Yuxia Yang

Significance of hind wing morphology in distinguishing genera and species of cantharid beetles with a geometric morphometric analysis

Abstract There remain some difficulties in delimitation of related genera or sibling species for cantharid beetles, because the traditionally taxonomic method and morphological characters have not been updated or introduced. In the present study, we firstly use the landmark-based geometric morphometrics to analyze and compare the hind wings of nine species belonging to three genera of Cantharinae to ascertain whether this approach may be used as a reliable method in the study of the taxonomy of this group. The results show that the shape differences of the hind wings among genera seem more variable than that within each genus, and the variations for each species are different from one another, as shown in the principal component analyses. And the canonical variates analyses show that there are significant differences among the genera and the species of each genus, which demonstrates that the hind wing shape can be diagnostic for both generic and specific identification of the cantharid beetles. This study sheds new light into clarifying the taxonomic uncertainties of Cantharidae, and lays a foundation for further studies on the evolution of the cantharid hind wing shape.

Descriptions of three new cantharid species related to themus (Themus) Senensis (Pic, 1922) (Coleoptera: Cantharidae)

Abstract. Themus (T.) senensis (Pic, 1922) is redescribed and three new species related to it are described, T. (T.) senensomimus sp. nov. (China, Thailand), T. (T.) bilobatus sp. nov. (Laos, Vietnam) and T. (T.) dalatensis sp. nov. (Vietnam). Each species is provided with illustrations of aedeagus and abdominal sternite VIII of female. T. (T.) senensis is also presented with female genitalia and the new species with habitus of both sexes. A key and a distribution map of the above four species are presented.

A new species of Falsopodabrus Pic characterized with geometric morphometrics (Coleoptera, Cantharidae)

Abstract A new species of Falsopodabrus Pic, 1927 is described, Falsopodabrus tridentatus Yang, sp. n. (Yunnan, China). Geometric morphometric analyses based on the shapes of pronotum and hind wing and comparisons with two sibling species, Falsopodabrus himalaicus Wittmer, 1974 and Falsopodabrus martensi (Wittmer, 1979), support the valid status of the new species, also confirmed by the characters of tarsal claws. In addition to Falsopodabrus himalaicus and Falsopodabrus martensi, Falsopodabrus kostali Švihla, 2004 and Falsopodabrus rolciki Švihla, 2004 are recorded from China for the first time.

Taxonomy of Fissocantharis Pic (Coleoptera, Cantharidae) from Guangxi, China, with descriptions of six new species

Abstract A total of 17 species of Fissocantharis Pic is recorded from Guangxi, China. Six species are described new to science, Fissocantharis sinensomima sp. n., Fissocantharis sexcostata sp. n., Fissocantharis basilaris sp. n., Fissocantharis eschara sp. n., Fissocantharis latipalpa sp. n. and Fissocantharis biprojicientis sp. n., and two previously known species are redescribed, Fissocantharis gracilipes (Pic, 1927) and Fissocantharis sinensis (Wittmer, 1988). These species are presented with habitus of males, abdominal sternites VIII of females and genitalia of both sexes. Fissocantharis flavofacialis (Pic, 1926) is synonymized with Fissocantharis angusta (Fairmaire, 1900); both were originally described in the genus Podabrus Westwood. Additionally, a key and a checklist of all the species of Fissocantharis from Guangxi are provided.

Taxonomic note and description of new species of Fissocantharis Pic from China (Coleoptera, Cantharidae).

Abstract Two new species of Fissocantharis Pic are described, Fissocantharis bifoveatus sp. n. (CHINA: Yunnan) and Fissocantharis acuticollis sp. n. (CHINA: Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan). Fissocantharis pieli (Pic, 1937) is redescribed and Fissocantharis kontumensis Wittmer, 1989 is provided with a supplementary description. Fissocantharis shanensis (Wittmer, 1997) is synonymized with Fissocantharis kontumensis. For the above four species, illustrations of male genitalia are provided, for the latter three also photos of female genitalia and abdominal sternites VIII, and for the new species photos of male habitus and antennae are presented. Additionally, the specific name of Fissocantharis wittmeri (Y. Yang et X. Yang, 2009), preoccupied by Fissocantharis wittmeri (Kazantsev, 2007), is replaced by Fissocantharis walteri Y. Yang et X. Yang, nom. n. And Fissocantharis wittmeri (Kazantsev, 2007) is found to be a junior objective synonym of Fissocantharis denominata (Wittmer, 1997).

