Hingstoniella lata Jeannel, 1960

Zi-Wei Yin & Li-Zhen Li, 2015, Review of the Himalayan genus Hingstoniella Jeannel, and description of Besuchetaceus gen. n. from Nepal (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 122 (1), pp. 165-180 : 169

Hingstoniella lata Jeannel, 1960

Figs 3 A, 4-6, 12

Hingstoniella lata Jeannel, 1960: 410 . Type locality: Sikkim, Lachen, alt. 3000 m.

Hingstoniella lata . ‒ Yin et al., 2011: 395 (description, new locality, host record).

Material examined: (23 ♂♂, 23 ♀♀). CHINA (in SNUC): 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, labeled ‘China: Xizang A. R., Neilamu Co., Quxiang (曲乡), alt. 3300 m, nest of Myrmica sp. under rock, 20.vii.2010, Wen-Xuan Bi leg. [1 ex Myrmica each pinned under two males]’. ‒ 1 ♂, 1 ♀, labeled ‘China: Xizang A. R., Yadong Co., Xiayadong (下亚东), alt., 3400 m, nest of Myrmica sp. under rock, 9.viii.2010, Wen-Xuan Bi leg. [1 ex Myrmica pinned under a male]’. ‒ 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, same locality, except 8.viii.2010, 2800 m [1 ex Myrmica pinned under a male]’. ‒ NEPAL (in MHNG): 1 ♂, labeled ‘Thodung via, Those 3100 m, 29.-31.5.1976 / Nepal, W. Wittmer, C. Baroni Urbani / comparé au type / Hingstoniella lata Jeann . Cl. Besuchet dét. XII. 1977’. ‒ 1 ♀, labeled ‘Pokhara 820 m, 15.- 18.6.1976 / Nepal, W. Wittmer, C. Baroni Urbani / Hingstoniella lata Jeann . Cl. Besuchet dét. XII. 1977’. ‒ 1 ♂, labeled ‘NEPAL (Pro. Bagmati), Ridge betw. Mere Dara and Thare Pati, 3500 m, Löbl & Smetana, 9.IV.81 [2 ex. Myrmica pinned under specimen]’. ‒ 1 ♂, labeled ‘Umg, Alm Dugdinma, b. Lughla, 3000- 4000 m, Khumbu, Nepal, lg. Franz [Pa263, overleaf] / Hingstoniella , det. D. S. Chandler’. ‒ 5 ♀♀ [on three pins, each pin also with 2x Myrmica ], labeled ‘NEPAL (Prov. Bagmati), below Jangtang Ridge, NE Barahbise, 3150 m, Löbl & Smetana, 4.V.81 / Hingstoniella ’. ‒ 1 ♀, labeled ‘NEPAL, Khumbu, Periche 4350 m, 29.vi.1963, leg. G. Ebert’. ‒ 1 ♀, labeled ‘NEPAL: Bagmati, Pokhare NE Barahbise, 2800 m, 3.5.81, Löbl - Smetana’. ‒ 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, labeled ‘NEPAL, 9.x.84, Gairi, L. Deharveng’ [according to pers. comm. with L. Deharveng, detail collection data of this material is as following: ‘Nepal: Trekking of Namche Bazar from le Tomba-Kosi: Massif of Hanumante Danda above Jiri. Lieu-dit Gairi, 09/10/84, forest, litter, by hand, Louis Deharveng leg (NEP84-04)’]. ‒ 1 ♀, labeled ‘Gufa- Gorza, 2800-2100 m, 4.VI.1985 / E-Nepal, Koshi, M. Brancucci’. ‒ 1 ♀, labeled ‘E-NEPAL, Dhankuta, Arun Valley, SE des Makalu, Tashigaon, 13.-14.6.1980, leg. C. Holzschuh, 2100 m / 195 ’. ‒ 3 ♂♂, labeled ‘E Nepal, Koshi, Chauki, 2700 m, Holzschuh, 2.vi.85’ [1 ex Myrmica each pinned under 2 males, 2 ex Myrmica under the other male]. ‒ 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, labeled ‘“Bakan” W of Tashigaon 3200 m, 6.IV.1982, A. & Z. Smetana / NEPAL, Khandbari District’ [1 ex Myrmica each pinned under a male and a female]. ‒ INDIA (in MHNG): 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, labeled ‘INDIA: Darjeeling distr., Tongli, 3100 m, 16.x.1978, I, Löbl, Bes., nr. 16a, under stones’ [1 ex Myrmica each pinned under two males and one female]. ‒ 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, labeled ‘INDIA - West Bengal Distr. Darjeeling, Tonglu, 16.X.78, Besuchet- Löbl’.

Each of the above specimens bears an identification label as ‘ Hingstoniella lata Jeannel, 1960 , det. Yin & Li, 2014’.

Description: Male ( Fig. 3 A). BL 3.20-3.41 mm. Body reddish brown; most part of dorsal surface densely hairy.

Head ( Fig. 4 A) distinctly transverse, HL 0.55-0.59 mm, HW 0.74-0.84 mm; vertex slightly convex, modification composed of indistinct punctiform protuberance, foveae located below level of posterior margins of eyes; each eye with about 65 small facets; antennal clubs formed by apical three enlarged antennomeres ( Fig. 4 B). Pronotum transversely octagonal, PL 0.65- 0.74 mm, PW 1.02-1.09 mm, median longitudinal sulcus weakly developed. Elytra wider than long, EL 1.02-1.03 mm, EW 1.28-1.31 mm; shallow discal striae extending to 3/4 of elytral length. Metathoracic wings fully developed. Protibiae ( Fig. 4 C) triangularly projected at mesal margins near apices; mesotrochanters ( Fig. 4 D) with small protuberance at ventral margin; metatrochanters ( Fig. 4 E) with ventral margin protruding to form strong projection. Abdomen wider than long, AL 0.98-1.05 mm, AW 1.17-1.20 mm. Aedeagus ( Fig. 4 F-I) asymmetric, length 0.49-0.52 mm. Female. Similar to male in general appearance, protibiae, mesotrochanters, and metatrochanters lacking protuberance or projection. Each eye with about 45 facets. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 4 J) and sternite VIII ( Fig. 4 K) transverse. Genital complex ( Fig. 4 L) transverse, width 0.37 mm. Measurements: BL 3.09-3.29 mm, HL 0.52- 0.55 mm, HW 0.75-0.81 mm, PL 0.66-0.72 mm, PW 1.06-1.08 mm, EL 0.93-1.00 mm, EW 1.06-1.20 mm, AL 0.98-1.02 mm, AW 1.15-1.17 mm.

Differential diagnosis: Hingstoniella lata can be separated from H. trigona sp. n. described below only by the male vertexal modification with an indistinct punctiform protuberance; in contrast, the male of H. trigona has the vertexal modification represented by a much larger, triangular bump.

Intraspecific variation: While the male vertexal modification and other characters on legs are stable, the form of aedeagus of populations from different localities vary distinctly, especially the dorsal lobe in axial view. When available, at least one male from each locality was dissected to illustrate the intraspecific variation ( Figs 4 F-I, 5, 6).

Biology: Adults of this species were frequently collected from nests of Myrmica ants nesting under rocks.

Distribution: Nepal: Gandaki, Bagmati, Janakpur, Sagarmatha, Koshi; India: Sikkim, West Bengal; China: Xizang ( Fig. 12).