Zoological Systematics, 40(3): 268–289 (July 2015), DOI: 10.11865/zs.20150304 ORIGINAL ARTICLE A new species of the genus Meligethes Stephens (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Meligethinae) from China Xiao-Li Lin1, Ying Chen1, Min Huang1*, Xing-Ke Yang2 1 Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management of the Ministry of Education, Entomological Museum, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China 2 Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China * Corresponding author, E-mail: [email protected] Abstract A new species, Meligethes polyedricus sp. nov., and five newly recorded species of the genus Meligethes Stephens (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Meligethinae) in China are described and illustrated. A general catalogue of Meligethes from China is provided. The materials examined are deposited in Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (IZCAS). Key words Polyphaga, Meligethes, taxonomy, new species, catalogue. 1 Introduction The genus Meligethes Stephens, 1830 has high species diversity and a wide distribution across the six zoogeographical regions, but its species are mostly found in Holarctic, African and Oriental Regions. All species of this genus are phytophagous and associated with flowers. They can be used as natural pollination agents to increase fruit setting rates and yields (Nadel & Pena, 1994) showing their important economic significance in agriculture. The genus Meligethes belongs to the subfamily Meligethinae in the family Nitidulidae. It was established by Stephens in 1830 (type species: Nitidula rufipes Marsham, 1802) and can be easily recognized by the large arcuate impressions on the 7th sternite, usually long and slender mesotibiae and metatibiae, and raised elytral humeri. The genus Meligethes Stephens, 1830 includes 6 subgenera (Kirejtshuk, 2008). Audisio et al. (2009) and Trizzino et al. (2009) proposed the delimitation of Meligethes into a monophyletic clade, with the remaining more than 500 species transferred to other previous-described or new genera. Wang (2002) published the first survey on the genus Meligethes of China and described the external genitalia of Meligethes aeneus (Fabricius, 1775) in detail. Audisio et al. (2005) published 4 new species and provided a check-list for the Chinese Meligethes. Kirejtshuk (2005) described a new species from Taiwan. Hisamatsu (2009) provided a key to Taiwan Meligethes species. Ying et al. (2013) described a new species from Sichuan Province. In this paper, we describe a new species and five newly recorded species in the genus Meligethes from China. A general catalogue of Meligethes from China are also provided here. 2 Materials and methods All descriptions and measurements were made under an Olympus SZ 61 microscope. All figures were made using a urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AC99E2BA-2F02-4813-B8A9-CBEDA1D1F678 Received 31 January 2015, accepted 25 May 2015 © Zoological Systematics, 40(3): 268–289 268 New species of Meligethes from China 269 digital camera (Nikon D300S) attached to a stereomicroscope (Zeiss Discovery V12) and Helicon Focus 5.1 software at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing. Drawings were made using a camera lucida attached to astereomicroscope Leica MZ12.5. 3 Taxonomy Meligethes polyedricus sp. nov. (Figs 1–2, 45–49) Diagnosis. The species is characterized by the uniqueness of male genitalia, tegmen pentangular with a small V-shaped excision and median lobe trapezoidal. Description. Length 1.7 mm, breadth 1.1 mm, height 0.7 mm. Body colour brown and rather shining with clear blue lustre; pronotum with narrow transparent lateral margins; head and pronotum with fine and significant yellow pubescence longer than distances among their insertions (Figs 1–2). Body moderately convex and oval. Head with punctures equal to eye facets in diameter, interspaces among them broader than or equal to a puncture diameter and smoothly microreticulated. Pronotum with finer punctures, interspaces on disk almost smooth. Scutellum semicircular and rugose with very fine punctuations close to each other. Elytra with punctures similar to pronotum, interspaces smooth and among them markedly broader than a puncture diameter. Prosternal process with dense punctures slightly smaller than eye facets in diameter. Metaventrite and abdominal sternite 1 with more or less distinct punctures markedly smaller than eye facets in diameter, and with interspaces completely smooth and among them larger than a puncture diameter. Head subflattened and about as long as the distance between moderately large eyes (consisting of rather fine facets), clypeus anterior edge slightly bordered, transverse and with lateral angles rounded (Fig. 45). Antennal grooves subparallel. Antennal club composing about 3/10 of total length, about 3/2 long as wide. Pronotum with anterior edge rather arcuated than trapezoidally excised, its posterior edge sinuated. Elytra longer than their combined width, both sides of elytra curved, sharply narrowing distad to round apices. Pygidium slightly convex, apically rounded at apex. Last labial palpomere about 2.1 long as wide, clearly narrowed apically. Mentum subpentangular, 3 times wider than long, with sides subparallel. Prosternum gently convex along the middle, with distinctly prosternal grooves; prosternal process elongated and gradually widened with apex broadly rounded, its broadened part stretching up to widest point of prosternum and distinctly broader than antennal club (Fig. 47). Distance between metacoxae about 2 times as great as that between mesocoxa, about 3 times as great as that between procoxae. Metaventrite convex with a weak median depression. Femora almost 1.5 times as wide as corresponding tibiae, tarsi moderately short, about 1/2 as long as corresponding tibiae. Protibia moderately crenulated along outer edge, but with three larger teeth in distal position, obviously wider than antennal club (Fig. 46). Mesotibiae and metatibiae with a single row of long and thinpegs along outer edge. Protarsus about 4/5 as wide as protibia. Claws without dentation at base. Tegmen and median lobe (penis trunk) slightly sclerotised, tegmen pentangular with a small V-shaped excision, median lobe trapezoidal and ossiform at apex of median lobe (Figs 48–49). Material examined. Holotype ♂, China, Shaanxi, Canyon of Qinling Botanical Garden (33.92ºN, 108.35ºE; elev. 925 m), 5 July 2012, leg. Ying Chen. Paratype ♂, same data as holotype. Distribution. China (Shaanxi) Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the Latin word "polyedricus", to indicate the shape of polygonal male aedeagus. Remarks. This new species is very distinct due to the male aedeagus being polygonal, tegmen pentangular with a small V-shaped excision and median lobe trapezoidal. Body shape and colour similar with M. shirakii Hisamatsu, 1956, but the latter with dentations at base of claws. Meligethes alani Kirejtshuk, 1988 New record to China (Figs 3–4, 50–54) Meligethes alani Kirejtshuk, 1988: 79. Description. Length 2.5 mm, breadth 1.3 mm, height 0.8 mm. Body long oval, black and rather shining; head and pronotum with short and sparse grey white pubescence somewhat longer than distances among their insertions. Elytra © Zoological Systematics, 40(3): 268–289 270 Lin et al. Figs 1–8. Habitus, ♂. 1–2. Meligethes polyedricus sp. nov. 3–4. M. alani Kirejtshuk, 1988. 5–6. M. dilutipes Easton, 1956. 7–8. M. flavimanus Stephens. Scale bars = 0.5 mm. © Zoological Systematics, 40(3): 268–289 New species of Meligethes from China 271 Figs 9–16. Habitus, ♂. 9–10. Meligethes merkli Kirejtshuk. 11–12. M. matronalis Audisio & Spornkraft, 1990. 13–14. M. aeneus (Fabricius, 1775). 15–16. M. auripilis Reitter, 1889. Scale bars = 0.5 mm. © Zoological Systematics, 40(3): 268–289 272 Lin et al. Figs 17–24. Habitus, ♂. 17–18. Meligethes bocaki Audisio & Jelinek, 2005. 19–20. M. bourdilloni Easton, 1968. 21–22. M. coracinus Sturm, 1845. 23–24. M. difficilis (Heer, 1841). Scale bars = 0.5 mm. © Zoological Systematics, 40(3): 268–289 New species of Meligethes from China 273 slightly shorter than their combined width, both sides of elytra curved, sharply narrowing distad to almost transverse at apices. Prosternum gently convex along the middle, prosternal process elongated and gradually widened with apex broadly rounded, its broadened part distinctly broader than antennal club. Tegmen and median lobe (penis trunk) sclerotised, emarginated at apex of tegmen, median lobe long and slender, nearly rectangular. Material examined. 1♂, China, Heilongjiang, Yichun, 6 June 1971, leg. Xue-Zhong Zhang. Distribution. China (Heilongjiang), Brazil (Natal). Meligethes dilutipes Easton, 1956 New record to China (Figs 5–6, 55–59) Meligethes dilutipes Easton, 1956a: 395. Description. Length 2.4 mm, breadth 1.4 mm, height 0.7 mm.Bodyconvex and oval, reddish-brown, pronotum yellowish-brown, metaventrite and abdomen reddish-brown, legs and antenna yellow; head and pronotum with fine and sparse grey white pubescence. Elytra as long as their combined width, both sides of elytra curved, sharply narrowing distad to almost transverseat apices. Prosternal process obviously widened with apex broadly rounded, its broadened part distinctly broader than antennal club. Tegmen and median lobe (penis trunk) sclerotised. Male genitalia with Y-shaped apical excision on tegmen, ossiform at apex of median lobe. Material examined. 1♂, China, Guangxi, Jinxiuhuawang Mountain Villa (elev. 600 m), 20 May