Pseudobironium conspectum, Lobl & Liang Tang, 2013

Löbl, Ivan & Tang, Liang, 2013, A review of the genus Pseudobironium Pic (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scaphidiinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 120 (4), pp. 665-734 : 720-722

Pseudobironium conspectum sp. nov. Figs 84-86

HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, NEPAL, Kosi, Arun Valley below Mun , 1050m, 22.IV.84, leg. I. Löbl & A. Smetana ( MHNG).

PARATYPES: NEPAL, Kosi, Arun Valley below Mun , 1050m, 22.IV.84, 2 Ƌ leg. I. Löbl & A. Smetana ( MHNG) . – Central Nepal , Narayani SW Sauraha, Royal Chitwan Nat. Park 180m, 27°34'51''N 84°29'30''E 15.VII.2001 KL/HF, 1 Ƌ leg. A. Kopetz ( NMEC) . – INDIA, Tamil Nadu, Anamalai Hills Cinchona 3500 ft. V.1965, 2 Ƌ leg. P. S. Nathan ( MHNG) . – Tamil Nadu, "Nilgiri Hills, H. L. Andrewes ravin 3500 ft. ", 1 Ƌ ( NMPC) . – Kerala, Vattiar, Cardamom Hills 1000m, 10 km SW Munnar 5-17.XII.93, 77°01'E 10°02'N, 1 ♀ leg. D. Boukal & Z. Kejval ( MHNG) . – Kerala, Cardamom Hills, Pamba env., ca 50 km NW of Pathanamthitta, valley of Pambayiar river , 77°05'E 9°25'N ca 300m, 15-18.V.1999, 1 Ƌ, 3 ♀ leg. Z. Kejval & M. Trýzna ( MHNG) . – West Bengal, Darjeeling Distr. labelled "British Bootan Maria Basti 1899" 2 Ƌ, and with the same data but "1900", 1 Ƌ ( NMPC, MHNG) . – MYANMAR, " Tenasserim Coll. Helfer ", 1 Ƌ ( NMPC) ; Kachim State, Indawgyi Lake , 7 km S Lonton 25°02'42''N 96°16'52''E 20-25.V.1999, ca 250m, flight intercept trap, 5 Ƌ, 7 ♀ leg. H. Schillhammer & R. Schuh ( NHMW, MHNG) . – THAILAND, Ranong Prov., Ranong: Hot Springs , 9°56'N 98°40'E, 23- 25.II.1996, 1 Ƌ leg. K. Majer ( NHMB) . – LAOS, Central, Prov . Viangchan, Phou Khao Khouay Nat. Park, Nam Leuk, env. Tad Leuk Waterf. , 1.-8.VI. 1996, 200m, flight intercept trap, 1 Ƌ leg. H. Schillhammmer ( NHMW) . – Kham Mouan Prov., Ban Khoung Ngeum , ca 200m, 18°07'N 104°29'E, 19-31.V.2001, 5 Ƌ, 7 ♀ leg. P. Pacholátko and 4 ♀, with the same data but 24- 29.IV.2001 ( NHMB, MHNG) . – Phongsaly Prov., 21°41-2'N 102°06-08'E, 28.V.-20.VI.2003, env . Phongsaly, ca 1500m, 2 ♀ leg. V. Kubáň ( NHMB) . – Phongsaly Prov., 21°41''N 102°06- 08'E, env. Phongsaly, ca 1500m, 6-17.V.2004, 4 ♀ leg. V. Kubáň ( NHMB, MHNG) . – Phongsaly Prov., 21°21'N 102°04'E, 19-26.V. 2004, ca 1150m, 1 Ƌ leg. V. Kubáň ( NHMB) . – Phongsaly Prov., 21°21'N 102°03'E, Ban Sano Mai, 19-26.V. 2004, ca 1150m, 1 ♀ leg. V. Kubáň ( NHMB) . – Khammouan Prov., 18°07'N 104°29'E, Ban Khoum Ngeun, ca 200m, 24-29.IV.2001, 7 ♀ leg. V. Kubáň ( NHMB, MHNG) . – N. Laos, Louangphrabang, 11-22.V.2002, 19°35'N 101°58'E, Thong Khan, 1 ♀ leg. V. Kubáň ( NHMB) . – Champassak Prov., near Paksé , 1 Ƌ ( MHNG) ; CHINA, S. Yunnan (Xishuangbanna) 25km NW Jinghong vic. Zjong Zhi Chang , 22°11'06''N 100°39'05''E, 780m, 28.VI.2008 MF, rubb. plant., 1 Ƌ leg. A. Weigel ( NMEC) .

