Aleochara (Coprochara) binotata Kraatz, 1856

Yamamoto, Shûhei & Maruyama, Munetoshi, 2013, Revision of the Subgenus Coprochara Mulsant & Rey of the Genus Aleochara Gravenhorst from Japan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 3641 (3), pp. 201-222 : 213-215

Aleochara (Coprochara) binotata Kraatz, 1856

Figs. 2 , 8, 10 , 22, 29 , 44

Aleochara (Coprochara) binotata ; Kraatz, 1856: 106 (original description); Klimaszewski, 1984: 22; Lohse, 1986: 95; Lohse, 1989: 237; Welch, 1990: 225; Welch, 1997: 4, 14, 34; Maus, 1998: 91, 96; Maus et al., 1998: 240; Maus & Ashe, 1998 (online); Maus et al., 2001: 206; Smetana, 2004: 355; Assing & Schülke, 2006: 95; Gouix & Klimaszewski, 2007: 25.

Aleochara sahlbergi Eppelsheim, 1833: 39 . [replacement name].

Aleochara longula Heer, 1839: 318 .

Baryodma incrassata Thomson, 1860: 255 .

Aleochara notatipennis Hochhuth, 1872: 95 .

Baryodma fucicola J. Sahlberg, 1876: 80 . [homonym].

Baryodma subtilis J. Sahlberg, 1876: 81 .

Aleochara mongolica Likovský, 1965: 54 .

“ Aleochara bipustulata ”; Shibata, 1985: pl. 56.

Materials examined. JAPAN: [Hokkaidô]: 1 3, Yanbetsu-kaigan, Koshimizu-chô, Shari-gun, 29. IV. 2010, T. Katô leg. (KUM); 1 sex?, Sôunkyô, Kamikawa-chô, Kamikawa-gun, 20. VII. 1962, Y. Shibata leg. (cShi); 1 3, 2 ƤƤ, 1 sex?, Obihiro-shi, 7. VIII. 1980, H. Togawa leg. (KUM); 1 Ƥ, Zenibako, Otaru-shi, 23. VI. 1977, N. Nishikawa leg. (KUM); 1 Ƥ, 1 sex?, same locality, but 8. VII. 1977, S.-I. Naomi leg. (KUM); 1 Ƥ, Orofure-yama (located boundary between Shiraoi-chô and Sôbetsu-chô), 22. VII. 1962, Y. Shibata leg. (cShi); 1 sex?, Iburi (Muroran-shi), 7. X. 1971, K. Miyamori leg. (specimen used in “The Coleoptera of Japan in Color Vol. II” (Shibata, 1985); cWatY, but to be preserved in the collection of the Tokyo University of Agriculture, Atsugi, Japan: TUA).

Other material. GERMANY: [Rheinland-Pfalz]: 1 3, Ingelheim, 1993, F. Köhler leg. (without collecting date; det. Dr. C. Maus, 1996; genital parts of the specimen is also examined; KUM).

