Lathrobium wolongicum, Assing, 2016

Assing, Volker, 2016, Six new species, a new name, and additional records of Lathrobium from the Palaearctic region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (1), pp. 191-210 : 207-208

Lathrobium wolongicum nov.sp. ( Figs 39-45 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " CHINA: Sichuan Prov., Wolong National Nature Res., Yinchanggou vill. env., Panda Valley, 2300 m, 30°58'08''N, 103°07'34''E, / 24.VI.2014, sift #27, depression with accumulated debris under rock walls, in narrow river valley above 2nd tunnel, J. Hájek & J. Růžička leg. / Holotypus 3 Lathrobium wolongicum nov.sp., det. V. Assing 2016" (NMP). Paratypes: 333: same data as holotype (NMP, cAss).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from the name of the nature reserve where the type locality is situated.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 5.3-5.8 mm; length of forebody 2.6-2.8 mm. Coloration: body dark-brown; legs yellowish-brown; antennae reddish.

Head ( Fig. 39 ) weakly oblong, 1.04-1.06 times as long as broad; punctation moderately coarse and moderately dense, less dense and slightly less coarse in median dorsal portion; interstices with shallow microreticulation. Eyes moderately small, approximately one-fourth as long as postocular region in dorsal view, composed of approximately 50-60 ommatidia. Antenna 1.5-1.6 mm long.

Pronotum ( Fig. 39 ) approximately 1.3 times as long as broad and 1.02-1.04 times as broad as head; punctation similar to that of head; interstices without microsculpture; midline moderately broadly impunctate.

Elytra ( Fig. 39 ) approximately 0.55 times as long as pronotum; humeral angles weakly marked; punctation shallow and rather sparse; interstices without microsculpture. Hind wings completely reduced.

Abdomen slightly broader than elytra; punctation distinct and dense, nearly as dense on tergite VII as on anterior tergites; interstices with shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe; posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly convex.

3: protarsomeres I-IV strongly dilated ( Fig. 39 ); sternite VII ( Fig. 40 ) moderately strongly transverse, with postero-median impression, this impression with approximately 30 modified short and stout black setae, posterior margin weakly concave, in the middle with more distinct concavity; sternite VIII ( Fig. 41 ) approximately 1.15 times as broad as long, with shallow postero-median impression, on either side of this impression with a cluster of moderately modified setae, posterior excision small and shallow; aedeagus ( Fig. 42-45 ) approximately 1.0 mm long, slender, and symmetric; ventral process bent at apical third and hooked apically; dorsal plate lamellate and weakly sclerotized, basal portion practically obsolete; internal sac with a lamellate apical structure dorsally, ventrally with a long structure basally extending into a pair of long and slender sclerotized structures.

♀: unknown.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Based on the morphology of the aedeagus (symmetric, ventral process slender, dorsal plate lamellate, internal structures) and on the modifications of the male sternite VII and VIII, L. wolongicum is assigned to the L. bibaculatum group ( ASSING 2013d, f). The new species is distinguished from other species of this group particularly by the distinctive shape of the ventral process and by the internal structures of the aedeagus. In addition, it is characterized by small size and by the shapes and chaetotaxy of the male sternites VII and VIII

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: The type locality is situated in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in West Sichuan. The specimens were sifted from debris in a stream valley at an altitude of 2300 m.

Figures

Figs 39-45: Lathrobium wolongicum nov.sp.: (39) male forebody; (40) male sternite VII; (41) male sternite VIII; (42-45) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view in transparent light (42-43) and in dry preparation (44-45). Scale bars: 39: 1.0 mm; 40-45: 0.5 mm.