Description of six new species of Lycocerus Gorham (Coleoptera, Cantharidae), with taxonomic note and new distribution data of some other species

Abstract Six new species of Lycocerus Gorham are described, Lycocerus gracilicornis sp. n. (China: Sichuan), Lycocerus longihirtus sp. n. (China: Yunnan), Lycocerus sichuanus sp. n. (China: Sichuan), Lycocerus hubeiensis sp. n. (China: Hubei), Lycocerus napolovi sp. n. (Vietnam: Sa Pa) and Lycocerus quadrilineatus sp. n. (Vietnam: Sa Pa), and provided with illustrations of habitus, antennae and aedeagi of male or and antennae, abdominal sternites VIII and genitalia of female. Lycocerus rubroniger Švihla, 2011 is synonymized with Lycocerus obscurus Pic, 1916. Lycocerus hickeri Pic, 1934 and Lycocerus obscurus are provided with illustrations of abdominal sternites VIII of female. Nine species are recorded from China for the first time, Lycocerus bicoloripennis (Pic, 1924), Lycocerus caliginostus Gorham, 1889, Lycocerus jendeki Švihla, 2005, Lycocerus malaisei (Wittmer, 1995), Lycocerus obscurus, Lycocerus olivaceus (Wittmer, 1995), Lycocerus purpureus Kazantsev, 2007, Lycocerus ruficornis (Wittmer, 1995) and Lycocerus semiextensus (Wittmer, 1995), and Lycocerus ruficornis is also recorded for Myanmar for the first time.

Description of four new species related to Fissocantharis novemexcavatus (Wittmer, 1951) (Coleoptera, Cantharidae) from China

Four new species related to Fissocantharis novemexcavatus (Wittmer, 1951) are described, F. safranekimima sp. nov. (CHINA: Shaanxi), F. septangula sp. nov. (CHINA: Shaanxi), F. guizhouensis sp. nov. (CHINA: Guizhou) and F. novemoblonga sp. nov. (CHINA: Zhejiang, Anhui), which are illustrated with habitus and antennae of males, abdominal sternites VIII of females and genitalia of both sexes. A key for identification of the species of F. novemexcavatus species complex is presented.

Lycocerus strictipennis sp. nov. from Yunnan, China, the Second Species in the Michiakii Species-Group of Lycocerus Gorham (Coleoptera: Cantharidae)

Abstract. A second species of michiakii species-group of Lycocerus Gorham is described, L. strictipennis sp. nov. (CHINA, Yunnan), and provided with illustrations of aedeagus. L. michiakii Okushima et Brancucci, 2008 is recorded from China for the first time. Habitus photos of both species are presented.

A contribution to the knowledge of Themus ( Haplothemus ) Wittmer from China (Coleoptera: Cantharidae)

The Chinese fauna of Themus Motschulsky, 1858 is studied. Two new species are described: Themus (Haplothemus) quadratiformis sp. nov. (China: Shaanxi) and T. (H.) longideverticulum sp. nov. (China: Yunnan). Themus (Haplothemus) mishmiensis Wittmer, 1973 stat. nov. is elevated to the full-species rank from the subspecies of T. (H.) elongatior Pic, 1955, both species are redescribed. The male of T. (H.) quadratus Wittmer, 1983 and the female of T. (H.) weishanensis Kopetz, 2016 are described for the first time. The species are illustrated with aedeagus and habitus of male, abdominal sternite VIII and internal genitalia of female.

Description of three new species related to Themus (Haplothemus) coriaceipennis (Fairmaire, 1889) (Coleoptera: Cantharidae).

The male of Themus (Haplothemus) coriaceipennis (Fairmaire, 1889) is discovered and described for the first time. Three new species related to this species are described from China: T. (H.) rectus sp. nov., T. (H.) bimaculaticollis sp. nov. and T. (H.) licentimimus sp. nov., which are provided with the illustrations of habitus and genitalia of both sexes and abdominal sternites VIII of female. A key to the species related to T. (H.) coriaceipennis is also provided.