Redescription. Body ( Fig. 2 ): very slender, parallel to subparallel sided, robust, normally moderate in size, ca. 3.58 mm in body length (2.98–4.11 mm, N = 10), and 1.69 mm in fore body length (1.52–2.04 mm, N = 10); dorsal surface strongly glossy. Color ( Figs. 2 , 8–10 ): ground color dark reddish brown to black; legs, especially tarsal segments, and mouth parts including mandible light brown to reddish brown; most portion of dorsal surface of elytra yellow to rusty yellow but not clearly defined (for Japanese specimens); antennae light brown to reddish brown, surface densely pubescent with minute whitish setae. Head ( Fig. 2 ): almost circular (head length = 0.42– 0.60 mm (mean = 0.50 mm), head width = 0.45–0.58 mm (mean = 0.53 mm), N = 10), widest at just behind eyes (head width / head length = 1.06, N = 10); dorsal surface covered with long setae sparsely, punctation deep and prominent, only small numbers scattered. Antennae ( Fig. 2 ): moniliform, elongated like long club, short, not reaching to middle of head and pronotum combined (antenna length = 0.66–0.97 mm (mean = 0.80 mm), N = 10); segment I, about 2.4 times longer than width, segment II slightly shorter than I, segment III slightly shorter than II, segments IV spherical, as long as width except for stem of segment, segment V clearly wider than long, segments VI to X, strongly transverse, segment XI thick and subconical, nearly 1.4 times as long as width, almost same length as segment I, approximate relative length of segments from basal to apex: 11.5: 8.5: 7.0: 4.0: 4.0: 4.0: 4.0: 4.0: 4.0: 4.0: 12.0. Thorax: pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) moderately transverse (pronotum length = 0.53–0.68 mm (mean = 0.61 mm), pronotum width = 0.65–0.87 mm (mean = 0.77 mm), pronotum width / pronotum length = 1.26 (mean), N = 10), wider than head (pronotum width / head width =1.45 (mean), N = 10), widest around middle; surface coarsely but deeply punctured, with strongly impressed longitudinal rows of punctures along midline. Intercoxal process of mesoventrite ( Fig. 10 ) with strong carina along midline. Metaventrite ( Fig. 10 ) smooth, inconspicuous compared to that of elytra. Intercoxal process of metaventrite ( Figs. 9–10 ) moderately broad and weakly pointed apically. Elytra ( Fig. 8 ) wider than long (elytra length = 0.47–0.68 mm (mean = 0.58 mm), elytra width = 0.77–1.01 mm (mean = 0.91 mm, N = 10) with large yellowish portion except for anterior margin of pronotum (for Japanese specimens); surface deeply punctured, covered with conspicuous setae; posterior margin weakly rounded posteriorly. Legs ( Fig. 2 ): short (hind tibia length = 0.40–0.55 mm (0.50 mm), N = 10), dozens of long spines on fore and midtibia, respectively; relative lengths of tarsal segments from basal to apical: 4.0: 3.0: 3.0: 2.5: 8.5 in foretarsus, 8.5: 4.5: 4.5: 4.0: 11.0 in midtarsus, 12.5: 7.0: 5.0: 5.0: 12.0 in hindtarsus. Abdomen ( Fig. 2 ): weakly glossy, covered by short but thick setae.

[ Male]: posterior margin of tergite VIII ( Fig. 22 ) weakly serrate or almost truncate, with approximately 6 macrosetae on each side. Posterior margin of sternite VIII ( Fig. 24 ) pointed triangularly, with approximately 6 macrosetae. Median lobe of aedeagus as in Figs. 26–27 : elongated and narrowed toward apex; flagellum shorter, at most as long as median lobe of aedeagus; basal plate of flagellum long and large; sclerite Y narrowly elongated; sclerite Z with straightly projecting attachment on apex; apical lobe in lateral view weakly bent, sharply pointed; triangular-shaped in ventral view; apical lobe looks long isosceles. Apical lobe of paramerite ( Fig. 28 ) straight, long and slender, bearing with short 4 setae; surface covered with numerous minute setae.

[Female]: tergite VIII ( Fig. 23 ) with weakly serrate posterior margin, with 4 macrosetae. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 25 ) rounded to weakly pointed posteriorly, with approximately 4 macrosetae. Spermatheca ( Fig. 29 ): apical invagination of spermatheca large and deep; spermathecal head spherical, fused with spermathecal neck; attachment of spermathecal duct prominent; (sn) slightly narrowing toward basal portion of spermathecal stem; coiled portion long, composed of maximally 20 times of thick coils, extended laterally, directly connected with thick membranous portion of spermathecal duct; each part of spermatheca except for (sm) entirely and moderately sclerotized; inner wall of (sh) finely striate.