DESCRIPTION: Length 3.00- 3.60 mm, width 2.20-2.65 mm. Head and body dark reddish-brown to almost black. Apical abdominal segments, femora and tibiae as dark as body or somewhat lighter. Tarsi, maxillary palpi, and antennae light brown. Maxillary palpi with palpomere IV tapering, about 4 times as long as wide. Length FIGS 84-87

(84-86) Pseudobironium conspectum sp. nov., aedeagus in dorsal (84) and lateral (86) views, internal sac (85) in dorsal view; scale bar for aedeagus = 0.2 mm, for internal sac = 0.1 mm. (87) Pseudobironium convexum sp. nov., aedeagus in lateral view; scale bar = 0.2 mm.

ratio of antennomeres as II 13: III 11: IV 20: V 20: VI 15: VII 19: VIII 18: IX 19: X 17: XI 23; antennomere XI about four times as long as wide. Head with fine and dense punctation. Pronotal punctation distinctly coarser than that on head, dense, with punctures not well delimited, puncture intervals usually about twice to three times as large as puncture diameters. Elytra lacking subapical hump and lateral impression. Elytral punctation near base about as fine pronotal punctation, on most surfaces distinctly coarser, with fairly well delimited punctures and intervals mostly about twice to three times as large as puncture diameters. Prohypomera very finely punctate, appearing smooth. Mesoventrite without median ridge, extremely finely punctate, very finely striate near margin. Metaventrite in middle almost flat, coarsely punctate except on narrow smooth mesal area, without microsculpture, often with two minute spinelike protuberances near middle. Lateral parts of metaventrite very finely punctate. Submesocoxal area about as long as third of shortest interval to metacoxa. Metacoxal process impunctate or with few punctures in middle, punctulate microsculpture and indistinct basomedian tubercle, margin truncate. Mesotibiae and metatibiae strongly curved, mesotibial ventral spur straight. Abdominal sternite 1 very finely punctate, with large lateral impressions, strigulate microsculpture evanescent basolaterally, appearing often punctulate on basolateral areas. Following sternites very finely punctate, with strigulate microsculpture and basal wrinkles often obsolete.

Male. Protarsus slightly shorter than protibia, protarsomeres 1 to 3 strongly widened, somewhat narrower than apex of protibia, bearing long tenent setae. Aedeagus (Figs 84-86) 1.30-1.60 mm long, strongly sclerotized. Median lobe strongly sclerotized, with basal bulb large, about as long as apical process, latter narrowed apically, inflexed, with ventral side convex in basal half, weakly concave in apical half, tip hardly bent and stout in lateral view. Apical process with lateral tubercles. Parameres wide near base, gradually narrowed apically, with upper and lower margins sinuate near apices. Internal sac with long mesal guide-sclerites, pair of small, mesally bent sclerites, pair of conical lateral sclerites, each with fairly long, invaginated rod. Membranes of internal sac with very fine scale-like structures, lacking strigulate structures.

DISTRIBUTION: India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Yunnan.

ETYMOLOGY: Latin adjective, referring to distinct diagnostic characters.

COMMENTS: The species was referred to in Löbl, 1982a: 159 as “spec. indet. a” and it was reported from Nepal in Löbl (1992: 504), identified as P. castaneum Pic. It is similar to P. carinense , P. convexum and P. grossum . The males may be distinguished from these species by the shape of the parameres. In addition, the internal sac with a pair of mesally curved sclerites and lacking strigulate structures separates the species from P. grossum . The presence of minute spine-like metasternal protuberances is a unique feature, not present in all examined specimens. The females are associated when collected together with males, if no other similar species is known from the same locality.