Lathrobium brunnipes (FABRICIUS 1793)

Assing, V., 2008, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Paederinae and Xantholinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1237-1294 : 1269

Lathrobium brunnipes (FABRICIUS 1793)

Lathrobium fuscum GRAVENORST 1806: 130 f.; nov.syn.

T y p e m a t e r i a l L. fuscum : Neotype, present designation: "W. Germany, Umg. Hannover, Bokeloh-Kaliberg, 10.4.83 / Neotypus Lathrobium fuscum Gravenhorst , desig. V. Assing 2008 / Lathrobium brunnipes (Fabricius) , det. V. Assing 2003" ( MNHUB).

C o m m e n t: The original description of the nomen dubium L. fuscum is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from Paris and Braunschweig collected by Brongniart and Dahl, respectively ( GRAVENHORST 1806). The type material was found neither in the historical collection at the MNHUB (WILLERS, e-mail 20 Feb., 2008) nor in the collections of the MNHNP (TAGHAVIAN, e-mail 18 June, 2008), so that it can be assumed to be lost. There is no reasonable doubt that it is conspecific with a described species whose name has been in use for decades, if not centuries, so that a synonymisation with a senior name seems advisable. According to the original description, the type specimens are of dark-brown coloration, similar in habitus to L. brunnipes , but distinguished by finer punctation, and their elytra are barely longer than wide and approximately as long and as wide as the pronotum. This description fits the brachypterous morph of L. brunnipes , which is more finely punctate (particularly on the head and the elytra) than most other Lathrobium species occurring in France and Germany. Also, the punctation of the forebody is subject to some intraspecific variation in the genus. Therefore, a relatively pale coloured (blackish-brown), finely punctate, and brachypterous specimen of L. brunnipes from Niedersachsen is designated as the neotype of L. fuscum and the above synonymy is established.