Orphnebius ancorarius, Assing, 2011

Assing, V., 2011, A new species of Orphnebius MOTSCHULSKY from Nepal (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Lomechusini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (1), pp. 275-278 : 276-278

Orphnebius ancorarius nov.sp. ( Figs 1-7 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: " Nepal 321 Ilam Dist. , Gitang Khola Valley, 11.- 13.IV.1988, 1750 m, leg. W. Schawaller / Holotypus Orphnebius ancorarius sp.n. det. V. Assing 2009".

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 3.9 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Coloration: head and pronotum black; elytra blackish-brown, with the suture and the posterior margins diffusely paler; abdomen bright reddish; legs reddish; antennae dark-brown, with the basal four antennomeres reddish.

Head approximately 1.4 times as broad as long ( Fig. 3 ); median dorsal portion glossy and impunctate; sparse long setae suberect, directed mediad, and present only in lateral and in posterior portion. Eyes enormous and strongly bulging, extending to the broadly convex posterior margin; dorsal and posterior surface not meeting at a distinct angle. Antenna ( Fig. 4 ) almost symmetric; antennomeres IV-XI somewhat flattened; IV weakly transverse; V-X of increasing width and increasingly transverse; X approximately twice as wide as long; XI slightly shorter than the combined length of VIII-X.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) rather strongly convex in cross-section, moderately transverse, approximately 1.3 times as wide as long and 1.05 times as wide as head, widest posteriorly; posterior angles weakly marked; disc impunctate, punctation present only at margins; lateral margins each with four long black setae of approximately 1/4 the length of pronotum, one in anterior angle, one in posterior angle, and two in the middle between them.

Elytra ( Fig. 2 ) posteriorly approximately 1.55 times as wide, and at suture approximately 0.85 times as long as pronotum, distinctly widened posteriad; punctation very sparse and fine; microsculpture absent; pubescence suberect, long, and whitish. Hind wings fully developed. Legs long and slender; metatarsomere I approximately as long as combined length of II-III.

Abdomen wedge-shaped, widest at segment III, gradually and distinctly tapering posteriad; integument without microsculpture; paratergites of segments III-VI sharply edged and strongly elevated; tergites III-VI impunctate except for four setiferous punctures at posterior margins of tergites; posterior 2/3 of tergite VII with oblong puncture-like sculpture, near posterior margin with few short setae; posterior margin of tergite VII with distinct palisade fringe; tergite VIII impunctate, except for two rows of (eight each) submarginal and marginal punctures bearing black setae.

: sternite VIII with broadly convex posterior margin, with two transverse rows of eight black submarginal setae; segments IX-X modified, with dense and long black pubescence; median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 5-7 ) approximately 0.65 mm long, apex of ventral process of conspicuous shape, somewhat anchor-shaped; paramere (somewhat malformed in the holotype) with the condylite approximately as long as the paramerite.

: unknown.

C o m m e n t: The paramere, which is of considerable taxonomic significance in Orphnebius , is unfortunately malformed, probably as a result of post-mortem treatment. However, the the characteristic morphology of the median lobe of the aedeagus provides sufficient characters for a reliable identification of the species.

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective, derived from the noun ancora = anchor) alludes to the conspicuous shape of the apex of the ventral process of the aedeagus.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Based on the external and the sexual characters, the new species undoubtedly belongs to the O. hauseri subgroup as defined by ASSING (2006a). It is readily distinguished from other Palaearctic Orphnebius species particularly by the conspicuous shape of the apex of the ventral process of the aedeagus. For

illustrations of the external and sexual characters of the Orphnebius species previously known from the Himalaya see ASSING (2006a, 2009).

In order to account for O. ancorarius , as well as the recently described O. paucisetosus

ASSING 2009, the key to the Himalayan representatives of Orphnebius in ASSING (2006 a)

is modified as follows:

9 Lateral margins of the pronotum without long black setae.: ventral process of aedeagus long and slender, apically bent dorsad in lateral view and somewhat truncate in ventral view (ASSING 2009: Figs 43-45); paramere as in ASSING (2009: Fig. 46). Eastern Nepal.................................................................................. O. paucisetosus ASSING

- Lateral margins of pronotum with long black setae.: primary sexual characters different.............................................................................................................................9a

9a: ventral process of aedeagus relatively short, its apex dilated on either side in ventral view and distinctively shaped in lateral view ( Figs 5-7 ). Eyes very large ( Fig. 3 ). Antennae symmetric ( Fig. 4 ). Eastern Nepal..................................... O. ancorarius ASSING

-: ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view acutely narrowed apically in ventral view and differently shaped also in lateral view. Eyes often less large and antennae often more or less distinctly asymmetric...........................................................................9b

9b: paramerite of paramere apically with conspicuous long styliform or dagger-shaped process (Assing 2006a: Figs 6 , 43)...................................................................................10

-: paramerite of paramere apically without process or with process of different shape.........11

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: The type locality is situated in Ilam district, eastern Nepal. The holotype was collected at an altitude of 1750 m. Additional bionomic data are not available.

Figures

Figs 1-7: Orphnebius ancorarius nov.sp.: (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) head; (4) antenna; (5-6) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (7) ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2-4: 0.5 mm; 5-7: 0.1 mm.