four antennomeres, nearly 1.2 times as long as remaining antennomeres combined. Mentum convexly elevated anteriorly.

Pronotum moderately wide, widest at base, lateral margins in basal half subparallel and almost straight, in anterior half evenly curved and narrowed anteriorly, anterior angles distinctly produced and sharp, posterior angles blunt and slightly rounded at tip; anterior margin convexly produced medially, broad marginal line widely missing; basal margin without marginal line; surface with dense and coarse punctures, with very short and fine setae and dense, long, erect setae; anterior and lateral borders densely setose; hypomeron distinctly carinate at base. Scutellum narrow and long, sharp at apex, with coarse and dense punctures, with short setae and a few longer ones.

Elytra oblong-oval, widest at posterior third, striae distinctly impressed, finely and densely punctate, intervals weakly convex and densely punctate, with small and larger punctures and numerous fine adpressed as well as long erect setae, small punctures with minute setae; epipleural edge robust, ending at strongly curved external apical angle of elytra, epipleura densely setose, apical border narrowly membranous, with short microtrichomes (100 x magnification).

Ventral surface dull, with large and dense punctures, sparsely and shortly setose, setae partly adpressed; metacoxa with minute setae in punctures and fine setae laterally, apical margin straight; each abdominal sternite with a distinct transversal row of coarse punctures each bearing a short seta between fine and moderately dense punctation, the punctures of the latter with minute setae. Mesoventrite between mesocoxae nearly half as wide as mesofemur, with irregularly scattered, fine setae. Ratio of length of metepisternum / metacoxa: 1 / 1.55. Pygidium strongly convex, finely and densely punctate, without smooth midline, with moderately dense, short and long setae on apical half.

Legs slender; femora with two longitudinal rows of setae, finely and moderately densely punctate; metafemur ventrally dull, anterior margin sharply carinate, without a submarginal serrated line, posterior margin moderately convex, with a few strong setae medially, only weakly widened externally in apical half and not serrated ventrally in distal half, finely serrated dorsally, with dense, short setae. Metatibia slender and long, widest at apex, ratio width / length: 1 / 3.8, dorsal margin sharply carinate, with two groups of spines, basal group of spines shortly before half of metatibial length, apical one at about three quarters of metatibial length, basally with a few single, fine spines; external face longitudinally convex, with fine, sparse punctures, sparsely minutely setose; ventral margin finely serrated, with four fine, equidistant spines; medial face impunctate, apex concavely truncate interiorly near tarsal articulation. Tarsomeres dorsally impunctate, with sparse, short setae ventrally; metatarsomeres glabrous dorsally, with a strongly serrated ridge ventrally, and with a fine longitudinal carina immediately beside it; first metatarsomere as long as following two tarsomeres combined and distinctly longer than dorsal tibial spur. Protibia long, bidentate, protarsal claws symmetrical, basal tooth of inner protarsal claw bluntly truncate apically.

Aedeagus: Fig. 3 A – D. Habitus: Fig. 3 E, F. Female unknown.

Etymology.

The new species is named after its type locality, Minshia (noun in apposition).

Remarks.

The type locality could not be localized.