Lycocerus sipekorum Švihla, 2011, sp. nov.

Lycocerus sipekorum sp. nov.

Figs. 6, 41–43.

Type locality. India, Arunachal Pradesh state, 0.3 km SSE of Dirang, 27°20ˏ32˝ N 92°16ˏ 17˝E, 1550 m a.s.l.

Type material. Holotype (NMPC), male, “ INDIA, Arunachal Pradesh, 0.3 km SSE of Dirang, 27°20ˏ32˝ N 92°16ˏ 17˝E, 1550 m, 27.iv.–1.v.2008, H. Podskalská & P. Šípek lgt. [white label, printed]”. Paratypes (BMNH): “NE INDIA, ARUNACHAL PR., DIRANG vicinity, 1800± 100m, 27º21´N 92º13´E, 8.–22.v.2006, P. Pacholátko leg. / L. Dembický & P. Pacholátko, BMNH (E) 2006-48 ”, 4 males 2 females; “NE INDIA, ARUNACHAL PR., DIRANG vicinity, 1800± 100m, 27º21´N 92º13´E, 8.–22.v.2006, L. Dembický leg. 8.–22.v.2006 BMNH 2006-48 ”, 2 females.

Description. Coloration (Fig. 6). Almost entirely black, mandibles and claws chestnut brown, abdomen yellow with apical half of last segment black.

Male. Eyes comparatively small but protruding, head across eyes by almost one third wider than pronotum, sides of head behind eyes moderately convex, converging posteriorly. Antennae reaching ca three quarters of elytral length, filiform, antennomeres 4–10 with small, oval, almost invisible impression. Surface of head very finely imbricate-punctate, with fine, short, semirecumbent brown pubescence on vertex and with longer, whitish semirecumbent pubescence before eyes, matt. Pronotum moderately longer than wide, anterior margin straight in middle, oblique before rounded anterior corners, lateral margins very slightly diverging posteriorly, nearly parallel, slightly sinuate, posterior corners obtuse, slightly rounded, posterior margin widely convex. Surface of pronotum very finely imbricate-punctate, with shorter, semirecumbent brown pubescence in middle portion and longer whitish one laterally, matt. Claws simple. Elytra moderately but distinctly stenopterous from ca one third of their length. Surface of elytra very finely coriarious-punctate, with fine, sparse, semirecumbent brown pubescence, matt, velvety, elytral venation moderately developed, slightly costate. Aedeagus as in Figs. 41–43.

Female unknown.

Length (male). 8.1 mm.

Differential diagnosis. Lycocerus sipekorum sp. nov. is very similar to Lycocerus bisbicostatus (Pic, 1924) (Sikkim, Darjeeling distr., Assam, Bhutan) in its body form, coloration and aedeagus, but it differs by its simple claws. It may in future be relegated to a subspecies of the latter.

Etymology. Patronymic, dedicated to its collectors Hana Šípková (maiden name Podskalská) and Petr Šípek (Praha, Czech Republic).

Distribution. India: Arunachal Pradesh state.