Lithocharis latexcisa, 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 : 1169-1170

Lithocharis latexcisa nov.sp.

( Figs 102-109 )

Type material: Holotype ♂: " Nepal, P: Narayani, D: Chitwan, Sauraha , Rapti River nr. Hotel Riverside , 07.VII.2009 / leg. A. Weigel, 160 m NN, N27°34'29'', E84°29'55'' (#66) / Holotypus ♂ Lithocharis latexcisa sp. n. det. V. Assing 2015" ( NME) . Paratypes: 15 exs.: same data as holotype (NME, cAss).

Etymology: The specific epithet is an adjective composed of the Latin adjectives latus (broad) and excisus (excised). It alludes to the broad and deep posterior excision of the male sternite VIII.

Description: Small species; body length 3.1-3.6 mm; length of forebody 1.7-1.8 mm. Coloration: head blackish; remainder of body pale-brown; legs yellowish; antennae yellowish-red.

Head ( Fig. 102 ) approximately 1.05 times as broad as long, of subquadrate shape, with moderately marked posterior angles; lateral margins behind eyes subparallel in dorsal view; punctation extremely dense and very fine. Eyes large and strongly convex, approximately 1.5-1.7 times as long as postocular portion in dorsal view. Antennae ( Fig. 103 ) 1.1-1.2 mm long; preapical antennomeres weakly transverse.

Pronotum ( Fig. 102 ) approximately as broad as long or weakly transverse, approximately as broad as head; posterior angles rounded, weakly marked; punctation very dense and fine, but slightly more distinct than that of head; midline with very narrow impunctate band, in posterior half with fine furrow; interstices without microsculpture.

Elytra ( Fig. 102 ) approximately 0.95 times as long as pronotum; punctation very dense and fine. Hind wings fully developed. Protarsomeres I-IV distinctly dilated. Metatarsomere I nearly as long as the combined length of II and III.

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

♂: sternite VII ( Fig. 104 ) strongly transverse, posterior margin distinctly and broadly concave in the middle and with a comb of approximately 20 moderately long palisade setae, on either side of this comb with a conspicuous tuft of long thin setae directed obliquely postero-mediad; sternite VIII ( Fig. 105 ) strongly transverse and with pronounced posterior excision of subquadrate shape, this excision in the middle of apical margin with a cluster of thin setae, middle of sternite extensively without pubescence, laterally with a longitudinal dense cluster of short setae directed postero-mediad; aedeagus ( Figs 106-109 ) 0.60-0.65 mm long; dorso-lateral apophyses large; internal sac with apical internal structure of distinctive shape.

Comparative notes: This species is characterized by its small size and particularly by the highly distinctive male primary and secondary sexual characters.

Distribution and natural history: The type locality is situated in the south of Central Nepal. The specimens were collected near a river at an altitude of 160 m.

Figures

Figs 102-109: Lithocharis latexcisa nov.sp.: (102) forebody; (103) antenna; (104) male sternite VII; (105) male sternite VIII; (106-107) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; median portion of aedeagus in ventral view (108); dorso-lateral apophysis in lateral view (109). Scale bars: 102: 0.5 mm; 103-107: 0.2 mm; 108-109: 0.1 mm.