Cucujus zhengyucheni Jiang & Chen, 2025

Cucujus zhengyucheni Jiang & Chen sp. nov.

( Kĸssş)

( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2A–H View FIGURE 2 )

Type material (2 exs: 1 ♂, 1 ♀): Holotype: CHINA : ♂, labeled ‘ China: Yunnan ( 云南), Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture ( aeâ傣äạḋänām), Yingjiang City ( dzữ县), Nongzhang Town ( ṳDzü), H: ~ 800m, 25.XII.2019.’ ( CAU) Paratype: ♀, with the same label data as the holotyp ( CAU) .

Diagnosis. Body red, with apical small teeth of mandibles, eyes, antennae, femora, tibiae black, tarsus brown, metaventrite black with median of anterior area red to red-brown, and abdomen red-brown. Each elytron with three distinctly elevated carinae. Median lobe of aedeagus distinctly longer than 1/2 length of median strut, and spermatheca C-shaped, thin, with swollen head.

Description. Male ( Fig. 1A–B View FIGURE 1 ). Body red, with apical small teeth of mandibles, eyes, antennae, femora, tibiae black, tarsus brown. Surface (except elytra) densely covered with large round punctures and short yellowish-brown setae.

Head ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ), transverse, triangular, distinctly wider than pronotum. Surface densely with large round punctures, each puncture bearing a short seta, setae much longer on anterior area; a pair of long bristles located behind the posterior level of eyes. Anterior margin of clypeus and areas above antennal insertions glabrous. Each mandible with three apical teeth; dorsal surface of mandibles finely punctured, and with short setae; base of apical teeth with long setae; ventral surface of mandibles glabrous. Clypeus short, with a row of long setae, anterior margin finely curved. Eyes strongly projecting and convex. Ventral surface smooth ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ), genae and mentum finely covered with moderate-sized punctures, each puncture of genae bearing a short seta; setae of mentum much longer, lateral sides with a pair of long bristles. Temples well swollen, sparsely covered with small punctures and short setae. Antenna finely with small punctures and short setae, antennomere I expanded, antennomere III longest.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ) wider than long, neck prolonged as a collar, disc weakly sunken, surface densely with large round punctures, each bearing a short seta. Lateral margins with several tubercles in indefinite numbers (less than ten, different in different sides or specimens). Posterior angles obtuse. Prosternum ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ) sparsely with small punctures and short setae at anterior 1/2, and densely with large round punctures and sort setae at posterior 1/2; prosternal process elongate, with apex acutangular.

Scutellum ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ) nearly cordiform, slightly wider than long, widest at anterior 1/3; surface densely with large round punctures, each bearing a short seta; lateral margins finely curved, apex obtuse.

Elytra ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ) about 2.9 times as long as wide, each elytron with three distinctly elevated carinae; carina I short, extending near base of scutellum, declinate, apex approaching the suture, about 1/6 length of elytra; other two carinae long, extending from base to apex; interspace of carinae finely covered with small punctures and short setae; each elytral base with a long bristle; margins of elytra with short setae, setae longer near apex of elytron, and distinctly shorter on other parts of margins.

Metaventrite ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ) densely covered with large round punctures, each bearing a short seta. Mediolongitudinal sulcus distinct, extending from base to apex, glabrous.

Legs simple, femora clavated, basal 1/3 narrow, expended and widest near middle, surface with moderate and short setae; tibiae slightly expanded and curved at apex, covered with thin punctures and short setae.

Abdomen ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ), with five visible ventrites, surface densely with large punctures and each bearing a short seta; each ventrite with a pair of shallow impressions; posterior margin of ventrite V rounded, with long setae.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ) near symmetrical, long and slender, with parameres ventrad on median lobe, median strut about 1.5 times as long as median lobe. Median lobe tubular, apex rounded, apical process protruding. Median strut widest at basal 1/3, apex rounded. Apex of parameres ( Fig. 2D–E View FIGURE 2 ) with tuft of setae in different lengths.

Measurements of male: BL: 16.39 mm; HL: 2.50 mm, HW: 3.92 mm; PL: 2.73 mm, PW: 3.29 mm; EL: 11.16 mm, EW: 3.79 mm.

Female ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ): externally similar to male, larger. Ovipositor as in Fig. 2F–G View FIGURE 2 ; stylus sparsely covered with long setae; apex of stylus densely with setae in different lengths; spermatheca ( Fig. 2H View FIGURE 2 ) C-shaped, thin, with swollen head.

Measurements of female: BL: 19.02 mm; HL: 2.92 mm, HW: 4.73 mm; PL: 3.08 mm, PW: 3.75 mm; EL: 13.02 mm, EW: 4.46 mm.

Distribution. China: Yunnan Province.

Biology. Adults of the new species were collected under bark of a dead tree.

Etymology. The species epithet honors our friend and colleague Dr. Yu-Chen Zheng ( China Agricultural University, Beijing, China), who provided us specimens of the new species; the name is treated as an adjective.

Comparative diagnosis. Cucujus zhengyucheni sp. nov. highly similar with C. Zhao & Zhang, 2019 in habitus characters, the two species distinguished by genitals characters as following: 1) median strut of aedeagus about 1.5 times as long as median lobe, widest at basal 1/ 3 in the new species (vs median strut about 1.9 times as long as median lobe; widest at the base in C. costatus ); 2) spermatheca of female thin and long, with swollen head (vs spermatheca short and wide, with narrow head).