ABSTRACT: From China (Sichuan) very original species Melandrya (Apteromelandrya) minshanensis sp.n. is described and a new monotypic subgenus is established for this new species.

РЕЗЮМЕ: Из Китая (Сычуань) описывается очень своеобразный Melandrya (Apteromelandrya) minshanensis sp.n., для которого устанавливается новый монотипический подрод.

V. Patrikeev and A. Gorodinski collected in the alpine zone of the Sichuan province of China a hitherto unknown species of false darkling beetles (Coleoptera, Melandryidae) from the genus Melandrya Fabricius,1801. The new species proved to be so peculiar that it has to be attributed to a distinct monotypic subgenus.

DESCRIPTION. Holotype (Fig. 1). Male.Body relatively narrow, elongate and somewhat flat, mostly piceous, moderately shiny; elytra with vague bronze-violet metallic sheen; legs, mouthparts, and antennae reddish brown. Entire bodycovered by numerous very short and fine (and thus inconspicuous) recumbent and semirecumbent golden yellow setae.

Subgenus Apteromelandrya subgen.n.
Type species: Melandrya minshanensis sp.n.

Body length, measured from apices of mandibles to posterior margin of pygidium, - 11.1 mm; maximum width (approximately at the middle of elytra) -3.2 mm. Head small, 2/3 as wide as pronotum, dorsally microreticulate, matt, with sparsely and shallowly punctate surface.Suture between frons and clypeus very

DIAGNOSIS. Body relatively narrow. Eye with margin conspicuously sinuate against the base of antenna. Antennae narrow, long, reaching far behind the base of pronotum. Pronotum weakly transverse, slightly wider than long, clearly narrowing posteriorly. Margins of pronotum without beading. Each elytron with 8 indistinct ribs, sometimes partly disappearing. Epipleura long, reaching near the apex of elytra. Wings undeveloped, rudimentary. Legs relatively long and slender. Shape of aedeagus typical for species of the genus.

fine, arcuate. Ratio of width of frons, measured between inner margins of eyes, to width of head behind eyes - 0.7. Eyes large, prominent, clearly protruding from cranium, with conspicuously sinuate margin against the base of antenna. Labrum strongly trans-verse, deeply sinuate anteriorly. Mandibles robust, shiny, with apices bicuspid, blackened. Apical segment of maxillary palpus ax-shaped. Antennae narrow, filiform, with segments much longer than wide, reaching far behind the base of pronotum. Antennomere 1 longer, 1.4 times as long as antennomere 2. Antennomere 2 the shortest, only 1.7 times as longas wide. Antennomere 3 subequal in length to antennomeres 2. Antennomeres 4 and 5 the longest,

The new subgenus differs from the other subgenera of the genus Melandrya mainly in undeveloped wings, shape of pronotum, and relatively long legs and epipleura.

3.5 times as long as wide. Antennomeres 6 and 11 subequal in length, 2.3 times as long as antennomere 2. Antennomere 7 and 8, accordingly, 2.0 and 1.8 times as long as antennomere 2. Apical

antennomere fusiform.Pronotum weakly transverse, slightly wider

ETYMOLOGY.The name of the new subgenus is derived by combining the Latin name Melandrya and the Greek 'apteron' with reference to the undeveloped wings.

than long, clearly narrowing posteriorly (at anterior margin 1.5 times as wide as at base); its margins without beading; posterior ly less shiny than surface of pronotum, rather densely and finely

punctate; punctation sparser apically. Scutellum small, approximately 1/20 times as long as elytra.
Apices of prosternal and mesosternal processes between respective coxae short, broadly rounded, not reclining down. Metasternum short. Surfaces of pro-, meso- and metasternum not coarse, distinctly microreticulate and inconspicuously, especially on sides, punctate. Wings undeveloped.

Legs relatively long and slender. Tarsi longer than tibiae: pro- and mesotarsus slightly longer than pro- and mesotibia respectively, while metatarsus more considerably longer than metatibia (approximately 1.2 times as long). Claws slender, simple. Surfaces of abdominal sternites delicately microreticulate, in rather numerous small rasp-like punctures, getting denser towards apex of abdomen. Posterior margin of pygidium broadly sinuate.
In the shape of aedeagus, no specific characters unique to this species were detected.
VARIABLITY. Paratypes. Sculpture of elytra is strongly variable; some of the 8 ribs are often indiscernible. A few specimens have strongly transparent cuticle; these appear more lightly coloured, rather light brown. Relative length of antennomeres is rather variable, yet antennomere 4 is invariably the longest, and antennomere 2 is invariably the shortest.Tarsi are usually slightly longer than tibiae; metatarsus is often less than 1.2 times as long as metatibia. One of the paratypes (male) has protarsi almost imperceptibly shorter than protibiae and meso- and metatarsi subequal in length to meso- and metatibiae respectively.
Female distinguished from male by slightly shorter legs and antennae; more corpulent abdomen, strongly protruding from under elytra; more transverse pronotum, weakly narrowing posteriorly; protarsi almost imperceptibly shorter than protibiae as well as meso- and metatarsi slightly longer than meso- and metatibia respectively.
Body length: males - 6.8-9.3 (mean 8.6); females - 9.5-9.8 (mean 9.6) mm.
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. Morphologically, M. minshanensis is distinguished from all hitherto known East Palaearctic species of the genus [see Nikitsky, 1985, 1992] by undeveloped wings; slightly transverse pronotum, conspicuously narrowing posteriorly; long epipleura, reaching near the apex of elytra, as well as relatively slender and long legs and antennae.

Fig. 1. Melandrya (Apteromelandrya) minshanensis sp.n.: general view (holotype). Scale: 1 mm.

DISTRIBUTION. China, Sichuan province, Min Shan range, pass between Nanping and Pingwu, ca.3,500 m above sea level.

РИС. 1. Melandrya (Apteromelandrya) minshanensis sp.n.: габитус (голотип). Масштаб: 1 mm.

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is derived from the name of the type locality.

margin rather sharply sinuate at scutellum. Surface of pronotum finely microreticulate, appearing shiny. Punctation of pronotum uneven: very fine, almost imperceptible on disc, pronotum uneven: very fine, almost imperceptible on disc, and rather coarse and dense (but not merging) at posterior angles. Medial longitudinal

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I thank to K.V. Makarov (Moscow) for his assistance in the preparation of this publication as well as to A.A. Klimenko ('Tver') and A.A. Gorodinski (Moscow) for providing me with the material for this work.

angles. Medial longitudinal impression on pronotum well- developed; anterior and posterior angles with very characteristic coarse pit-like impressions. Propleura impunctate, delicately

Elytra approximately 2 times as long as wide. Each elytron with 8 weak longitudinal ribs, discernible most lymedially on disc. Sculpture of elytra strongly leveled laterally, apically, and, in particular, basally. Shoulder areas rather sharply longitudinally raised; apices broadly rounded. Epipleura distinctly delimited, discernible approximately to apical 1/5 of elytra. Elytral surface finely microreticulate.

Nikitsky N. B. 1985. [Melandryid beetles of the genus Melandrya F. (Coleoptera, Melandryidae) from east Palaearctic] // Entomol. Obozr. Vol.64. No.4. P. 748~759 [in Russian].
Nikitsky N. B. 1992. 86. [Fam. Melandryidae] // Opredelitel' nasekomykh Dal'nego Vostoka SSSR [Key to Insects of the Far East of the USSR]. Vol.III. Pt.2. P. 435-474 [in Russian].