Saprinus frontistrius Marseul, 1855: 450 [Chile (error!)]; Olexa, 1992: 9.

Mazur and Ohara (2004)

Redescription. Body length (M: male, n=5; F: female, n=3): PPL, M 2.58­3.17 (2.80±0.105), F 3.17­3.88 (3.45±0.215); PEL, M 2.10­2.52 (2.29±0.079), F 2.65­3.23 (2.93±0.168); APW, M 0.68­0.81 (0.75±0.026), F 0.81­1.07 (0.92±0.078); PPW, M 1.74­2.03 (1.89±0.06), F 2.04­2.68 (2.30±0.194); PL, M 0.81­0.97 (0.89±0.033), F 0.90­1.32 (1.08±0.126); EL, M 1.26­1.49 (1.40±0.041), F 1.61­1.91 (1.72±0.092); EW, M 1.91­2.23 (2.06±0.067), F 2.35­2.91 (2.56±0.173); ProW, M 1.00­1.36 (1.16±0.064), F 1.36­1.71 (1.50±0.011); ProL, M 0.23­0.32 (0.26±0.016), F 0.29­0.39 (0.34±0.029); PyL, M 0.90­1.03 (0.97±0.029), F 1.12­1.29 (1.23±0.032); PTL, M 0.61­0.74 (0.67±0.028), F 0.74­1.00 (0.84±0.081); MSTL, M 0.61­0.80 (0.71±0.042), F 0.74­1.13 (0.89±0.12); MTTL, M 0.68­0.90 (0.78±0.048), F 0.90­1.20 (1.01±0.092). Body oval, convex. Cuticle strongly shiny, dark brown with copper tinge; antennae dark rufopiceous with club rufotestaceous. Legs dark, reddish brown.
Frontal stria of head complete and carinate. Supraorbital stria absent. Disc of front moderately densely covered with round punctures, separated by 1 ­ 2 times their diameter. There is also a foveiform point basico-medially. Epistoma convex, more finely punctate, the punctures being smaller than those of frontal disc. Labrum finely punctured, strongly incised anteriorly.
Pronotal sides feebly arcuate and convergent forward on basal 3/4 , thence strongly convergent apically. Apical angles obtuse. Marginal stria complete, strongly impressed, not crenate, a little shortened at base, its basal end inwardly bent. Disc sparsely and evenly covered with fine punctulation; the pronotal sides and anterior margin covered with moderately dense punctures separated by 1 ­ 3 times their diameter; the punctation becoming progressively denser laterally, especially on anterior angles where the punctures being elongate. Interspace among the punctures without microreticulation, shiny. Pronotal base with 2 ­ 3 rows of elongate punctures, densely distributed (0.2 ­ 1.0). Anterior angles behind eyes with very distinct, rounded postocular foveae.
Epipleura of elytra not concave, very finely and sparsely punctulate on apical half. Marginal epipleural stria fine and thin but complete, prolonged onto elytral apex as an apical stria and united with the sutural one. Marginal elytral stria clearly impressed, with some coarse punctures at bottom, reaching from humeral angles to the elytral apex. Inner subhumeral stria deep and crenate, abbreviated basally and apically, joining the oblique humeral stria. Humeral stria crenate, present on basal 1/4. First to 4th dorsal striae distinct, crenate, hamate at base, almost equal in length, reaching to or a little beyond the mid length of elytra. The 4th one arched basally and united with sutural stria. The sutural stria complete and impressed, crenately punctate on apical half. There is also a row of minute punctures between it and a suture, more visible at apical part. Surface of elytra nearly smooth on basal half, very finely and sparsely punctulate in the interspace 2 ­ 4 and on basal area between 1st dorsal and marginal elytral striae. Apical half of elytra densely covered with coarse, elongate punctures, the punctation reaching also the base between 1st and 2nd dorsal striae. The punctures often rugosely confluent. The interspace usually smooth, sometimes with very fine, irregular microreticulation. Extreme apex of elytra (around apical stria) and flanks finely punctate.
Propygidium densely and moderately punctate, the punctures sometimes transversely elongate, especially at apex, separated by 0.3 ­ 1.5 times their diameter, the punctation finer on basal part. Interspace between punctures smooth, only at base with fine microsculpture, more or less distinctly marked. Pygidium convex, densely and moderately coarsely punctate on basal half, the punctures becoming finer and sparser towards apex, the apex very finely and sparsely punctulate. Interspace shiny, without microsculpture.
Apical margin of median portion of prosternum rounded, its marginal stria short and carinate, present only at median 1/3. Keel moderately convex, sparsely covered with moderate punctures. Descending lateral stria strongly carinate, convergent to apex and united with the carinals on apical 1/5. Carinal striae distinctly convergent anteriorly and posteriorly (its minimal width equals about 1/2 of maximal width at apex) and united anteriorly.
Anterior margin of mesosternum feebly emarginate medially, its marginal stria impressed, with some punctures at bottom. Disc sparsely covered with coarse punctures, separated by 2 ­ 4 times their diameter. Meso-metasternal suture finely impressed, with sparsely and coarsely crenate line. Intercoxal disc of metasternum nearly smooth, very sparsely and finely punctulate, except a transverse apical band of 2 ­ 3 rows of elongate punctures, densely distributed, and with some small punctures along the metasternal lateral stria. Lateral metasternal stria well impressed, extending obliquely and posteriorly, a little abbreviated apically, reaching nearly hind coxa. Lateral disc covered with large, round and deep punctures, separated by 0.5 ­ 1.0 times their diameter. Interspace among the punctures smooth and shiny. Metepisternum moderately densely covered with a little elongate punctures.
Intercoxal disc of 1st abdominal sternum striate on each side, the striae a little shortened at apex and bent outwardly. The punctation very fine and sparse on middle, more densely and coarsely punctured along the lateral stria behind anterior corner and in a transverse apical and basal band.
Protibia with 8(+2) spinules on outer margin and with 2 small spinules at apex.
Genitalia. Male: apical part of 8th sternum rather boardly screlotized in ventral view. Ratio in length of parameres to basal piece about 2.9. Female: spermatheca as shown in Fig. 11A.

Specimens examined. Thailand: Ang Kang, Chiang Mai, 25.III.1991, Y. Manit, 1 male; Doi Angkhang, 1750 m, Fang, 23.V.1989, K. Masumoto, 1 male; Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, 7.II.1989, K. Masumoto, 2 males (MO-02022), 1 female (MO-02029); Poi Pui, Chiang Mai, 2.II.1988, Y. Manti, 1 male, 1 female; Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai, 2200 m, 14.III.1988, K. Masumoto, 1 male; Wiang Papao, Chiang Rai, 1­2.I.1991, K. Masumoto, 1 ex.; Doi Mae Salong, Chiang Rai, 30.XII.1990, K. Masumoto, 3 males, 1 male (MO-02035); Bokian, Samoeng, 21.XI.1994, K. Masumoto, 1 male, 1 female.

Distribution. Continental China, Vietnam, Thailand.

Note. Extremely similar to Saprinus diversegenitalis in external features. It can be distinguished from the latter by average smaller size, elytral microsculputre less developed and often lacking and, especially, by different structure of aedeagus and 8th sternite in the male. Owing to confusion with S. diversegenitalis its distribution should be newly stated. Recorded from "China" (type locality, as it was written on the label of the type, not "Chili" as it has been published), Vietnam and Thailand where S. diversegenitalis is also found.