Maladera parabikouensis Zhao & Ahrens 2023, new species

Maladera parabikouensis Zhao & Ahrens, new species

(Figs 10B, 11B)

Type material examined. Holotype. ♂ (SCAU), “ CHINA: Guangdong, Shaoguan, Nanling N. R., nr. Shikengkong, N 24°55′40″, E 112°59′2″, 1660 m, 30.V–4.VI.2022 (at light), lgt. Ye XH, Zhan BX & Ma YS”.

Description of the holotype. General. Body ovoid, strongly convex, color generally reddish brown and iridescent, frons and pronotum with greenish toment; abdomen and legs with distinct iridescence; apical half of labroclypeus, palpi, antennae and legs reddish brown (excluding mesofemora as well as coxae), shiny. Spiniform setae reddish brown, other setae yellowish brown.

Head. Labroclypeus subtrapezoidal, wider than long, ratio of maximum length/ width: 1/ 1.9; lateral margins straight and strongly convergent anteriad, anterior angles broadly rounded, anterior margin weakly emarginated; margins strongly but laterally weakly reflexed; surface flat, apical half shiny and basal half dull, with moderately dense and coarse punctures and a few short, erect setae; frontoclypeal suture finely incised, bluntly angled medially; smooth area anterior to eye large and flat, almost 3 times wider than long; ocular canthus triangular (shorter than 1/3 of ocular diameter), apex with a few minute punctures each bearing a minute seta. Frons flat, with moderately dense and large punctures, on each side with a short erect seta. Eyes small, ratio diameter/ interocular width: 0.59. Antenna with ten antennomeres; antennomeres 3 to 5 equally as wide as long, antennomere 6 slightly wider than long, antennomere 7 transverse and short; club with three antennomeres, slightly longer (1.1 times) than remaining antennomeres combined and straight. Mentum strongly and transversely elevated anteriorly. Labrum strongly produced, shallowly concave medially.

Pronotum subtrapezoidal, widest at base, lateral margins evenly curved and strongly convergent anteriad; anterior angle strongly produced and rounded at apex, posterior angle obsolete; anterior margin with a fine and complete marginal line; hypomeron carinate at base but not produced ventrally; surface with dense and large punctures, lateral margin with sparse and long, erect setae.

Scutellum large, triangular, apex somewhat rounded; basomedial and apical portions impunctate, otherwise with dense and large punctures, glabrous.

Elytra oval, widest shortly after middle. Striae strongly impressed, with dense and large, strial punctures, lateral margin beside humeral convexity with a moderately long and semi-erect seta; intervals weakly convex, with dense and large punctures concentrated along striae, otherwise of even intervals with sparse punctures, of odd intervals impunctate. Epipleura wide, ending at moderately curved external apical angle of elytron, with a row of sparse and short, semi-erect setae, interspersed with minute setae; apex with a short and robust seta, posterior margin with a fine membranous rim composed of microtrichomes.

Ventral thoracic surface.Hypomeron carinate at base but not produced ventrally,with moderately dense and large punctures each bearing a short, recumbent seta; mesosternum densely punctate, with erect, short setae; mesepimeron, ventral metathoracic surface and metacoxa with dense and large punctures, punctures on metepisternum very dense, only basomedial portions of metasternum with some erect, short setae. Mesosternum between mesocoxae equal to width of mesofemur, vertically convex and apical margin truncate, with some moderately long and spiniform setae. Ratio of length of metepisternum/ metacoxa: 1/ 1.73.

Abdomen. Abdominal ventrites with moderately dense and large punctures, each ventrite with a transverse row of short and spiniform setae, setae moderately long laterally; ultimate ventrite only with sparse and rather long setae, posterior margin with very dense and short setae, medially almost half as long as penultimate one, strongly concave at disc. Pygidium weakly convex, posterior margin rather weakly reflexed; with irregularly distributed large punctures, with some long setae near margins.

Femora. Profemur weakly shiny, with a row of long setae near dorsal margin, another longitudinal row of punctures presented medially and bearing a few short setae. Mesofemur dull, two longitudinal rows of sparse punctures each bearing a short seta, the first row emerging from a ridge parallel to the weakly carinated anterior margin. Metafemur with sparse punctures, a longitudinal row of sparse and short setae situated at medial third; anterior margin sharply carinate, ventral posterior margin finely serrate in apical half, dorsal posterior margin strongly and completely serrate, some minute setae and a single spiniform seta situated between latter two margins.

Tibiae. Protibia stout, bidentate, teeth slightly rounded at tip, external margin slightly serrate. Metatibia moderately shiny, widest at middle, ratio of width/ length: 1/ 3.33; dorsal margin carinate; lateral face with sparse and small punctures, mixed with some elongated punctures, dorsally with two groups of spiniform setae touching dorsal margin, basal group at two fifths, distal group at two thirds of metatibial length, at basal fifth with a short single seta; ventral margin convex, serrate at apical two fifths, with three long and spiniform setae of which distal two are slightly distant, basally with several minute setae; medial face with sparse and small punctures, glabrous; apex interiorly serrate, near tarsal articulation shallowly concave.

Tarsi. Protarsomeres short, pro- and mesotarsomeres with moderately dense and minute setae ventrally. All metatarsomeres carinate ventrolaterally, strongly serrate ventrally, first metatarsomere slightly shorter than following two tarsomeres combined and little longer than dorsal tibial spur. Protarsal claws symmetric, basal tooth slightly wider than distal one..

Male genitalia. Fig. 11B.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements. Length: 12.6 mm; length of elytra: 9.5 mm; width: 7.3 mm (all in male holotype).

Diagnosis. Maladera parabikouensis Zhao & Ahrens, new species is in habitus and shape of aedeagus very similar to M. bikouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, 2021. The dorsal lobe of left paramere exhibit distinct differences: it is hook-liked in M. parabikouensis new species but preapically bifid in M. bikouensis. In addition, both parameres of M. bikouensis are longer than those of the new species.

Etymology. The name is derived from a combination of Greek prefix “ para- ” (resembling) and the species name “ bikouensis ”, indicating the similarity between the new species and M. bikouensis.