Lathrobium longulum GRAVENHORST 1802

Assing, V., 2008, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Paederinae and Xantholinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1237-1294 : 1268

Lathrobium longulum GRAVENHORST 1802

Lathrobium scybalarium GISTEL 1857: 14 f.; nov.syn.

Lathrobium longulum luzari KOCH 1937: 257; nov.syn.

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d:seeASSING (1995).

C o m m e n t: The nomen dubium L. scybalarium was described from an unspecified number of syntypes from "ad fluvios Styriae" ( GISTEL 1857). According to the description, which comprises only two text lines, the species is completely black, except for the paler tarsi, and "2 lin." (i. e. approximately 4.5 mm) long. The only Lathrobium species occurring in Austria and matching this description is L. longulum , with which L. scybalarium is synonymised.

According to the original description of Lathrobium longulum luzari, which is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from "Eskischehir ( As. minor )", the species is characterised by an apically hook-shaped ventral process of the aedeagus, whereas in the nominal subspecies, the ventral process is shorter and not distinctly hook-shaped ( KOCH 1937). However, Koch´s illustration and understanding of the shape of the aedeagus of L. longulum longulum is clearly based on an artefact. The normal shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus is hook-shaped, exactly like the one figured for L. longulum luzari by KOCH (1937). For an illustration of the aedeagus of the lectotype of L. longulum see ASSING (1995). Consequently, L. longulum luzari KOCH is placed in the synonymy of L. longulum GRAVENHORST.