Lithocharodes fuscula 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 : 47

Lithocharodes fuscula SHARP, 1885

Figs 40 a-d, 43 M, 47 D

Lithocharodes fuscula SHARP, 1885: 494

Type material examined: male, lectotype (present designation): Guatemala, San Geronimo, leg. Champion ( BMNH); female, syntype: Guatemala, near Guatemala City, leg. Champion ( BMNH) .

Diagnosis: Among the two syntypes from the BMNH studied, one male was found. This specimen was dissected and labelled as lectotype. Lithocharodes fuscula resembles a group of dark unicoloured species, smaller than 4 mm in size: L. verhaaghi and L. silvicola . The species of this group are extremely similar and can hardly be separated without studying the aedeagus. Male endophallus of L. fuscula has no spiral torsions.

Description: Length: 3.7 mm. Colouration: Totally brown; elytra slightly darker brown; legs and antennae slightly lighter brown.

Head: 0.70 mm long, 0.58 mm wide; eyes slightly prominent; postocular sides twice as long as eyes; posterior angles widely rounded; posterior margin slightly emarginate; interantennal furrows distinct; reaching posterior third of eyes; setiferous punctation moderately dense and deep; on average, interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures; interstices on anterior vertex slightly shorter, on posterior vertex slightly wider; wide midline impunctate; surface with extremely weak microsculpture; shiny. Antennae with first antennomere slightly shorter than half-length of head; second and third antennomere conical; second slightly longer than wide; third as long as apical width; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; fourth antennomere twice as wide as long; tenth antennomere 2.5 times as wide as long; all antennomeres pubescent. Pronotum: 0.75 mm long, 0.53 mm wide; widest in anterior third; anteriad, conically narrowed toward neck; posteriad, distinctly narrowed in middle third; in posterior third nearly parallel; posterior angles sub-rectangular; posterior margin nearly straight; setiferous punctation deeper than on head but partly sparser; wide midline impunctate; surface without microsculpture; glossy. Elytra: 0.70 mm long, 0.62 mm wide; humeral angles subrectangular; sides slightly divergent posteriad; posterior angles sub-rectangular; posterior margin nearly straight; setiferous punctation deep and dense; on average, interstices between punctures half as wide as diameter of punctures; surface with extremely weak microsculpture; shiny. Abdomen with finer setiferous punctation than on fore-body; punctation at base of segments denser than at apex; surface with weak irregular microsculpture; shiny; sternite VII of male evenly narrowed toward obtuse apex; posterior margin of tergite VII of male straight. Aedeagus oval with anterior angles sub-rectangular; endophallus in anterior half weakly sclerotised; posterior half distinctly sclerotised; partly covered by minute teeth and partly by long teeth.

Figures

Fig. 37–42: L.-??-group: Lithocharodes compacta (37), L. elegans (38), L. elongata (39), L. fuscula (40), L. rufula (41); aedeagus (a),