Blaps (Blaps) pedinoides Li, 2025

Zhang, Bao-Yue & Li, Xiu-Min, 2025, Phylogeny-based reinterpretation of the genus Blaps Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Blaptinae) from China, with description of two new species, ZooKeys 1244, pp. 99-111 : 99-111

Blaps (Blaps) pedinoides Li sp. nov.

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂ ( MHBU HBU (E) 339974 ); Sichuan, Jiulong County / 28°37.89'N, 99°39.16'E / Alt 1917 m / 2.VIII.2020 / Ming-min Ma leg. Paratypes: China • 1 ♀ [in ethanol] ( MHBU HBU (E) 339975 ), same data as holotype ; China • 1 ♂ [1 ♂ in ethanol] ( MHBU HBU (E) 339976 ); Yunan; Weixi County, Tacheng Township / 27°36.51'N, 99°23.87'E / Alt 1987 m / 11.VIII.2021 / Zhong-hua Wei leg ; China • 1 ♂ [in ethanol] ( MHBU HBU (E) 339977 ); Yunan; Weixi County, Tacheng Township / 27°26.19'N, 99°20.98'E / 13.VII.2021 / Alt 2409 m / Guo-dong Ren leg ; China • 1 ♂ [in ethanol] ( MHBU HBU (E) 339978 ); Yunan, Shangri-la County, Nixi Township / 28°01.41'N, 99°28.02'E / Alt 2778 m / 7.VIII.2015 / Guo-dong Ren leg ; China • 1 ♂ [in ethanol] ( MHBU HBU (E) 339979 ); Yunan, Weixi County, Jingzhong Township / 27°38.09'N, 99°21.78'E / Alt 2635 m / 13.VII.2021 / Zhong-hua Wei leg.

Description.

Male (Figs 3 , 4 A – C ). Body elongated, length 28.5–29.0 mm, width 9.5–10.0 mm; dull black, rough, oval-oblong, opaque.

Head (Fig. 3 A, B ). Anterior margin of epistome straight. Head slightly convex, with dense, coarse punctation. Mentum oval; base of mentum straight. Antennae long, antennomere XI reaching base of pronotum when directed backwards, antennomeres III – VII cylindrical, VIII – X spherical, XI spindle (Fig. 3 C ). Ratio of length / width of antennomeres II – XI 6.6 (8.2): 37.8 (9.0): 16.6 (9.0): 17.8 (8.7): 17.3 (9.0): 15.6 (9.0): 10.0 (10.1): 10.0 (9.9): 10.4 (9.8): 11.7 (9.7).

Prothorax (Fig. 3 D ). Base of pronotum as wide as the base of elytra. Pronotum slightly transverse, 1.3 times as wide as long, 1.8 times as wide as head, widest before the middle, lateral margins from widest portion toward anterior angles arcuated, then straightly converging towards posterior margin; anterior angles rounded-obtuse; posterior angles weakly obtuse; lateral edges entirely margined, ratio of width at the anterior margin to the widest part and base 38: 63: 53. Disc rough, surface with dense, coarse punctations with large punctures. Prosternal process nearly triangular; middle of posterior margin weakly extended backward, with transverse wrinkles.

Pterothorax. Elytra elongate, ovoid, 1.7 times as long as wide, long arcuated; widest at the middle, 3.0 times as long and 1.4 times as wide as pronotum, 2.5 times as wide as head. Lateral elytral border not entirely visible dorsally. Scutellum small. Disc flat, elytral surface rough, with dense granules, and granules converge into wrinkles. Apex of elytra slowly sloping, with small granules. Elytral mucro obvious, 2.3 mm long. Pseudopleuron smooth. Abdomen shiny, without hair tuft / short setae between 1 st and 2 nd abdominal ventrites, ventrite 1 st with flat large tubercle in middle, 1 st – 3 rd ventrites with transverse wrinkles medially and irregular rugosity, granules on both sides, abdominal ventrites 4 th – 5 th with sparse punctures.

Legs (Fig. 3 E – K ). Legs long. Inner side of pro- and mesotibiae slightly curved, metatibiae straight, expanded apically. Ratio of length of pro-, meso- and metatibiae 13: 13: 17; ratio of length (width) of metatarsomeres I – IV 19.4 (5.5): 10.3 (5.2): 10.0 (5.0): 16.8 (4.3).

Aedeagus. (Fig. 3 L – N ). Length 4.8 mm and width 1.0 mm. Parameres length 1.6 mm and width 0.75 mm, with conical shape; parameres widest at the base, apex sharp, lateral margins arcuately converging from base to 1 / 3, then straightly converging from basal 1 / 3 to apex in dorsal view, parameres straight line up to the apex in lateral view.

Female (Fig. 4 D – F ). Body length 24.0 mm, width 11.0 mm. Body wider and more robust than in male. Elytral mucro shorter, 1.0 mm long. Head as wide as outerocular distance, pronotum 1.4 times as wide as long, elytra 1.5 times as long as wide. Antennae nearly as long as male, antennomeres X reaching base of pronotum when directed backwards, antennomeres III – VII cylindrical, VIII – X spherical, XI spindle.

Etymology.

The name derives from ancient Greek πεδινός (pedinos), flat, referring to the flattened elytra of the new species

Distribution.

China: Sichuan, Yunnan.

Diagnosis.

The new species is morphologically very similar to B. (B.) rhynchoptera Fairmaire, 1886 , and it is also sister with B. (B.) rhynchoptera in the phylogeny tree, but it can be distinguished from the latter by the following male characters: (1) without hair tuft / short setae between 1 st and 2 nd abdominal ventrites (with hair tuft / short setae between 1 st and 2 nd abdominal ventrites in B. (B.) rhynchoptera ); (2) lateral margin of pronotum weakly broading from base to 2 / 3, then toward anterior angles arcuated, widest before middle (pronotum widest at middle in B. (B.) rhynchoptera ).

Additionally, the new species is morphologically similar to B. (B.) japonensis Marseul, 1879 but can be distinguished from the latter by the following male characters: (1) without hair tuft / short setae between 1 st and 2 nd abdominal ventrites (with hair tuft / short setae between 1 st and 2 nd abdominal ventrites in B. (B.) japonensis ); (2) lateral margin of pronotum broading from base to 2 / 3, then toward anterior angles arcuated, widest before the middle (lateral margin of pronotum arcuated, widest at middle in B. (B.) japonensis ); (3) parameres conical, apex sharp (parameres bottleneck-shaped, apex sharp in B. (B.) japonensis ).

Figures

Figure 3. Blaps (Blaps) pedinoides Li, sp. nov. A. Head, dorsal view; B. Head, ventral view; C. Antenna; D. Pronotum; E. Protibial; F. Mesotibia; G. Metatibia; H. Protarsus; I. Mesotarsus; J. Metatarsus; K. Profemur apically; L – N. Aedeagus; L. Dorsal view; M. Ventral view; N. Lateral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figure 4. Habitus of Blaps (Blaps) pedinoides Li, sp. nov. A – C. Male, holotype; A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view; C. Lateral view; D – F. Female, paratype; D. Dorsal view; E. Ventral view; F. Lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.