Homalota serrata (Assing) Kim, Yoon-Ho & Ahn, Kee-Jeong, 2014

Kim, Yoon-Ho & Ahn, Kee-Jeong, 2014, Taxonomy of the genus Homalota Mannerheim in Korea (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), ZooKeys 447, pp. 109-123 : 114-115

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Homalota serrata (Assing) comb. n. Figs 5, 30- 36

Anomognathus serratus Assing, 2011: 306.

Specimens examined.

KOREA: Gangwon Prov., Sokcho-city, Mt. Seolak, Hwaamsa, 21 vi 2002, SJ Park, CW Shin, ex fungus on log (1♂ on slide); Gyeongnam Prov., Sacheon-si, Guam, 16 v 1986, KS Lee (2♀♀); Jeju Prov., Wimiri, 29 iii 1985, KS Lee, under bark (1♀); Tongyeong-si, Sanyang-eup, minam-ri, 34°46'20.69"N, 128°24'44.03"E 135, 15 IV 2011, YH Kim, under bark (1♂).

Description.

Body (Fig. 5) length about 1.4-2.0 mm. Body dorsoventrally strongly flattened, parallel-sided; surface glossy, slightly pubescent; yellowish brown, head and abdominal tergite VI dark brown. Head. (Fig. 30) Subquadrate; eyes moderate in size, almost as long as tempora; antennomeres 5-10 transverse; incrassate toward. Mouthparts. Labrum transverse, 7 pairs of macrosetae present; α-sensillum with a setose process, β and γ minute and conical, ε with a minute setose process, two lateral sensilla present on lateral margins of epipharynx, transverse row of sensory pores absent on basal region of epipharynx; right mandible with median tooth, prostheca well developed, divided into 3 distinct area; maxillary palpomere 2 and 3 dilated distally, 4 without small spines at apex; labium with ligula moderate in length and bifid at half, as long as labial palpomere 1, labial palpomere 1 longer than 2, two medial setae present on prementum, contiguous, side by side, median pseudopore field of prementum narrow and with pseudopores, mentum slightly emarginated in anterior margin. Thorax. Pronotum slightly transverse, about 1.2 times wider than long, widest at apical third, surface pubescent, directed posteriorly in narrow median strip and directed postero-laterally to laterally in lateral area; hypomeron broadly visible in lateral aspect; prosternum with a median knob; elytra slightly wider than pronotum, postero-laterally slightly sinuate; mesoventrite (Fig. 31) without longitudinal carina, mesoventral process narrow, apex acute; metaventral process round at apex, almost as long as mesoventral process; isthmus present; mesocoxae narrowly separated; tarsomere 1 as long as 2 in front leg, 1 longer than 2 in middle and hind legs, without empodial seta between tarsal claws. Abdomen. Tergites III–V transversely impressed; medial setal patch of tergite X with medial setal patch subquadrate, with transverse row of setae anteriorly. Genitalia. Spermatheca (Fig. 34) simple and round at base; median lobe (Fig. 35) elongate, bulbous at base, apical process slender and short, distinctly shorter than basal bulb, flagellum well sclerotized and short; paramere (Fig. 36) with apical lobe of paramerite subcylindrical, with four setae, 2 setae longer than others, condylite shorter than in length to apex of paramerite. Secondary sexual characteristics. Posterior margin of male tergite VIII (Fig. 32) with two long lateral processes, apex acute, median area with 4 short and broad processes, several long spines placed between them, posterior margin of female tergite VIII (Fig. 33) truncate and serrate.

Distribution.

Korea (South), China (Zhejiang).

Remarks.

Homalota serrata can be distinguished from other Palearctic Homalota species by the following features: body slightly pubescent, head as wide as pronotum, male tergite VII without tubercles and distinct structure of tergite VIII in both sexes.

Assing (2011) described Anomognathus serratus from China (Zhejiang Province). However, we propose that Anomognathus serratus be placed in the genus Homalota , based on the following characters: infraorbital carinae complete; medial setae of prementum contiguous; scutellum posteromedially round; mesocoxae narrowly separated; isthmus distinctly less than half of the mesocoxae length. According to article 34.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), the name serratus must agree in gender with the generic name Homalota Mannerheim (feminine); therefore, it is corrected to serrata.