Pselaphodes dayaoensis Yin & Li, new species

Pselaphodes dayaoensis Yin & Li, new species

(Figs. 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28)

Type material (6 3, 7 ♀♀). Holotype: 3, labeled ‘ CHINA: Guangxi Province / Jinxiu County / Dayaoshan Mt., 7 km / 21.vii.2011, 1,200–1,400 m / J. Y. Hu & Z. W. Yin leg.’. Paratypes: 3 3, 3 ♀♀, same label data as holotype; 2 ♀♀, same label data, except ‘ 23.vii.2011, 1,200 m / Z. Peng & J. Q. Zhu leg’; 1 ♀, same label data, except ‘ 22.vii.2011 / Zhong Peng leg.’; 1 ♀, same label data, except ‘ 29.vii.2011 / J. Y. Hu & Z. W. Yin leg.’; 2 ♀♀, same label data, except ’ 27.vii.2011 / Jia-Yao Hu leg.’.

Diagnosis. Body reddish-brown, medium-sized; postocular margins angularly expanded laterally; antennomeres X–XI strongly modified; pronotum with rounded lateral margins; short metaventral processes (in lateral view); protibiae with large apical spine; aedeagus with asymmetric median lobe.

Description. Male (Fig. 1). Length 2.59–2.77 mm. Head as long as wide, HL 0.59–0.60 mm, HW 0.57–0.58 mm; genae setose, angularly expanded laterally; eyes large, each composed of about 35 facets. Antennae with scapus longest, antennomeres II–III elongate and subequal in length, IV–VIII short and similar in shape, IX–XI clubbed, each enlarged (Figs. 1, 4).

Pronotum (Fig. 7) about as long as wide, PL 0.57–0.59 mm, PW 0.58–0.60 mm, with lateral margins rounded. Elytra wider than long, EL 0.72–0.77 mm, EW 0.97–1.00 mm. Metaventral horn-like processes short (Fig. 10). Legs having protibiae with large spine at mesoapical margins (Fig. 13); protrochanters with single small spine; profemora with moderately large spine (Fig. 16); mesotrochanters only slightly projecting (Fig. 19).

Abdomen large, AL 0.71–0.81 mm, AW 0.97–1.03 mm. Sternite IX as in Fig. 22. Aedeagus with median lobe asymmetric (Figs. 25, 28), 0.60 mm long.

Female. Similar to male in size; BL 2.41–2.57 mm, HL 0.55–0.57 mm, HW 0.53–0.55 mm, PL 0.54–0.55 mm, PW 0.57–0.59 mm, EL 0.68–0.69 mm, EW 0.98–1.03 mm, AL 0.64–0.76 mm, AW 1.01–1.02 mm. Eyes each composed of about 30 facets. Head with genae simple; protibiae not spinose; metaventral horn-like processes absent.

Habitat. Individuals were sifted from the leaf litter of a mixed coniferous broad-leaved forest.

Distribution. South China: Guangxi

Comparative notes. The new species is placed close to P. fengtingae Yin et al., 2011, P. parvus Yin et al., 2011, and P. maoershanus sp. n. described below by a similar, medium body size and a similar form of the aedeagus. Pselaphodes dayaoensis is distinct in having the strongly modified antennomeres X–XI, and can be readily separated by the genae being angularly expanded laterally, the protibiae each with a large mesoapical spine and the mesotrochanters being only slightly protuberant in the male. Males of all the other three species share weak and unmodified antennal clubs, simple genae and mesotrochanters with two (P. maoershanus) or three (P. fengtingae, P. parvus) spines. Pselaphodes maoershanus has the mesotibiae with a small apical spine, while P. fengtingae has a preapical protuberance on the protibiae, and P. parvus lacks any spine or protuberance at those places.

Etymology. The new species is named after its type locality, Dayao Mountain.