Megalopinus creberrimus (L. Benick, 1941)

Mainda, Tobias, 2024, On Oriental species of the genus Megalopinus Eichelbaum, 1915: one new species and taxonomical and biogeographical notes (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Megalopsidiinae), Soil Organisms 96 (1), pp. 37-46 : 44-45

Megalopinus creberrimus (L. Benick, 1941) ( Figs 5A, B )

Specimens examined: male, ‘ Philippines: Mindanao, Dominorog , Bukidnon, Sept. 2022, leg. local collector’ / ‘ Megalopinus creberrimus (L. Benick, 1941) , det. Mainda 2024’ (cTM) .

Note: The examination of a specimen from Dominorog, Bukidnon in Mindanao Island provides a new distribution record for the species which until now was only known from the islands of Palawan and Borneo (Sabah). The intraspecific color variation of this species was already noted by Puthz (2012). However, other diagnostic characters such as the punctation of the elytra, the lateral striae on tergite V and especially the internal structure of the aedeagus ( Puthz 2012: Fig. 85) are more helpful in identifying the specimen as belonging to M. creberrimus . The study of this species makes it necessary to designate a further elytral puncture-row (cf. Mainda 2022): epipleural row (epr) for a row directly lateral to the sublateral row (slr), Fig. 5B .

Description: Habitus as in Fig. 5A . Measurements: BL: 3.30 mm, DE: 0.60 mm, FBL: 2.00 mm, EL: 0.83 mm, EW: 1.08 mm, HW: 1.03 mm, PL: 0.70 mm, PW: 0.85 mm, SL: 0.65 mm. Head and pronotum blackish; elytra with reddish falciform patch in middle of dorsal row on each elytron ( Fig. 5B ); abdomen dark brown, paratergites slightly lightened, basal striae of tergite V extending at most to middle; antennae and legs yellow. Punctures of left elytron: epr (3), slr (6), shr (5), dsr (7), ssr-c (10), str (9); punctures of right elytron: epr (3), slr (7), shr (7), dsr (6), ssr-c (14), str (9).

Figures

Figure 5. Habitus of Megalopinus creberrimus, scale = 1 mm (5A); elytral coloration and puncture rows of M. creberrimus, without scale (5B). epipleural row (epr); sublateral row (slr); subhumeral row (shr); dorsal row (dsr); subsutural-complex (ssr-c); sutural row (str).