Diagnosis. Aleochara binotata is similar to the other species of the Japanese Coprochara , especially A. verna , but can be easily distinguished from them as follows: body clearly slender, surface smooth and glossy in dark reddish brown to black, usually paler than A. verna ( Fig. 2 ); posterior margin of elytra rounded with huge yellowish portion on elytra ( Figs. 1 , 8 ); pronotum with prominent rows of punctures along midline; intercoxal process of metaventrite moderately pointed apically ( Fig. 10 ); tergite VIII without thick spines in posterior half ( Figs. 22–23 ). [ Male]: apical lobe of median lobe of aedeagus sharply pointed; flagellum short; sclerite Z with short attachment ( Figs. 26–27 ). Apical lobe of paramerite long, straight, bearing short 4 setae and numerous minute setae ( Fig. 28 ). [Female]: spermatheca consisted with around 20 thick coils, greatly extended laterally ( Fig. 29 ).

Confirmed distribution by present study. [ JAPAN]: Hokkaidô.

Other localities in literature. [EUROPE]: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia: North European Territory, Slovakia, Sweden, UK, Ukraine (Smetana, 2004), [NORTH AFRICA]: Canary and Madeira Islands (Smetana, 2004; Assing, 2006), [ASIA]: Mongolia, Russia (east and west Siberia), Yemen (Smetana, 2004).

Remarks. This species was described from northern Germany, and its distribution is confined to the Palearctic region. The present paper provides the first record of A. binotata from Japan (Hokkaidô). This species seems to be rare and only 11 Japanese specimens were examined. In England, where the yellow-spotted species of the subgenus, A. verna , has a wide distribution but A. binotata is much rarer (Welch, 1997). The same pattern might occur in Japan.

The taxonomical history is rather complicated due to morphological similarities among A. bipustulata , A. verna , and A. binotata (see remarks of A. verna ). We reexamined the specimen that was used in the aleocharine plate of “The Coleoptera of Japan in Color Vol. II” (Shibata, 1985), which was introduced as A. bipustulata . In fact, we found that the specimen was a misidentification of A. binotata .

Maus (1998) designated the female lectotype of A. binotata . Welch (1997) provided a diagnostic key with precise figures and informative notes.

The Japanese specimens had uniformly lighter colored elytra and the German specimen used in this study was much darker. This yellowish elytra well agreed with Klimaszewski (1984: 24; as the European concept of A. verna type II) and Welch (1997). The configuration of male genitalia also showed no morphological differences when compared with specimens from Germany. Thus, elytral coloration can be regarded as color variation within A. binotata .

Bionomics. No information is available for Japanese individuals.

Host records. The following seven dipteran families are known hosts (Maus et al., 1998): Ulidiidae , Piophilidae , Lonchaeidae , Anthomyiidae , Muscidae , Calliphoridae , and Sarcophagidae . However, host records based on references before Lohse (1986) are not reliable (Welch, 1997).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Japanese species of Aleochara (Coprochara) in habitus. 1. Aleochara (Coprochara) verna; 2. A. (C.) binotata; 3 – 4. A. (C.) squalithorax: gray type (Fig. 3) and yellow type (Fig. 4).

FIGURES 5 – 13. Japanese species of Aleochara (Coprochara). 5 – 7. Aleochara (Coprochara) verna; 8 – 10. A. (C.) binotata; 11 – 13. A. (C.) squalithorax. (5, 8, 11: elytra; 6, 9, 12: intercoxal process of metaventrite; 7, 10, 13: mesoventrite and metaventrite).

FIGURES 22 – 29. Terminalia of Aleochara (Coprochara) binotata. 22. tergite VIII of male; 23. tergite VIII of female; 24. sternite VIII of male; 25. sternite VIII of female; 26. male genitalia: median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; 27. male genitalia: median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view; 28. apical lobe of paramerite, lateral view; 29. female genitalia: spermatheca.

FIGURES 44 – 45. Collecting localities of Aleochara (Coprochara) spp. based on specimens examined in Japan. 44. Aleochara (Coprochara) verna (Indicated by red circle) and A. (C.) binotata (Indicated by yellow square); 45. A. (C.) squalithorax (Indicated by blue triangle).