Lithocharodes puncticeps SHARP, 1885

Irmler, Ulrich, 2021, The Neotropical species of the genus Lithocharodes SHARP, 1876 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Xantholinini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 71 (1), pp. 29-85 : 55

Lithocharodes puncticeps SHARP, 1885

Figs 35 a-d, 43 I, 46 G

Lithocharodes puncticeps SHARP, 1885: 493

Type material examined: male, syntype: Mexico, Jalapa ,

leg. Höge ( BMNH).

Additional material: Mexico, Veracruz, 7 mi N Sontecomapan , near beach, black light, 1 male, 8 females, 2., 3., 7. Aug. 1970, leg. A. Newton (8 FMNH, 1 UIC) ; Oaxaca, Pueblo Nuevo , 1590 m elev., female, 1.- 12.8.1986, leg. A. & A. Howden ( FMNH) ; Q. Roo, Kohunlich, 42 mi W Chetumal , tropical seasonal forest, UV light, 16.7.1983, leg. S. Peck ( FMNH) ; Truqui , male, 1905, coll. Fry ( FMNH) .

Diagnosis: Lithocharodes puncticeps is most similar to light specimens of L. nigripennis in size, colouration and punctation of the head. The distinguishing characters are listed there.

Description: Length: 4.7 mm. Colouration: Brown; pronotum light yellow-brown; elytra darker than pronotum with lightened posterior angles; legs and antennae light brown.

Head: 0.76 mm long, 0.61 mm wide; elongate; eyes small; postocular sides 2.7 times as long as eyes; approximately parallel; posterior angles widely rounded; posterior margin shortly straight in front of neck; setiferous punctation dense and deep; on average, interstices between punctures half as wide as diameter of punctures; anteriorly partly coriaceous; interantennal furrows moderately deep; reaching anterior third of eyes; wide midline impunctate; surface without microsculpture; glossy. Antennae with first antennomere half as long as head; second and third antennomere conical; longer than wide; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; fourth antennomere nearly twice as wide as long; tenth antennomere slightly more than twice as wide as long; all antennomeres distinctly pubescent. Pronotum: 0.81 mm long, 0.61 mm wide; widest in anterior third; anteriad, conically narrowed toward neck; distinctly narrowed in middle third; slightly convergent in posterior third; setiferous punctation as deep as on head but much sparser; on average, interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures or partly wider; wide midline impunctate; irregular line of punctures adjacent to midline with 9-10 punctures; surface without microsculpture; glossy. Elytra: 0.84 mm long, 0.69 mm wide; humeral angles sub-rectangular; sides nearly parallel posteriorly; posterior angles sub-rectangular; posterior margin slightly convex; short incision at suture; setiferous punctation even sparser than on pronotum; on average, interstices twice as wide as diameter of punctures; surface with weak isodiametric microsculpture; less shiny than head and pronotum. Abdomen with dense but weak setiferous punctation; surface with isodiametric microsculpture; as shiny as on elytra; posterior margin of sternite VII of male with wide medial prominence; posterior margin of tergite VII of male convex with short medial incision. Mesotibia with one, metatibia with two subapical ctenidia. Aedeagus oval; small; endophallus short, with minute teeth and few slightly larger but still minute teeth in between; paramere slender; slightly curved to nearly acute apex; with few, fine setae.

Figures

Fig. 31–36: L.-??-group: Lithocharodes spinigera (31), L. curtipennis (32), L. fusciventris (33), L. nigerrima (34), L. puncticeps (35), L. bicolor (36); aedeagus (a), paramere (b), sternite VII of male (c), tergite VII of male (d); scale bare: A–D: 0.2 mm; B: 0.1 mm.