Neosclerus obscurus, Assing, 2013

Assing, V., 2013, A revision of Neosclerus CAMERON III. Two new species from India and Laos, and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (2), pp. 1549-1559 : 1555-1557

Neosclerus obscurus nov.sp.

( Figs 9-17 , Map 3 )

Type material: Holotype: " India: Assam #9d, North Cachar Hills dist., Mt. Borail , Borail Peak-Notun Leikul , 1550 m, 20.x.2005, 25°06'51''N, 93°03'07''E / sifting moist broadleaf litter in mixed forest, Cuccodoro & Marletta / Holotypus Neosclerus obscurus sp.n. det. V. Assing 2013" ( MHNG).

Etymology: The name (Latin, adjective: dark) refers to the blackish-brown legs and antennae, one of the characters distinguishing this species from its congeners.

Description: Body length 4.2 mm; length of forebody 2.25 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 9 . Coloration: body black; legs and antennae blackish-brown.

Head ( Fig. 10 ) distinctly transverse, nearly 1.2 times as broad as long; punctation coarse and moderately dense; interstices distinct, but narrower than diameter of punctures, without microsculpture. Eyes large, but not reaching posterior margin of head; postocular portion short, but noticeable.

Pronotum ( Fig. 10 ) approximately as long as broad and approximately 0.85 times as wide as head; punctation similar to that of head; impunctate midline of moderate breadth; interstices without microsculpture and glossy.

Elytra ( Fig. 10 ) approximately 0.9 times as long as pronotum; punctation dense, moderately defined, and rather fine. Hind wings fully developed. Metatarsomere I longer than II, but shorter than the combined length of II and III.

Abdomen nearly as broad as elytra; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

: sternite VII ( Fig. 11 ) weakly transverse and with dense pubescence, posterior margin indistinctly concave in the middle, at posterior margin with row of rather long black marginal setae, these setae directed diagonally postero-mediad in the middle; sternite VIII ( Fig. 17 ) distinctly oblong, posterior excision V-shaped and of moderate size, anterior portion of sternite and pubescence unmodified; aedeagus ( Figs 12-15 ) 0.77 mm long and slender; ventral process long, straight, apically hooked, and weakly sclerotized; internal sac with long series of minute spines ( Fig. 16 ).

Comparative notes: Based on the synapomorphically derived morphology of the aedeagus, N. obscurus is closely allied to N. fortepunctatus CAMERON 1924 , N. dupleseriatus , and N. barbatus ASSING 2011 . It differs from all of them by the shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus, by the dark colour of the legs and antennae, and additionally as follows:

from N. barbatus by the denser pubescence of the male sternites VII and VIII and by the sparse and less coarse punctation of the head and pronotum;

from N. dupleseriatus by the shorter marginal setae of the male sternite VII and the smaller posterior excision of the male sternite VIII;

from N. fortepunctatus by the less coarse and less dense punctation of the head and pronotum.

For illustrations of the compared species see ASSING (2011a).

Distribution and bionomics: The type locality is situated in Assam, Northeast India ( Map 3 ). The holotype was sifted from moist leaf litter in a mixed forest at an altitude of 1550 m.

Figures

Map 3: Distributions of Neosclerus dupleseriatus ASSING (circles), N. brevipennis (CAMERON) (filled triangles: male-based records; open triangle: female-based record), N. assamensis (CAMERON) (diamonds), and N. obscurus nov.sp. (star).

Figs 9-16: Neosclerus obscurus nov.sp.: (9) habitus; (10) forebody; (11) male sternite VII; (12-13) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (14) apical portion of aedeagus in lateral view; (15) apical portion of aedeagus in ventral view; (16) internal structures of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 9: 1.0 mm; 10: 0.5 mm; 11-13: 0.2 mm; 14-16: 0.1 mm.

Figs 17-21: Neosclerus obscurus nov.sp. (Fig. 17) and N. assamensis (CAMERON) (Figs 18-21): (17, 19) male sternite VIII; (18) male sternite VII; (20-21) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.