Melandrya (Apteromelandrya) minshanensis

ABSTRACT: From China (Sichuan) very original	Melandrya (Apteromelandrya) minshanensis sp.n.
species Melandrya (Apteromelandrya) minshanensis	Fig. 1.
sp.n. is described and a new monotypic subgenus is	TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype, male with two labels: 1) red:
established for this new species.	"Holotypus [printed] Melandrya minshanensis Gusakov [hand
	written by the author]"; 2) white, printed: "China, N Sichuan,
РЕЗЮМЕ: Из Китая (Сычуань) описыввается	Min-Shan Mts., pass between of Nanping and Pingwu, 3500 m,
очень своеобразный Melandrya (Apteromelandrya)	in soil trap, 1-6 VII 2004, V. Patrikeev". Paratypes: 9 males and
minshanensis sp.n., для которого устанавливается	1 female collected at the same locality as holotype; 8 males and 2 females,
новый монотипический подрод.	"China, N Sichuan, Min-Shan Mts., pass between of Nanping
	and Pingwu, 3500 m, in soil trap, 1-10 VII 2005, A. Gorodinski".
	The holotype are deposited in the collection of Zoological
	Museum, Moscow State University.
V. Patrikeev and A. Gorodinski collected in the	DESCRIPTION. Holotype (Fig. 1). Male.Body relative-
alpine zone of the Sichuan province of China a hitherto	ly narrow, elongate and somewhat flat, mostly piceous, mode-
unknown species of false darkling beetles (Coleoptera,	rately shiny; elytra with vague bronze-violet metallic sheen;
Melandryidae) from the genus Melandrya Fabricius,	legs, mouthparts, and antennae reddish brown. Entire body
1801. The new species proved to be so peculiar that it	covered by numerous very short and fine (and thus inconspi-
has to be attributed to a distinct monotypic subgenus.	cuous) recumbent and semirecumbent golden yellow setae.
	Body length, measured from apices of mandibles to posterior
	margin of pygidium, - 11.1 mm; maximum width (appro-
Subgenus Apteromelandrya subgen.n.	ximately at the middle of elytra) --3.2 mm.
Type species: Melandrya minshanensis sp.n.	Head small, 2/3 as wide as pronotum, dorsally microre-
	ticulate, matt, with sparsely and shallowly punctate surface.
DIAGNOSIS. Body relatively narrow. Eye with	Suture between frons and clypeus very fine, arcuate. Ratio of
margin conspicuously sinuate against the base of an-	width of frons, measured between inner margins of eyes, to
tenna. Antennae narrow, long, reaching far behind the	width of head behind eyes - 0.7. Eyes large, prominent,
base of pronotum. Pronotum weakly transverse, slight-	clearly protruding from cranium, with conspicuously sinuate
ly wider than long, clearly narrowing posteriorly. Mar-	margin against the base of antenna. Labrum strongly trans-
gins of pronotum without beading. Each elytron with 8	verse, deeply sinuate anteriorly. Mandibles robust, shiny,
indistinct ribs, sometimes partly disappearing. Epi-	with apices bicuspid, blackened. Apical segment of maxillary
pleura long, reaching near the apex of elytra. Wings	palpus ax-shaped. Antennae narrow, filiform, with segments
undeveloped, rudimentary. Legs relatively long and	much longer than wide, reaching far behind the base of
slender. Shape of aedeagus typical for species of the	pronotum. Antennomere 1 longer, 1.4 times as long as anten-
genus.	nomere 2. Antennomere 2 the shortest, only 1.7 times as long
	as wide. Antennomere 3 subequal in length to antennomeres
The new subgenus differs from the other subgenera	9 and 10, 1.5 times as long as antennomere 2. Antennomeres
of the genus Melandrya mainly in undeveloped wings,	4 and 5 the longest, almost 2.5 times as long as antennomere
shape of pronotum, and relatively long legs and epipleu-	2 and approximately 3.5 times as long as wide. Antennomeres
ra.	6 and 11 subequal in length, 2.3 times as long as antennomere
	2. Antennomere 7 and 8, accordingly, 2.0 and 1.8 times as
ETYMOLOGY. The name of the new subgenus is	long as antennomere 2. Apical antennomere fusiform.
derived by combining the Latin name Melandrya and	Pronotum weakly transverse, slightly wider than long,
the Greek 'apteron' with reference to the undeveloped	clearly narrowing posteriorly (at anterior margin 1.5 times as
wings.	wide as at base); its margins without beading; posterior
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page 118	A.A. Gusakov

