Parosus, Sharp, 1887

Makranczy, György, 2014, Review of the genus Parosus Sharp, 1887 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (1), pp. 77-133 : 127-128

Parosus skalitzkyi Bernhauer, 1905 Figs 39, 104-106, 142

Parosus skalitzkyi Bernhauer, 1905: 12. – Blackwelder, 1943: 103. – Herman, 1970: 400. – Herman, 2001: 1464.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED: LECTOTYPE (3, here designated), “3 \ [Antilles,] Grand Etang [12°06'13"N, 61°41'53"W]; (Windward side) 1900 ft; Grenada, W. I.; H. H. Smith. \ skalitzkyi m. \ det. Bernhauer \ Dr. M. Bernhauer; 4.12 donavit 1936 \ ex coll.; Scheerpeltz \ Cotypus; Parosus ; skalitzkyi; Bernhauer \ skalitzkyi Bernh. \ Lectotypus; Parosus ; skalitzkyi Bernhauer; des. Makranczy, 2000 \ Parosus ; skalitzkyi Bernhauer; det. Makranczy, 2000” ( NHMW) . – PARALECTOTYPES (3), same data as lectotype ( NHMW, 1), “[Antilles,] Leeward side; St. Vincent [13°16'N, 61°13'W], W. I.; H. H. Smith.; 20. \ c. Eppelsh.; Steind. d. \ skalitzkyi m.; det. Bernhauer \ Co-; Typus \ Paralectotypus; Parosus ; skalitzkyi Bernhauer; des. Makranczy, 2000 \ Parosus ; skalitzkyi Bernhauer; det. Makranczy, 2000” ( FMNH, 1), ( NHMW, 1) .

OTHER MATERIAL: none.

REDESCRIPTION: Measurements (n=1): HW = 0.70; TW = 0.68; PW = 0.55; SW = 0.57; MW = 0.66; AW = 0.58; HL = 0.49; EL = 0.16; FL = 0.125; TL = 0.19; PL = 0.42; SL = 0.61; SC = 0.58; FB = 1.59; BL = 2.86 mm. Body 'unicoloured'. Head, pronotum, elytra and abdomen reddish dark brown, only clypeal area, supraantennal prominences, pronotum, shoulder area and posterior margins of tergites a tiny bit lighter. Legs, mouthparts and antennae medium brown, with first three antennomeres rather yellowish and from middle of fourth antennomere darkened (medium to dark brown) to base of last antennomere. Pubescence medium short and rather sparse. Quite shiny species, punctured areas not separating sharply.

Head and pronotum. Mid-antennal articles about as long as wide (antennomere 6 length:width = 0.054: 0.055 mm). Clypeus (Fig. 104) trapezoid, ratio of longitudinal distance of supraantennal prominence tip from eyefront to the same from clypeal front = 0.53-0.55. Infraocular ridge (Fig. 106) stronger anteriorly, finer posteriorly, ending in a short keel at posterior edge of eye. Temple very evenly curved, but eye bulging a little from this arch. Pronotum (Fig. 104) with maximum width 1.57-1.67x base width, sides curved in anterior half, straight posteriorly, anterior angles slightly sharp (strongly curved sides near the angle). Clypeus and supraantennal ridges unpunctured, shiny. Frontoclypeal groove strong, rather deep, posteriorly continuing in (sometimes furrow-like) longitudinal depression dividing vertex into two halves. Pronotal midline anteriorly with a flat, sparsely punctured area and continuing posteriorly from middle as shiny, unpunctured stripe. On both sides of it two longitudinal impressions, all a little steplike broken in the middle (step sometimes continuing laterally in imressions on sides of pronotal disc). Laterad of posterior midline, outside longitudinal impressions with two elevated areas. Pronotal sides impressed around middle. Head with 18-22 'longitudinal' puncture lines, well-defined umbilicate punctures, punctation somewhat sparser on mid- and anterior vertex. Pronotum with about 18 poorly defined 'longitudinal' puncture lines (better visible at longitudinal elevations), with punctures of uneven sizes, usually smaller than those on head.

Elytra and abdomen. Elytra (Fig. 105) slightly dilating posteriorly, with two small, longitudinal, rather deep impressions behind scutellum. Medially serrate fringe present on hind margin of tergite VII. Elytra with only tiny and very scattered punctures, surface covered by microsculpture: cobweb-like fine scratches. Abdominal segments have no apparent microsculpture, only tiny punctures. Aedeagus as in Fig. 142.

COMPARATIVE NOTES: Compared to P. antillarum, the other species living in the Lesser Antilles, it has larger, less bulging eyes, furrow divides the vertex into two halves and the elytra is strongly punctured. Compared to the two other similar sized species that have similar eye formation (strong postocular processes), from P. newtoni and P. brasilianus it can be distinguished by the 'unicoloured' body and the characteristic tiny, scattered punctures of the elytra.

DISTRIBUTION: The species is known from the Lesser Antilles (only the type material).

BIONOMICS: Unknown.

NOTE: Since the lectotype looks rather different from the other known specimens, and is the only male in the type series, it seems safer to base the description and the measurements on this specimen only. In lack of other male specimens, it is impossible to know about the range of intraspecific variation.