Lamiogethes acutus Liu, Wang & Audisio, 2025

Liu, Meike, Wang, Xinyue, Yu, Huiliang, Mei, Yujiao, Sabatelli, Simone & Audisio, Paolo, 2025, A new species of Lamiogethes Audisio & Cline from Central China (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Meligethinae), Zootaxa 5665 (3), pp. 441-447 : 442-444

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5665.3.9
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B8E8ABF0-EEFD-4846-A63F-CD1479C3C3AB
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EB6887C7-FFC6-FFED-C6F7-B07AFAB07F19
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Lamiogethes acutus Liu, Wang & Audisio
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lamiogethes acutus Liu, Wang & Audisio sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B8E8ABF0-EEFD-4846-A63F-CD1479C3C3AB

Figs 1a–h View FIGURE 1

Diagnosis and phylogenetic position

Oval, small-sized (1.6–1.8 mm) ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ), with wide and rather short male genitalia, clearly distinguished from those of all other species known from China, vaguely recalling only those known to occur in the unrelated L. xyphosuroides (Kirejtshuk, 1989) from South Africa (see Audisio 1996). Phylogenetic position of this new species is not completely clear, its external habitus, in fact, more closely recalling that of some small members of the Palaearctic L. difficilis (Heer, 1841) group (all associated with Lamiaceae as larvae), while its male and female genitalia more closely recalling those of some members of the SW Chinese L. conjungens (Grouvelle, 1910) / L. potanini ( Kirejtshuk, 1979) complex (from Yunnan and Sichuan, respectively; these two species are very closely related, if not synonyms) and, at a lesser extent, members of the L. mixtus (Grouvelle, 1908) / L. tilmani ( Easton, 1968) (from India and Nepal) complex. Members of the latter complex are all probably associated with Euphorbiaceae as larvae ( Easton 1968; Audisio 2012; Liu & Audisio, unpublished data), while nothing is formally known on the biology of members of the former complex. Lamiogethes acutus sp. nov., although rather closely related to L. conjungens and potanini , is otherwise clearly distinct by exhibiting elytra with only weak traces of transverse strigosity (elytra very distinctly transversely strigose in L. conjungens and potanini ), slightly smaller distal teeth on front tibiae, shorter and much more widely excised tegmen, and clearly shorter and wider median lobe of the aedeagus and tegmen (see Kirejtshuk 1979; figs 33–38). The discovery of the true larval hostplant of the new species will probably shed light also on its actual phylogenetic relationships (see discussion below).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin acutus (= pointed), to recall its characteristically pointed median lobe of the aedeagus.

Material examined

Holotype. CHINA ♂; Hubei, Shennongjia National Forest Park, Gallery Valley Scenic Area, shrubs on a hillside, ca. 1700 m a.s.l., ca. 31°40'29" N 110°25'28" E, 18.v.2024, Wang & Tian lgt., sparse forests and shrubs, beating flowering Deutzia sp. ( Hydrangeaceae ) ( YZUM).

Paratypes. CHINA 3 ♂♂, 27 ♀♀; Hubei, same data as holotype ( YZUM, CAR-MZUR, IZAS) . CHINA 2 ♀♀; Hubei, Shennongjia National Forest Park, Muyu Town , Qianjiaping , ca. 1226 m a.s.l., ca. 31°26'26" N 110°24'43" E, 17.v.2024, Wang & Tian lgt. ( YZUM) GoogleMaps . CHINA 3 ♀♀; Hubei, Shennongjia National Forest Park, Muyu Town , ca. 1224 m a.s.l., ca. 31°27'08" N 110°23'35" E, 14.v.2024, Wang & Tian lgt. ( YZUM) GoogleMaps . Additional material that may be referred to the same species: CHINA 1 ♀; Hubei, Shennongjia National Forest Park, Muyu Town , G 209, ca. 31°27'17" N 110°23'55" E, 14.vii.2020, Meike Liu lgt. ( YZUM) GoogleMaps .

Description (male Holotype)

Size. Body length 1.77 mm, width (maximum elytral width) 1.06 mm.

