Lithocharis socotrana, Assing, 2015

Assing, Volker, 2015, A revison of the Lithocharis species of the Palaearctic, Oriental and Australian regions (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Medonina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (2), pp. 1133-1178 : 1140-1142

Lithocharis socotrana nov.sp. ( Figs 17-21 )

Type material: Holotype ♂: " Yemen, Soqotra Is., 2.-3.xii.2003, Dixam plat.: Wadi Esgego , N 12°28'09'' E 54°00'36'', 300 m [GPS], Jan Farkač lgt. / Yemen - Soqota 2003 Expedition, Jan Farkač, Petr Kabátek & David Král / Holotypus ♂ Lithocharis socotrana sp. n. det. V. Assing 2014" ( NMP) . Paratypes: 3♂♂, 1♀: " Yemen, Sokotra, Dixam plateau, Firmihin, 12°29'N, 54°01'E, 490 m, Dracaena forest, 15.-16.XI.2010, leg. Hlaváč " ( cAss) ; 1♂: " Yemen, Soqotra Is. , Hadiboh env., 21.xi.-12.xii.2003, N 12°65'02'' [sic] E 54°02'04'', ca 10-100 m [GPS], leg. P. Kabátek / Yemen - Soqotra 2003 Expedition, Jan Farkač, Petr Kabátek & David Král " ( cAss) ; 3♂♂: same data as before, but " David Král lgt." ( cAss) ; 1♂: same data, but " Jan Farkač lgt." ( cAss) ; 1♂: " Yemen, Soqotra Is., 200, 5-6.xii., Noged plain, Qaareh (waterfall), 57 m, N 12°20'10'' E 53°37'56'' [GPS], David Král lgt. / Yemen - Soqota 2003 Expedition, Jan Farkač, Petr Kabátek & David Král " ( cAss) ; 1♂: " Yemen - Sokotra isl. , Noged plain Sharet Halma vill. env. (at light), 12°22'N, 54°05'E, 20 m, 10.-11.XI.2010, Bezděk " ( cAss) ; 1♀: " Yemen, Socotra Island, Noged plain (sand dunes), Sharet Halma vill. env., 12°21.9'N, 54°05.3'E, 20 m, P. Hlaváč leg., 10- 11.xi.2010 " ( NMP) ; 2♂♂: " Yemen - Sokotra isl. , Al Haghier Mts., Scant Mt. env., 1450 m, 12°35'N, 54°02'E 12.-13.XI.2010, Bezděk " ( cAss) ; 1♂: same data as before, but leg. Purchart " ( cAss); 5♂♂, 2♀♀, 1 ex.: " Yemen, Socotra Island, Firmihin , 400-500 m, 12°28'27''N, 54°0'54''E, 6.-7.ii.2010, at light, L. Purchart & J. Vybíral leg." ( NMP); 2♂♂, 1♀, 1 ex.: " Yemen, Socotra Island, Dixam plateau, 14.-15.vi.2012, Firmihin , Dracaena woodland, 12°28.6'N, 54°01.1'E, 490 m / Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg." ( NMP, cAss); 1 ex.: " Yemen, Socotra Island, Dixam plateau, Wadi Zerig , pools, Juncus marsh, Dracaena trees, cave 13.-14.vi.2012, 12°29.6'N, 53°59.5'E, 655 m / Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg." ( NMP): 1 ex.: " Yemen, Socotra Island, Kazazhan area , shrubland on limestone, sifting, 10.vi.2012, 12°33.8'N, 54°19.8'E, 540 m / Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg." ( NMP); 2♂♂: " Yemen, Socotra Island, Aloove area , Aloove vill. env., Jatropha unicostata shrubland with Boswellia elongata trees, 19.- 20.vi.2012, 12°31.2'N, 54°07.4'E, 221 m / Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg." ( NMP, cAss); 1♂: " Yemen, Socotra Island, Noged plain, Abataro , border of sand dunes and shrubland, 12.-13.vi.2012, 12°21.2'N, 54°03.4'E, 20 m / Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg." ( cAss); 1♂, 1♀: " Yemen, Socotra Island, Delisha vill. 3 env., Jatropha unicostata shrubland, at light, 8.vi.2012, 12°41.2'N, 54°07.7'E, 36 m / Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg." ( NMP, cAss); 1♂: " Yemen, Socotra Island, Deiqub cave , 12.vi.2012, cave & Croton socotranus + Jatropha unicostata shrubland, 12°23.1'N, 54°00.9'E, 115 m / Socotra expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg." ( cAss); 1♀: " Socotra ( Yemen), Zam Hom , 7.IV.2008 at lamp, leg. A. Carapezza " ( NMP). Numerous additional paratypes recorded in ASSING (2012) as " Lithocharis sp. aff. mateui " in NMP .

Etymology: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from Socotra, the name of the Yemenitic island where the species was discovered.

Description: Body length 4.0- 5.5 mm; length of forebody 2.3-2.6 mm. Coloration: head blackish-brown to black; pronotum pale-reddish to brown; elytra yellowish; abdomen dark-reddish to dark-brown, with the margins of the segments reddish; legs yellowish; antennae reddish.

Head ( Fig. 17 ) weakly transverse, not distinctly dilated behind eyes; punctation very dense and fine. Eyes large, distinctly longer than postocular portion in dorsal view. Antennae 1.3-1.4 mm long; preapical antennomeres weakly transverse.

Pronotum ( Fig. 17 ) approximately as wide as long or indistinctly transverse, as broad as, or slightly broader than head; posterior angles rounded, weakly marked; punctation similar to that of head; midline usually without narrow impunctate band; interstices without microsculpture.

Elytra ( Fig. 17 ) 1.05-1.10 times as long as pronotum; punctation very dense and fine. Hind wings present. Protarsomeres I-IV very indistinctly dilated. Metatarsomere I slightly longer than II, but distinctly shorter than the combined length of II and III.

Abdomen narrower than elytra; punctation fine and very dense; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

♂: sternite VII ( Fig. 18 ) moderately transverse, posterior margin with a broad comb composed of approximately 35 moderately long palisade setae; sternite VIII ( Fig. 19 ) approximately as long as broad or very weakly transverse, with dense pubescence everywhere, posterior excision shallow, very broadly V-shaped, margin of this excision in the middle with short, thin, and sparse setae, laterally with somewhat longer, stouter, and denser setae; aedeagus ( Figs 20-21 ) approximately 0.75 mm long, with internal structures of characteristic shape.

Comparative notes: Fromthe similar, sympatric L. mateui , L. socotrana is distinguished particularly by the shape and chaetotaxy of the male sternite VIII (much shallower posterior excision with longer and more slender marginal setae) and by the morphology of the aedeagus (larger; ventral process and internal structures differently shaped).

Distribution and natural history: The known distribution is confined to the Yemenitic island Socotra. Part of the type material was reported as L. cf. mateui in ASSING (2012b). The specimens were collected at altitudes from near sea-level to 1450 m, partly at light sources.

Figures

Figs 17-21: Lithocharis socotrana nov.sp.: (17) forebody; (18) male sternite VII; (19) male sternite VIII; (20-21) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 17: 1.0 mm; 18-21: 0.2 mm.