Zyras (Zyras) championi CAMERON, 1939

Assing, Volker, 2017, On Zyras sensu strictu in the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions, with a focus on the faunas of the Himalaya, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Sulawesi (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Lomechusini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 67 (1), pp. 117-192 : 130-131

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.21248/contrib.entomol.67.1.117-192
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FD33C1AE-F7D9-4E3A-A053-A2CAA7261CFE
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5888505
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A787BA-FFCC-E53C-531A-84DB61B5F935
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Zyras (Zyras) championi CAMERON, 1939
status

Treatment

Zyras (Zyras) championi CAMERON, 1939 View in CoL

( Figs 7 View Figs 1–41 , 46 View Figs 42–54 , 87 View Figs 82–99 , Map 1 View Map 1 )

Zyras (Zyras) championi CAMERON, 1939a: 537 View in CoL

Type material examined: Syntypes: 1 ♀: “Theog 7600', Simla Hills . / Dr. Cameron. 11.IX.1921. / Championi Cam Type / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147 / Syntype” (BMNH); 1 ♀: “Nainital, Kumaon, U.P., India. H.G.C. / Myrmedonia (Zyras) [specific epithet illegible] Ch / E.M.M. 1921. det. G.C.C. / 1921-141. / Championi Cam. / Syntype / Syntype Zyras championi Cam. , det. R.G. Booth 2016” ( BMNH) .

Comment: The original description is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from “Simla Hills: Theog, alt. 7000 feet. Kumaun: Naini Tal” ( CAMERON 1939a). Two syntypes were located in the Cameron collection at the BMNH. Since both of them are females and clearly conspecific, a lectotype is not designated.

Redescription: Relatively large species: body length 6.7–7.0 mm; length of forebody 3.0– 3.1 mm. Coloration distinctive ( Figs 7 View Figs 1–41 , 46 View Figs 42–54 , 87 View Figs 82–99 ): head and pronotum black; elytra reddish-yellow, with the postero-lateral portions sharply black; abdomen distinctly bicoloured: tergites II black, III–IV pale-reddish, V black with the anterior margin and the antero-lateral portions pale-reddish, VI black with the antero-lateral portions reddish, and VII–X pale-reddish; legs yellow; antennae blackishbrown to blackish, with (the apical half of) antennomere XI slightly paler; maxillary palpi yellowish to yellowishbrown with palpomere III weakly infuscate.

Head ( Fig. 46 View Figs 42–54 ) distinctly transverse, median portion extensively impunctate; punctures in lateral portions sparse and rather fine. Eyes longer than postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna ( Fig. 7 View Figs 1–41 ) 2.3 mm long and rather massive; antennomeres IV–V weakly oblong or as long as broad, VI–X increasingly transverse and of gradually increasing width, X approximately 1.5 times as broad as long, and XI approximately as long as the combined length of IX and X. Pronotum ( Fig. 46 View Figs 42–54 ) approximately 1.15 times as broad as long and approximately 1.3 times as broad as head, broadest in anterior half; punctation rather fine, sparse, and very irregularly distributed, with rather large impunctate areas on either side of midline; midline broadly impunctate.

Elytra ( Fig. 46 View Figs 42–54 ) approximately 0.8 times as long as pronotum; punctation moderately coarse, defined, and very irregularly distributed, rather dense anteriorly and near scutellum, less dense laterally, and very sparse or absent in postero-median portion. Hind wings fully developed. Metatarsomere I approximately as long as the combined length of II–IV.

Abdomen ( Fig. 87 View Figs 82–99 ) nearly as broad as elytra, with moderately deep anterior impressions on tergites III–V; anterior impressions of tergites III–V each with a transverse row of not very dense and mostly weakly defined non-setiferous punctures; tergites III–IV with a lateral setiferous puncture on either side and with four setiferous punctures at posterior margin; tergite V with a lateral setiferous puncture on either side and with six setiferous punctures at posterior margin; tergite VI with a transverse row of non-setiferous punctures anteriorly, with a lateral setiferous puncture on either side, and with six setiferous punctures at posterior margin; tergite VII with a narrow transverse band of non-setiferous punctures anteriorly and with two transverse rows of setiferous punctures in posterior half, posterior margin with palisade fringe; tergite VIII with setiferous punctures only in posterior portion, posterior margin convex and with indistinct concavity in the middle.

♂: unknown.

Comparative notes: This species is readily distinguished from all other Himalayan representatives of similar size by the conspicuous coloration of the abdomen alone.

Distribution: The known distribution is confined to two localities in Uttar Pradesh, North India ( Map 1 View Map 1 ).