Lithocharodes ecuadoriensis, Irmler, 2021

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 : 41-42

Lithocharodes ecuadoriensis spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D5751DC8-DA8F-4F7E-A57E-3FCB3BE8A990

Figs 27 a-d, 44 H, 48 F

Type material: male, holotype: Ecuador, Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge (76.5 W, 0.5 S), 270 m elev., malaise trap, 14.- 24.5.1994, leg. Hibbs ( KNHM) . Paratypes: 4 females with same data as holotype ( KNHM) ; same location, collector but 1 male, 3 females, 4.-14.3., 14.-24.3., 24.5.- 3.6.1994 (3 KNHM, 1 UIC); same location and collector , 2 females, 13.- 23.4.1994 (2 KNHM) ; Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge (76.5°W, 0.9°S,); 270 m elev., malaise trap , 1 male, 4 females, 24.5.- 3.6.1994, 22.2.- 4.3.1994 leg. Hibbs (4 KNHM, 1 UIC) ; 2 females from same region but flight intercept trap, 21.- 24.3.1999, leg. R. Anderon #ECU1B99047 ( KNHM) ; Napo, Yuturi Lodge, Rio Napo (76°2.18'W, 0°32.54'S), 270 m elev., flight intercept trap, 2 males, 20.- 21.3.1999, leg. R. Brooks, D. Brzoska, #ECU1B99 010 (1 KNHM, 1 UIC); Jatun Sacha Biol. Station (21 km E Puerto Napo, virgin rain forest, flight intercept trap, female, 8.8.1994, leg. F. Génier ( KNHM) ; Zamora-Chinchipe, RioBombuscaro (78°59'W, 4°7'S), flight intercept trap, male, 26.6.- 4.7.1996, leg. P. Hibbs, #ECU1H96 001 ( KNHM) ; Manabi, swamp between S. Antonio and Bachillero (80°10'W, 0°43'S), female, July 2008, leg. W. Rossi ( VAC) .

Diagnosis: Males of L. ecuadoriensis can be easily recognized by the specific shape of sternite VII with its nearly semi-circular emargination in combination with the nearly straight posterior margin of tergite VII. Females are similar to the black coloured and densely punctate species L. nigrita and L. katharinae . They differ from L. nigrita by the shorter elytra. Separation from L. katharinae is nearly impossible in females. The head is slightly less densely punctate than in L. katharinae .

Description: Length: 5.0 mm. Colouration: Dark brown; pronotum, legs and antennae slightly lighter brown.

Head: 0.75 mm long, 0.61 mm wide; eyes large; slightly prominent; postocular sides twice as long as eyes; interantennal furrows deep; reaching anterior third of eyes; setiferous punctation deep and dense; anteriorly slightly denser than close to neck; on vertex, average of interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures; small midline impunctate; space between interantennal lines impunctate except close to lines; surface without microsculpture; glossy. Antennae with first antennomere half as long as head; second and third antennomere longer than wide, conical; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; fourth antennomere nearly twice as wide as long; tenth antennomere nearly 2.5 times as wide as long; all antennomeres pubescent. Pronotum: 0.85 mm long, 0.58 mm wide; widest in anterior third; anteriad, conically narrowed toward neck; in middle third distinctly narrowed, in posterior third slightly narrowed posteriad; posterior angles rounded; setiferous punctation as deep as on head but sparser; on average, interstices between punctures at least as wide as diameter of punctures; wide midline impunctate; irregular line adjacent to midline with 17 to 18 punctures; close to posterior margin impunctate; surface without microsculpture; glossy. Elytra: 0.80 mm long, 0.78 mm wide; humeral angles obtuse but distinct; sides nearly parallel; posterior angles shortly rounded; posterior margin slightly convex with incision at suture; setiferous punctation deep and dense; on average, interstices between punctures half as wide as diameter of punctures; surface with weak isodiametric microsculpture; less shiny than head and pronotum. Abdomen with setiferous punctation as dense as on elytra but much finer; microsculpture transversely striate; deeper than on elytra; surface less shiny than elytra; sternite VII of male with deep semicircular emargination; tergite VII of male with sinuate posterior margin; nearly semi-circular central projection with adjacent emargination. Meso- and metatibiae with two subapical ctenidia each. Aedeagus long-oval with approximately rectangular anterior part; endophallus with two strings with posterior torsion; one string with large lobes in anterior part; second string densely covered by minute teeth; paramere slender and bilobed; inner lobe, straight in basal half; curved in apical half; with numerous setae at inner face; apical setae shorter and finer than basal setae; outer lobe much shorter than inner lobe; sinuate.

Etymology: The species is named after the country where the holotype was collected.

Figures

Fig. 25–30: L.-??-group: Lithocharodes nigrita (25), L. aculeata (26), L. ecuadoriensis (27), L. lescheni (28), L. armata (29), L. ashei (30); aedeagus (a), paramere (b), sternite VII of male (c), tergite VII of male (d); scale bare: A–D: 0.2 mm; B: 0.1 mm.