Body color and pubescence. Dorsal and ventral surfaces of the body entirely black to dark brown, with shiny tegument. Antennae reddish brown to brown, with the first and second antennomeres pale brown. Legs reddish brown to brown ( Fig. 1a–d View FIGURE 1 ). Pubescence golden, short, fine, uniformly developed, not covering the tegument. The length of each seta ca. 0.53× that of the second antennomere ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ).

Dorsal habitus. Clypeus with anterior margin distinctly sinuate in the middle. Dorsal punctures on pronotum rather fine and deep, each about 1.2–1.5 diameters apart; space between punctures smooth and shiny.Dorsal punctures on elytra slightly larger, about 1.2–1.8 diameters apart; space between punctures smooth and shiny ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ), with only weak traces of transverse strigosity. Ratio LPR1/LELY = 0.49; ratio WPR1/LPR1 = 1.92; ratio WPR2/LPR1 = 1.82; ratio WPR2/WPR1 = 0.95; ratio LELY/WELY = 0.95; ratio WPR1/WPRA = 1.58; ratio WPR1/WELY = 0.90; ratio WPR2/WELY = 0.85.

Ventral habitus. Combined outer edges of antennal grooves almost straight and parallel along most of their length. Prosternal process particularly wide before the apex, nearly 1.5× as wide as the length of the antennal club, with rough and dense punctation ( Fig. 1b View FIGURE 1 ). Metaventrite markedly impressed, with distinct raised tubercles on both sides of the median longitudinal impression ( Fig. 1b View FIGURE 1 ). Last ventrite appears simple, without distinct tubercles or ridges.

Appendages. Antennae rather short ( Fig. 1b View FIGURE 1 ); ratio ANLE/HWEA = 0.75; ratio CLLE/W10J = 1.47; ratio L03J/ W03J = 1.63; ratio L03J/L02J = 0.81; ratio L03J/L04J = 1.83. Protibiae with a group of 3–4 asymmetrical predistal teeth, the second distinctly pointed, and the other 2–3 only moderately pointed ( Fig. 1e View FIGURE 1 ), arranged similarly to those of the European species Lamiogethes haemorrhoidalis (Förster, 1849) ( Audisio 1993) . Front tarsi rather widened, ratio WFTA/LFTA = 0.34; ratio LETI/WITI ≈ 2.79. Metatibiae simple, not arcuately curved nor sinuate along their inner side ( Fig. 1b View FIGURE 1 ), ratio LPTI/WPTI ≈ 2.99.

Male genitalia. Distinctively shaped, with quite wide and short tegmen ( Fig. 1f View FIGURE 1 ), medial distal excision wide and shallow, U-shaped (ratio DTIN/LETE ≈ 0.20), with obvious small sharp projection at the base of the inner margin of the excision ( Fig. 1f View FIGURE 1 ); ratio LETE/WITE ≈ 0.94. Median lobe of aedeagus rather wide and short (ratio LEAE/WIAE ≈ 1.74; Fig. 1g View FIGURE 1 ), with maximum width close to the distal two-thirds, strongly narrowed towards the very sharp distal apex, and with almost straight proximal base ( Fig. 1g View FIGURE 1 ).

Female. Antennae and legs reddish brown to brown or dark brown to blackish. Metaventrite nearly flat, only with shallow longitudinal impression, without distinct tubercles. Metatibiae simple, not arcuately curved nor sinuate along their inner side, nearly as in male ( Fig. 1c,1d View FIGURE 1 ).

Ovipositor. Relatively long, gonostyloids’ apices markedly pointed and distinctly separated, forming a deep and narrow V-shaped excision, styli peculiarly small, placed markedly far from the apex ( Fig. 1h View FIGURE 1 ); ratio STLE/DSIA ≈ 0.35; ratio STLE/CGOW ≈ 0.12; ratio GONL/CGOW ≈ 2.37. Combined basal portions of gonocoxites transverse, widely V-shaped, apices laterally directed and bluntly pointed. Ratio OVPL/GONL ≈ 2.12; ratio OVPL/body length ≈ 0.47 ( Fig. 1h View FIGURE 1 ). “Central point” placed near the middle ( Fig. 1h View FIGURE 1 ).

Variation. Body sizes 1.5–2.0 mm (length) and 1.0– 1.2 mm (width). The antennae and legs of males share the same color with that of most females, although some females exhibit dark brown to blackish legs and antennae.