Drepanomastax nitida Ashe, 2005

Ashe, James S., 2005, Three new genera and four new species of aleocharine staphylinids with unusually long mandibles from Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Homalotini), Zootaxa 1002 (1), pp. 21-44 : 30-31

Drepanomastax nitida Ashe , new species

( Figs. 35–37 )

Type material. Holotype: male, with labels as follows: “AUSTL.: TAS.: Liffey Forest Res., near picnic area, 560 m, 41°42’S 146°46’E, 31.I.1993 ”, “pyr. fogging large old Euc. logs, A. Newton Jr., M. Thayer, 918, FIELD MUS. NAT. HIST.”, “ Euc. obliqua forest w/ rainforest understory”, “ HOLOTYPE: Drepanomastax nitida Ashe , design. J.S. Ashe, 2005” ( ANIC).

Paratypes: 10; same data as holotype (3 FMNH, 1 KSEM); TAS.: Cradle Mt. ­ L. St. Clair n. p., W side L. St. Claire, ca. 3 km for Cynthia Bay, 780 m, 42°06’S 146°10’E, 1­I­ 1993, Nothophagus cunninghami rainforest with Antherosperma , few tree ferns, FMHD # 93­19, berl. leaf & log litter, A. Newton, Jr., M. Thayer, 905 (4 FMNH, 2 KSEM)

Description. Similar to D. nitida with the following differences. Length 3.2–3.6 mm.

Body reddish brown throughout, abdomen similar in color to anterior part of body, terga VI­VII clouded with darker black in some. Head at base narrower than apex of elytra, but head across eyes slightly wider than width of apex of elytra; pronotum at base distinctly narrower than elytra at base. Antenna long, articles 1–8 very elongate, article 9 subquadrate and article 10 very slightly transverse, article 4 about 2.5 times as long as greatest width, article 5 about 2.1 times as long as greatest width, article 10 about 0.9 times as long as greatest width, article 11 subequal in length to articles 9 and 10 combined. Head and prothorax with fine and widely dispersed, short, yellowish microsetae, punctures minute, barely visible with dissecting optics at 50 X magnification; surfaces without microsculpture, very glossy. Pronotum subquadrate. Elytra with moderate sized punctures, average distance between punctures subequal to width of punctures; surface without microsculpture, very glossy. Abdominal terga and sterna with widely dispersed microsetae distributed from transverse depression to apex; surface without microsculpture, very glossy. Abdominal terga III–IV with deep transverse depressions, V with moderate and VI with shallow transverse depressions; depressions with large, irregular, shallow punctures.

Secondary sexual characteristics: Males with basal half of abdominal tergum VII with numerous, densely arranged micropores.

Spermatheca: As in Fig. 35 .

Aedeagus: Paramere as in Fig. 36 ; median lobe as in Fig. 37 .

Distribution. Only known from southern Tasmania.

Natural History and Habits. Known from “pyrethrum fogging of Eucalyptus logs” and leaf litter in a Nothophagus cunninghami rainforest with Antherosperma .

Figures

FIGURES 35–37. Drepanomastax nitida Ashe. 35, spermatheca. 36, aedeagus, paramere. 37, aedaegus, median lobe. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.