Lithocharodes flohri SHARP, 1885

Irmler, Ulrich, 2021, The Neotropical species of the genus Lithocharodes SHARP, 1876 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Xantholinini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 71 (1), pp. 29-85 : 44

Lithocharodes flohri SHARP, 1885

Figs 45 J , 50 C

Lithocharodes flohri SHARP, 1885: 492

Type material examined: 2 female syntypes: Mexico ,

Uruapan, leg. E. Flohr ( BMNH).

Diagnosis: Unfortunately, both specimens in the BMNH are females as already noted by SHARP (1885). Moreover, no more specimens were found in the other collections studied. Therefore, a detailed comparison with other Lithocharodes species cannot be given. The species is characterised by the light brown colouration in combination with a deep punctation of the head, being sparser on the posterior vertex than in front. The shape of the head is divergent posteriad and the posterior angles are sub-rectangular, whereas in similarly coloured and large species the posterior angles of the head are more rounded and not as pronounced as in L. flohri .

Description: Length: 5.4 mm. Colouration: Unicoloured brown.

Head: 0.87 mm long, 0.70 mm wide; sides slightly divergent posteriad; eyes small, postocular space 2.7 times as long as eyes; setiferous punctation deep and moderately dense; anteriorly denser than on posterior vertex; interocular furrows reaching mid-length of eyes; between eyes, interstices between punctures shorter than diameter of punctures; on posterior vertex, interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures; space between interocular line impunctate; midline on vertex impunctate; irregularly wide; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Antennae with first antennomere as long as halflength of head; second and third antennomere conical; longer than wide; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; fourth antennomere 1.5 times as wide as long; tenth antennomere nearly twice as wide as long; all antennomeres pubescent. Pronotum: 0.93 mm long, 0.65 mm wide; widest in anterior third; conically narrowed toward neck; slightly narrowed in middle third; nearly parallel in posterior third; at apical margin approximately 0.8 times as wide as at greatest width; posterior angles rounded; setiferous punctation as deep as on head and as dense as on posterior vertex except wide impunctate midline; adjacent to midline with irregular line of 14 punctures; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Elytra: 0.89 mm long, 0.80 mm wide; distinctly divergent posteriad; humeral angles distinct; posterior angles sub-rectangular; posterior margin slightly emarginate toward suture; setiferous punctation weaker than on pronotum, but as dense; surface with weak microsculpture; less shiny than pronotum. Abdomen densely covered by setiferous punctation; surface with weak transversely reticulate microsculpture; as shiny as elytra. Meso- and metatibia with 2 subapical ctenidia each.

Figures

Fig. 45: Head of L. curtipennis (A), L. floridanus (B), L. dubiosa (C) L. trinitatis (D), L. bierigi (E), L. clavicornis (F). L. bicolor (G), L. compacta (H), L. elegans (I), L. flohri (J), L. surinamensis (K); scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Fig. 50: Fore-body of: Lithocharodes curtipennis (A), L. elegans (B), L. flohri (C), L. surinamensis (D); L. collaris (E); L. somoleptoides (F); scale bare: 0.5 mm.