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)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " 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 3 Lithocharis latexcisa sp. n. det. V. Assing 2015 " (NME). Paratypes: 15 exs.: same data as holotype (NME, cAss).

E t y m o l o g y: 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.

D e s c r i p t i o n: 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.

3: 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.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: This species is characterized by its small size and particularly by the highly distinctive male primary and secondary sexual characters.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Thetypelocalityissituatedin the south of Central Nepal. The specimens were collected near a river at an altitude of 160 m.