	ly less shiny than surface of pronotum, rather densely and
	finely punctate; punctation sparser apically. Scutellum small,
	approximately 1/20 times as long as elytra.
	Apices of prosternal and mesosternal processes between
	respective coxae short, broadly rounded, not reclining down.
	Metasternum short. Surfaces of pro-, meso- and metasternum
	not coarse, distinctly microreticulate and inconspicuously,
	especially on sides, punctate. Wings undeveloped.
	Legs relatively long and slender. Tarsi longer than tibiae:
	pro- and mesotarsus slightly longer than pro- and mesotibia
	respectively, while metatarsus more considerably longer than
	metatibia (approximately 1.2 times as long). Claws slender,
	simple.
	Surfaces of abdominal sternites delicately microreticu-
	late, in rather numerous small rasp-like punctures, getting
	denser towards apex of abdomen. Posterior margin of pygi-
	dium broadly sinuate.
	In the shape of aedeagus, no specific characters unique to
	this species were detected.
	VARIABLITY. Paratypes. Sculpture of elytra is strongly
	variable; some of the 8 ribs are often indiscernible. A few
	specimens have strongly transparent cuticle; these appear
	more lightly coloured, rather light brown. Relative length of
	antennomeres is rather variable, yet antennomere 4 is invari-
	ably the longest, and antennomere 2 is invariably the shortest.
	Tarsi are usually slightly longer than tibiae; metatarsus is
	often less than 1.2 times as long as metatibia. One of the
	paratypes (male) has protarsi almost imperceptibly shorter
	than protibiae and meso- and metatarsi subequal in length to
	meso- and metatibiae respectively.
	Female distinguished from male by slightly shorter legs
	and antennae; more corpulent abdomen, strongly protruding
	from under elytra; more transverse pronotum, weakly nar
	rowing posteriorly; protarsi almost imperceptibly shorter
	than protibiae as well as meso- and metatarsi slightly longer
	than meso- and metatibia respectively.
	Body length: males - 6.8-9.3 (mean 8.6); females -
	9.5-9.8 (mean 9.6) mm.
	DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. Morphologically, M.
	minshanensis is distinguished from all hitherto known East
	Palaearctic species of the genus [see Nikitsky, 1985, 1992]
	by undeveloped wings; slightly transverse pronotum, con
	spicuously narrowing posteriorly; long epipleura, reaching
	near the apex of elytra, as well as relatively slender and long
	legs and antennae.
Fig. 1. Melandrya (Apteromelandrya) minshanensis sp.n.:	DISTRIBUTION. China, Sichuan province, Min Shan
general view (holotype). Scale: 1 mm.	range, pass between Nanping and Pingwu, ca.
РИС. 1. Melandrya (Apteromelandrya) minshanensis sp.n.:	3,500 m above sea level.
габитус (голотип). Масштаб 1 mm.	ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is derived from the
	name of the type locality.

margin rather sharply sinuate at scutellum. Surface of prono-	ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I thank to K.V. Makarov
tum finely microreticulate, appearing shiny. Punctation of	(Moscow) for his assistance in the preparation of this publi-
pronotum uneven: very fine, almost imperceptible on disc,	cation as well as to A.A. Klimenko (Tver') and A.A. Gorodinski
and rather coarse and dense (but not merging) at posterior	(Moscow) for providing me with the material for this
angles. Medial longitudinal impression on pronotum well-	work.
developed; anterior and posterior angles with very characte-
ristic coarse pit-like impressions. Propleura impunctate, deli-
cately microreticulate.	References
Elytra approximately 2 times as long as wide. Each
elytron with 8 weak longitudinal ribs, discernible mostly	Nikitsky N. B. 1985. [Melandryid beetles of the genus Melandrya
medially on disc. Sculpture of elytra strongly leveled lateral-	F. (Coleoptera, Melandryidae) from east Palaearctic] // Ento-
ly, apically, and, in particular, basally. Shoulder areas rather	mol. Obozr. Vol.64. No.4. P. 748~759 [in Russian].
sharply longitudinally raised; apices broadly rounded. Epi-	Nikitsky N. B. 1992. 86. [Fam. Melandryidae] // Opredelitel'
pleura distinctly delimited, discernible approximately to api-	nasekomykh Dal'nego Vostoka SSSR [Key to Insects of the
cal 1/5 of elytra. Elytral surface finely microreticulate, slight-	Far East of the USSR]. Vol.III. Pt.2. P. 435-474 [in Russian].

New taxa of false darkling beetles

(Coleoptera: Melandryidae) from China

Новые таксоны жуков-тенелюбов

(Coleoptera: Melandryidae) из Китая

A.A. Gusakov

A.A. Гycaков