Lathrobium aculeatum COIFFAIT, 1982

Assing, Volker, 2014, New species and records of Lathrobium from the Palaearctic region, primarily from Nepal (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 64 (1), pp. 1-28 : 21-23

Lathrobium aculeatum COIFFAIT, 1982

( Figs 123–129 , Map 2 )

Material examined: Nepal: 22 , 6  [partly teneral], W-Dhaulagiri, N-slope of Jungla pass, 28°52'N, 82°58'E, 3400–3800 m, 12.IX.2012, leg. Schmidt ( NME, cAss); 4 , 4  [partly teneral], W-Dhaulagiri, above Tara-

kot, 28°51'N, 82°59'E, 3050 m, 10.IX.2012, leg. Schmidt ( NME, cAss) .

Comment: The redescription in ASSING (2012) is based only on two type specimens in rather poor condition. The above specimens render a more accurate redescription and better illustrations possible.

Redescription: Body length 5.0– 6.8 mm; length of forebody 2.3–2.9 mm; size subject to sexual dimorphism (males larger than females). Habitus as in Fig. 123 . Coloration: body reddish, with the abdomen often somewhat darker; legs dark-yellowish; antennae reddish.

Head ( Fig. 124 ) 1.03–1.05 times as long as broad; punctation rather sparse and moderately coarse; interstices on average distinctly broader than diameter of punctures, with distinct microreticulation. Eyes small, composed of approximately 10 ommatidia, approximately one-sixth as long as postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna 1.3–1.5 mm long.

Pronotum ( Fig. 124 ) approximately 1.25 times as long as broad and 1.00–1.07 times as broad as head; punctation similar to that of head, but slightly denser; midline broadly impunctate; interstices without microsculpture.

Elytra ( Fig. 124 ) approximately 0.6 times as long as pronotum; punctation fine and rather sparse; interstices without distinct microsculpture. Hind wings completely reduced. Protarsomeres I–IV with moderately pronounced sexual dimorphism; metatibiae and -femora unmodified.

Abdomen slightly broader than elytra; punctation distinct and rather dense, sparser on tergite VIII; interstices with shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe; posterior margin of tergite VIII convex.

: protarsomeres I–IV distinctly dilated; sternite VII ( Fig. 125 ) moderately transverse, with unmodified pubescence and with weakly concave posterior margin; sternite VIII ( Fig. 126 ) approximately 1.07 times as long as broad, pubescence unmodified, posterior excision moderately deep and nearly U-shaped; aedeagus ( Figs 127–128 ) approximately 1.15 mm long; ventral process extended into a long and slender spine, this spine weakly asymmetric and basally with ventral carina; dorsal plate short and membranous; internal sac without sclerotized structures.

: protarsomeres I-IV moderately dilated; sternite VIII ( Fig. 129 ) approximately 1.25 times as long as broad and with convex posterior margin; tergite IX undivided in the middle, postero–lateral processes short and apically acute, barely extending beyond apex of tergite X; tergite X weakly convex in cross–section, of oval shape, and approximately 1.25 times as long as antero–median portion of tergite IX.

Distribution and natural history: Lathrobium aculeatum is known from three geographically close localities in the western Dhaulagiri range ( Map 2 ). The above spec-

imens, several of them teneral, were found close to the type locality, which is situated at approximately 28°51'N, 83°00'E. They were collected at an altitude of 3050 m and between 3400 and 3800 m.

Figures

Map 2:Distributions of Lathrobium species inNepal:L. flexaculeatum (white square),L. rectaculeatum (blackstar),L. curvaculeatum (white star), L. hebes (black square), L. imberbe (black triangle), L. plicatum (black diamond), L. calcaratum (circles; white circles: new records; black circle: type locality), L. fodens (white triangles), L. aculeatum (white diamonds).

Figs 115–129: Lathrobium imberbe sp. n. (115–122) and L. aculeatum COIFFAIT (123–129): habitus (115, 123); forebody (116, 124); male sternite VII (117, 125); male sternite VIII (118, 126); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (119–120, 127–128); female sternite VIII (121, 129); female tergites IX–X (122). Scale bars: 115–116, 123–124: 1.0 mm; 117–122, 125–129: 0.5 mm.