Stethusa luederwaldti ( Bernhauer, 1908 ) Bernhauer, 1908

Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2003, A revision of the Nearctic species of the genus Stethusa Casey, 1910 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 239, pp. 1-43 : 30-33

Stethusa luederwaldti ( Bernhauer, 1908) , new combination

( Figs. 71­83 )

Atheta (s. str.) Lüderwaldti Bernhauer, 1908: 360 .

Atheta (Hypatheta) Luederwaldti : Fenyes, 1920: 208 (as valid species). Atheta (Hypatheta) Luederwaldti : Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 654 (as valid species). Atheta lüderwaldti: Blackwelder, 1944: 160 (as valid species).

Type material. Lectotype of Atheta luederwaldti (here designated): ɗ, " Brasil. S. Paulo, Ypiranga, Dr. Ihering", " Ypirangana Bh. Typ.", " Lüderwaldti Bernh. Cotypus" (yellow label), "8521", "Chicago NHMus. M.Bernhauer Collection" ( FMNH). Paralectotypes: ɗ, " Brasil. S. Paulo, Ypiranga, Dr. Ihering", " Lüderwaldti Brh. Typus " (yellow label), "8459", "Chicago NHMus M.Bernhauer Collection"; Ψ, " Brasil. S. Paulo, Ypiranga, Dr. Ihering", " Lüderwaldti Brh. Cotypus" (yellow label), "8521", "Chicago NHMus M.Bernhauer Collection" ( FMNH).

Additional material. ARGENTINA: ɗ, Prov. Buenos Aires (C.Bruch), 25.ii.1905 [or 25.xi.1905]; URUGUAY: Ψ, Montevideo, Cerro (Fernandez), 1.x.1933; VENE­ ZUELA: Ψ, Caracas (all ­ FMNH).

Diagnosis. Stethusa luederwaldti is distinguished from the other species of Stethusa by the terminal antennal article with two subbasal impressions covered with dense microsetae; the lack of modifications in the male tergum 7; the distinct shape of the male tergum 8 ( Figs. 71, 73 ); the distinct shape of the aedeagus ( Figs. 76­82 ) and the spermatheca ( Fig. 83 ); and the lack of a female accessory sclerite.

Stethusa luederwaldti differs from S. dichroa by a smaller body size; the shape of the aedeagus ( Figs. 76­82 ); the lack of two distal spines of the internal sac ( Figs. 80­81 ; 35, 38); the shape of the spermatheca ( Figs. 83 ; 41­42); and the absence of a female accessory sclerite.

Stethusa luederwaldti is distinguished from S. lurida by the shape of the aedeagus ( Figs. 76­82 : this paper; Figs. 37­38 : Klimaszewski & Peck 1998), particularly the straight apex of the median lobe (in lateral view); and the shape of the spermatheca ( Fig. 83 : this paper; Fig. 46 : Klimaszewski & Peck 1998), particularly a larger umbilicus.

Description. Length 2.2­2.4 mm. Body brownish black, elytra brownish yellow with darker area around scutellum, legs yellow, antennae brown, with lighter first antennal segment.

Head surface glossy, with weak isodiametric microsculpture, with fine punctation, distance between punctures equals 1­2 times their diameter. Eyes very large, 2.5­3.5 times as long as temples. Antennal article 2 is slightly longer than article 3, article 4 subquadrate, 5­10 slightly transverse to transverse, article 11 as long as articles 9 and 10 combined. Article 11 with two subbasal impressions covered with dense microsetae.

Pronotum transverse, 1.2 times as wide as head, width 0.50­0.59 mm, length 0.39­0.46 mm, width to length ratio 1.3; glossy, with very weak isodiametric microsculpture (hardly visible at 70x); punctation as fine as on head but denser, distance between punctures equal to their diameter. Elytra much wider (0.60­0.76 mm) and longer (0.46­0.57 mm; measured from humeral angle) than pronotum (elytral length to pronotal length ratio 1.2), 1.3 times wider than long, surface glossy, with very weak and poorly visible (at 70x) microsculpture; punctation as on pronotum, slightly asperate.

Abdominal terga glossy, with weak microsculpture consisting of transverse waves; with fine punctation, distance between punctures equals 3­4 times their diameter on terga 3­5 and 4­7 times on terga 6­7. Apical margin of tergum 7 with white palisade fringe.

Male tergum 7 without modifications. Posterior margin of male tergum 8 with two blunt medial projections and two lateral denticles ( Figs. 71, 73 ).

Aedeagus as in Figs. 76­82 .

Female without accessory sclerite. Spermatheca as in Fig. 83 , the distal portion is bent away from the side bearing the spermathecal gland.

Distribution. Stethusa luederwaldti is known from Brasil, Uruguay, Argentina and Venezuela.

Natural History. No information is available.

Figures

FIGURES 71 ­ 75. Abdominal segment 8 of Stethusa luederwaldti (Bernhauer) (lectotype, male (71 ­ 73); and female paralectotype (74 ­ 75 )). 71 – male tergum 8; 72 – male sternum 8; 73 – apex of male tergum 8; 74 – female tergum 8; 75 – female sternum 8. Scale bar 0.2 mm (71 ­ 72, 74 ­ 75), 0.1 mm (73).

FIGURES 76 ­ 83. Aedeagus and spermatheca of Stethusa luederwaldti (Bernhauer) (lectotype, male (76 ­ 82); and female paralectotype (83 )). 76 – median lobe, parameral view; 77 – apex of median lobe, parameral view; 78 – median lobe, lateral view; 79 – apex of median lobe, lateral view; 80 – details of retracted internal sac, abparameral view; 81 – details of retracted internal sac, lateral view; 82 – apex of left paramere; 83 – spermatheca. Scale bar 0.1 mm (77, 79, 82 ­ 83), 0.2 mm (76, 78, 80 ­ 81).

FIGURES 34 ­ 39. Aedeagus of Stethusa dichroa (Gravenhorst) (males, 12 km NNE Lawrence, Kansas (35 ­ 36, 38 ­ 39); 18 km SSE Lawrence (34, 37 )). 34 – everted internal sac, parameral view; 35 ­ 36 – details of retracted internal sac, abparameral view; 37 – everted internal sac, lateral view; 38 ­ 39 – details of retracted internal sac, lateral view. SB ­ sclerotized band. Scale bar 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 43 ­ 47. Abdominal segment 8 of Stethusa klimschi (Bernhauer) (male (43 ­ 45) and female (46 ­ 47) from Vicksburg, Mississippi). 43 – male tergum 8; 44 – male sternum 8; 45 – apex of male tergum 8; 46 – female tergum 8; 47 – female sternum 8. Scale bar 0.4 mm (43 ­ 44, 46 ­ 47), 0.2 mm (45).