Panscopaeus SHARP , 1889

Assing, Volker, 2011, A revision of Panscopaeus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 61 (2), pp. 389-411 : 391-392

The genus Panscopaeus SHARP, 1889

Panscopaeus SHARP, 1889: 262 ; type species by monotypy: Scopaeus lithocharoides SHARP, 1874 . Medostilicus COIFFAIT, 1982: 101 f.; type species by original designation: M. deharvengi COIFFAIT, 1982 ;

syn. n.

Comment:

An examination of the type material of the type species of Medostilicus , M. deharvengi , revealed that it undoubtedly belongs to Panscopaeus . No significant differences were found suggesting that Medostilicus deharvengi should be distinct from P. lithocharoides , the type species of Panscopaeus . Hence the new synonymy proposed above.

Redescription:

Species of rather small and uniform size, body length usually 3.5-5 mm. Coloration reddish to dark-brown.

Head more or less strongly transverse; posterior margin distinctly concave in dorsal view (e.g., Fig. 37 ); punctation fine and dense; interstices with (e.g., Fig. 8 ) or without ( Fig. 62 ) microreticulation. Neck conspicuously narrow, approximately 0.15-0.20 times as wide as head (e.g., Fig. 37 ). Eyes large and distinctly convex, 0.8-1.2 times as long as postocular portion in dorsal view. Antennae (Fig. 24) moderately slender; antennomere I approximately as long as, or slightly longer than the combined length of II and III; II approximately 1.5 times as long as wide and only slightly narrower than I; III about twice as long as wide, approximately as long as or slightly longer than II, but somewhat more slender than II; IV usually distinctly, V weakly oblong; preapical antennomeres approximately as long as wide, at most very weakly transverse. Gular sutures very narrowly separated posteriorly and strongly diverging anteriad. Mouthparts: labrum with anterior margin in the middle excised, on either side of the excision distinctly dentate ( Figs 4-5 ); labium as in Fig. 6 ; maxillary palpus with the preapical palpomere slender, at least slightly more than twice as long as broad, and apical palpomere short and needle-shaped; left mandible with one, right mandible with two pronounced teeth ( Figs 7-8 ).

Pronotum (e.g., Figs 2 , 23) weakly transverse or approximately as long as wide, and usually slightly narrower than head, moderately convex in cross-section; lateral margins subparallel or weakly converging posteriad, straight or weakly convex; anterior margin produced anteriad in the middle ( Figs 2 , 32 , 37 ); posterior angles weakly marked; punctation very fine and dense, often barely noticeable in the microsculpture ( Figs 9 , 36, 39 ); interstices usually with, rarely (one species) without distinct microreticulation; midline often narrowly glossy at least in posterior half.

Elytra 0.9-1.1 times as long as, and distinctly broader than pronotum; humeral angles marked; punctation usually more distinct than that of head and pronotum. Hind wings usually fully developed. Legs moderately slender; tarsi unmodified (i.e., not dilated) and without sexual dimorphism; metatarsomere I longer than two, at most as long as the combined length of II and III.

Abdomen usually slightly narrower than, rarely approximately as wide as elytra, widest at segment V; tergites III-V anteriorly with shallow transverse impression; punctation very dense and fine; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe; posterior margin of tergite VIII convex.

♂: sternite VII not distinctly modified, at most with very shallowly concave posterior margin; sternite VIII with unmodified pubescence, posterior margin of variable shape, convexly produced to strongly excised in the middle; aedeagus with asymmetric or symmetric, often bifid ventral process, the latter weakly separated from the capsule; parameres absent; internal sac with more or less membranous, or with sclerotized basal and with distinctly sclerotized apical structures; dorsal plate slender.

♀: sternite VIII with broadly convex posterior margin.

Systematic position:

PanscopaeusPanscopaeus is currently placed in the subtribe Medonina (SMETANASMETANA 2004) , probably based on the external resemblance (size, punctation and microsculpture of forebody, etc.) with genera such as Medon STEPHENS, 1833 and Lithocharis DEJEAN, 1833 . An examination of the mouthparts, other external characters, as well as of the male sexual characters, however, revealed that the genus refers to the Stilicina . The mandibles (apices elongated, long, and acute; left mandible with one, right mandible with two pronounced teeth), maxilla, labium, and labrum (anterior margin in the middle excised; on either side of the excision distinctly dentate) are quite similar to those of Rugilus LEACH, 1829 , the type genus of Stilicina . Also, the neck is conspicuously narrow (as is the case in stilicine genera), and the gular sutures are very narrowly separated posteriorly and strongly diverging anteriad. Moreover, the anterior margin of the pronotum is elongated (towards the neck) in the middle. Finally, the aedeagus is of similar general morphology as in some species of Rugilus (especially orbiculatusorbiculatus group).

Identification:

Aside from P. cameroni , a reliable identification is usually possible only based on the male primary and secondary sexual characters. In external characters, most species are very uniform, and some of them are subject to considerable intraspecific variation.

Distribution and diversity:

PanscopaeusPanscopaeus is widespread in the Oriental and the southern East Palaearctic regions, its distribution ranging from the southern slopes of the Himalaya southwards to Malaysia and eastwards to Japan. Based on the present revision, the genus is currently represented by seven described species. There is no evidence that any of them have restricted distributions, except perhaps for P. formosanus .

Natural history:

Owing to the scarcity of recent records, little is known about the biology of PanscopaeusPanscopaeus species. Most of the recently collected specimens have been sifted from the leaf litter of forest biotopes. The altitudes range from 300 to 2500 m.

The species of Panscopaeus

Figures

Figs 35-43: Panscopaeus formosanus (35-36) and P. andrewesi, lectotype (37-43): median dorsal portion of head (35, 38); median portion of pronotum (36); forebody (37); posterior portion of pronotum (39); male sternite VIII (40); aedeagus in lateral view (41); aedeagus in ventral view (42); apical portion of aedeagus in dorsal view (43). Scale bars: 37: 0.5 mm; 40-43: 0.2 mm; 35-36, 38-39: 0.1 mm.

Figs 1-11: Panscopaeus lithocharoides: habitus (1); forebody (2); median dorsal portion of head (3); labrum (4); anterior median portion of labrum (5); ligula (6); left and right mandible (7-8); median dorsal portion of pronotum (9); male sternite VIII (10-11). Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2: 0.5 mm; 10-11: 0.2 mm; 3-9: 0.1 mm.

Figs 61-67: Panscopaeus cameroni: forebody (61); median dorsal portion of head (62); median portion of pronotum (63); male sternite VIII (64); aedeagus in lateral view (65); aedeagus in ventral view (66); apical portion of aedeagus in ventral view (67). Scale bars: 61: 0.5 mm; 64-66: 0.2 mm; 62-63, 67: 0.1 mm.

Figs 31-34: Panscopaeus formosanus: habitus (31); forebody (32); aedeagus in lateral view (33); aedeagus in ventral view (34). Scale bars: 31: 1.0 mm; 32: 0.5 mm; 33-34: 0.2 mm.