Reicheiodes (Reichonippodes) kuankong, Bulirsch & Magrini & Ho & Fikáček, 2025

Bulirsch, Petr, Magrini, Paolo, Ho, Bin-Hong & Fikáček, Martin, 2025, Species of the genus Reicheiodes from Taiwan (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Scaritinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 65 (1), pp. 61-70 : 63-64

Reicheiodes (Reichonippodes) kuankong sp. nov.

( Figs 1A–E )

Type locality. Taiwan, New Taipei, 0.8 km SEE of Wulai City, 24.85652°N 121.5536°E, 320 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J (NMNS): ʻTAIWAN, New Taipei / 0.8 km SEE of Wulai City, Laka / Trail ; 24.85652°N 121.5536°E / 5.v.2018; 320 m; Fikáček, Leong / & Chang lgt.; 2018-TW11, // sifting of small leaf litter / accumulations in the secondary / lowland moist forest on a steep / slope, with sparse understoryʼ . PARATYPES: TAIWAN: NEW TAIඉEI: 1 J (PBPC): ʻTAIWAN, New Taipei / 2.5 km SWW of Wulai City / Meilushan Mt. above Baoquing / Temple; 24.85445°N 121.53°E / 760 m; 6.v.2018; Fikáček, Chang / & Zelený lgt.; 2018-TW12 // leaf litter accumulations in / primary moist forest with sparse / understory: siftingʼ; 1 J (NMPC): ʻTAIWAN: New Taipei, Fushan / Botanical Garden, ForestGEO / Vegetation Ecology plot / quadrat 1711, 665 m // 24.7514°N 121.555°E; 7.vii.2022 / M. Fikáček; TW2022_005B // FS1-029 / Fushan / (TW2022_005B) / OTU 687 (adult)ʼ; 1 ♀ (PBPC): TAIWAN: New Taipei / Yanmingshan National Park / Erzhiping Trail, 830 m / 25.17932[°N] 121.51613[°E] / 13.viii.2021, sifting leaf / litter, HY Lin, WZ Tseng [leg.].

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 1A . Body length 2.40– 2.50 mm (HT 2.50 mm, mean 2.45 mm; n = 4).

Colour of dorsal surface in HT and one PT ferruginous without bronze luster, elytral base, apex and anterior part of head barely lighter, in two PT upper surface slightly darker; ventral surface and legs ferruginous, mouthparts and antennae dark yellowish.

Head. Clypeus bordered, with slightly and broadly protruded median part; lateral teeth bordered, moderately acute, distinctly projecting anteriorly, pointed at tip, divided from supraantennal plates by obtuse notch; clypeal field sub-quadrate, irregularly narrowed posteriorly, smooth, separated from frons by deep and broad transverse furrow; frons convex, smooth; supraantennal plates strongly convex, with blunt carina at top of convexity.

Frontal furrows deep, broad, parallel to eyes mid-length then abruptly and strongly diverging posteriorly around eyes. Eyes moderately small, convex, facets distinct; genae very small, enclosing eyes in about posterior fifth. Antennae relatively long, antennomeres 5–10 submoniliform, about 1.2–1.3 times as long as wide. Neck with minute isodiametric reticulation laterally and with a few striae and punctures below eyes, constriction absent.

Pronotum subglobose, in lateral view moderately flattened posteriorly; outline between lateral SP slightly convex; indistinctly attenuated anteriorly 1.12–1.15 (HT 1.12, mean 1.13) times as wide as long, 1.48–1.54 (HT 1.53, mean 1.50) times as wide as head, broadest in about posterior third, with rounded anterior angles. Anterior transverse impression deep, broadened in middle, impunctate, sparse and rough cross-striate, cross-striae especially in middle third rather deep and subparallel; median line moderately deep, deeper basally, lateral channel deep and moderately broad, gently broadened anteriorly up to anterior SP, reflexed lateral margin just surpassing posterior SP. Surface shiny, with very few, almost indistinct transverse wrinkles and sparse micropunctures, lateral channel, without reticulation.

Elytra shortly ovate; disc moderately, apex more strongly convex in lateral view; 1.43–1.48 (HT 1.44, mean 1.46) times as long as wide, 1.18–1.23 (HT 1.18, mean 1.20) times as wide as pronotum. Elytra widest posterior to anterior third; base sloping to moderately rounded humeri without humeral tooth; lateral channel moderately broad from pedunculus to humeri, broadened apically; reflexed lateral margin distinct. Basal border distinct, basal tubercles and scutellar strioles absent; BSP large, isolated, situated just inside of projected extension of interval 2. Three PHSP, three PASP, two large ASP and three DSP (in interval 3, posterior one in about mid-length). Striae 1–(2) irregular, moderately deep, stria 1 indistinctly joining BSP and joining lateral channel at apex; striae (2)–3 irregularly, finely impressed, latero-apically mostly diminish; striae 1–6(7) coarsely punctured in basal half, punctuation finer latero-apically, almost diminish, stria 8 beginning as a few very fine punctures in middle third; intervals barely convex medio-basally, flattened latero-apically.

Metathoracic wings absent.

Protibiae. Apical spine distinctly curved ventrolaterally; apical movable spur shorter than spine, feebly curved; distal tooth moderately large, sharp, proximal one much finer, almost indistinct.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus as in Figs 1B, C, E , median lobe in lateral view short and very broad at mid-length; apex short, broadly rounded, distinctly bent ventrad. Parameres as in Fig. 1D , unisetose.

Differential diagnosis. Reicheiodes kuankong sp. nov. is most similar to R. (Reichonippodes) nishii from Iriomote-jima Island, Japan. The new species could be distinguished by longer antennae with the antennomeres 5–10 about 1.2–1.3 times as long as wide (1.0–1.1 times as long as wide in R. nishii ); by the pronotum having the anterior impression more roughly cross-striate medially; and especially by the elytra with its base distinctly less sloping to the more distinct humeri and with the striae latero-apically longer and more deeply punctured. The new species differs from R. taiwanensis in the body being smaller and lighter in colour (fuliginous in R. taiwanensis ), in the narrower lateral channel of the pronotum (only slightly broader than reflexed lateral margin in latero-dorsal view, in contrast to twice broader in R. taiwanensis ), and in the antennomeres 5–10 being 1.2–1.3 times as long as wide (1.0–1.1 times as long as wide in R. taiwanensis ). For differences from R. ursinus sp. nov. see under that species.

Etymology. The new species is named after Kuan Kong, the deity worshiped in Chinese folk religion, Taoism and Buddhism, and usually depicted with a red face, resembling the reddish body coloration of this species. The name is a noun in nominative singular, standing in apposition.

Collection circumstances. All specimens were collected by sifting of moist leaf litter in primary lowland and lower montane forests at altitudes of 320–830 m a.s.l.

Distribution. Endemic to Taiwan. Only known from northern Taiwan, so far known from the northernmost part of the central mountain range (Fushan and Wulai) and from Yanmingshan National Park.

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus and male genitalia of Taiwanese Reicheiodes Ganglbauer, 1891. A–E – R. kuankong sp. nov., holotype. F–J – R. taiwanensis Bulirsch, 2018, non-type. K–O – R. ursinus sp. nov., holotype.A, F, K – dorsal habitus; B, G, L – aedeagus in left lateral view; C, H, M – aedeagus in ventral view; D, I, N – parameres; E, J, O – detail of apex of the aedeagus in left lateral view. All figures (except E, J, O) to scale. Abbreviations: dt – distal tooth of protibia; pt – proximal tooth of protibia; spi – apical spine of protibia; spu – apical movable spur of protibia.