Micrillus kongi, Assing, 2018

Assing, Volker, 2018, A revision of Palaearctic and Oriental Scymbalium and Micrillus III. New species, new combinations, and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (2), pp. 977-996 : 991-992

Micrillus kongi nov.sp. ( Figs 9 , 25-33 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype ♂: " CAMBODIA - Kampong Chhnang prov., Kampong Chhnang env., Toul Ompel , 12°14'14''N, 104°41'15''E, light trap, 19+ 21.V.2018, leg. Bernardi, Kong & Rossi / Holotypus ♂ Micrillus kongi sp. n., det. V. Assing 2018" (cAss). Paratypes: 4♂♂, 2♀♀: same data as holotype (cAss).

E t y m o l o g y: This species is dedicated to Vannak Kong (Sisophon: Mean Chey University), one of the collectors of all the Cambodian specimens treated in the present paper.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 6.6-7.5 mm; length of forebody 3.7-3.8 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 25 . Coloration: forebody blackish-brown to black, with the elytra (at least the narrow suture and posterior margins) slightly paler; abdomen blackish-brown to black with the paratergites, the anterior margins of the tergites (sometimes also all of tergite III), and the apex (segments VIII-X except for the postero-lateral processes of segment IX; posterior half of segment VII) reddish; legs yellowish-red; antennae pale-reddish to reddish with the basal antennomeres slightly darker than the apical antennomeres.

Head ( Fig. 26 ) oblong, approximately 1.1 times as long as broad, broadest across eyes, slightly tapering posteriad behind eyes; dorsal surface with dense setiferous micropunctation in posterior and lateral portions, median dorsal portion with very sparse micropunctation; scattered setiferous macropunctures present in anterior and lateral portion; integument with extremely fine transverse microsculpture. Eyes slightly more than half as long as postocular region. Antenna approximately 2.9 mm long and moderately slender; antennomeres IV-X of gradually decreasing length; IV approximately twice as long as broad; X weakly oblong. Apical palpomere of maxillary palpus of slen- der conical shape, approximately two-thirds as long as maxillary palpomere III.

Pronotum ( Fig. 26 ) approximately 1.15 times as long as broad and 1.05-1.10 times as broad as head; lateral margins straight, converging posteriad in posterior three-fourths in dorsal view; posterior margin weakly concave; punctation fine, very dense, and granulose; midline with or without very narrow impunctate band.

Elytra ( Fig. 26 ) slightly shorter than pronotum; punctation extremely fine and extremely dense, barely visible in the pronounced microsculpture; surface matt. Hind wings fully developed. Protarsomeres I–IV not dilated. Metatarsomere I slightly longer than the combined length of II and III.

Abdomen ( Fig. 27 ) narrower than elytra; tergites with distinct and moderately dense micropunctation bearing yellow and depressed to suberect pubescence of variable length and with macropunctures bearing very long and erect black setae; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe; tergite X and sternite IX of strongly reduced size ( Fig. 29 ); postero-lateral processes of segment IX approximately three times as long as tergite X ( Fig. 29 ).

♂: posterior excision of sternite VIII concave and moderately deep ( Fig. 28 ); aedeagus ( Figs 30-33 ) large in relation to body size, approximately 1.3 mm long, slender, weakly asymmetric, and weakly sclerotized; internal sac with distinctive internal structures, apically with a conspicuous comb-like series of one very long and approximately ten shorter sclerotized spines.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: As can be inferred from the similar external characters and particularly from the similarly derived morphology of the aedeagus, M. kongi is undoubtedly closely allied to M. suturalis . It differs from this species by the shapes of the apex and of the internal structures of the aedeagus. For illustrations and a redescription of M. suturalis see ASSING (2013).

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Thetypelocality( Fig.9 )and the collection data are identical to those of Scymbalium rossii and Micrillus virgatus . One of the male paratypes is teneral.

Figures

Fig. 9: Type locality of Scymbalium rossii, Micrillus virgatus, M. kongi, and M. coloratus. Photo: Walter Rossi.

Figs 25-33: Micrillus kongi: (25) habitus; (26) forebody; (27) abdomen; (28) male sternite VIII; (29) abdominal segments IX-X; (30-31) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (32) apical internal structures of aedeagus; (33) apex of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 25-27: 1.0 mm; 28-31: 0.5 mm; 32-33: 0.1 mm.