Protinodes Sharp, 1888

Maruyama, Munetoshi, Yamamoto, Shûhei & Eldredge, Taro K., 2014, Synopsis of the Japanese species of Aleocharinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), with review of the type specimens I. Tribes Himalusini and Leucocraspedini, Zootaxa 3887 (3), pp. 393-400 : 395-396

Genus Protinodes Sharp, 1888

Protinodes Sharp, 1888: 377 (original description; type species: Protinodes puncticollis Sharp, 1888 ); Fenyes, 1918: 72 (diagnosis, list of species); Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 522 (catalogue).

Diagnosis. Body ( Fig. 1 ) broad. Labrum transverse, apically truncate. Mandibles almost symmetric, thick dorsoventrally, minutely bifid at apex. Maxilla ( Fig. 2 ): palpus with apex of segment IV sub-membranous, pseudosegment obscure; lacinia with six spines. Labium ( Fig. 3 ): prementum with 4 real pores and several pseudo pores, no setal pore; premental apodeme with lateral lobe elongate, with a short medial projection; palpus with segments I and II completely fused; segment III with pseudosegment; ligula broad, completely fused with hypopharynx. Mesoventrite with process elongate, carinate near apex. Tarsal formula: 4-4-4. Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 4 ) without athetine bridge; paramere of aedeagus ( Fig. 5 ) with apical lobe huge, serrate; velum elongate, pubescent apically.

Comments. This genus has been placed in the tribe Hygronomini probably due to its 4-4-4 tarsal formula. The tribe Himalusini now contains three genera Protinodes , Himalusa and Sinanarchusa. Differential diagnosis of each genus is shown in Table 1 .

Type material. Holotype, male, “ Protinodes / puncticollis / Type D.S./Tokio. Japan // Type [RRL]//Tokio./ 25.IX.- 27.IX.81.// Japan./G. Lewis.//Sharp Coll./1905-313.” (maxilla, labium, abdominal segments VIII-X and aedeagus are dissected and mounted by MM) (BL, ≈ 2.2; PL, 0.41; PW, 0.76; HTL, 0.38) ( BMNH).

Diagnosis. Body ( Fig. 1 ) stout, slightly glossy. Head semicircular; clypeus rounded apically; surface densely, coarsely punctured, covered with white setae; eyes prominent. Pronotum transverse; ratio, 1.85; surface densely covered with large punctures, but with a pair of glabrous areas, covered with rather thick, short, white setae. Elytra wider than pronotum, surface with punctures smaller and sparser than on pronotum. Abdomen with tergites III-VI densely punctured. Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 4 ) with apical lobe strongly curved.

Comments. This species was described based on a specimen collected in Tokio [Tôkyô], but no further specimens have been found.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype of Protinodes puncticollis Sharp, 1888 (before dissection).

FIGURES 2 - 5. Body parts of Protinodes puncticollis Sharp, 1888 (HT). 2, Maxilla; 3, labium; 4, median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view; 5, paramere of aedeagus.

Tables

TABLE 1. Differential diagnosis of the genera Protinodes, Himalusa and Sinanarchusa.

	Protinodes	Himalusa	Sinanarchusa
Labrum	normal, transverse	prominent anteriorly	normal, transverse (?)
Lacinial teeth	normal, elongate	large, thick, triangular	large, thick, triangular
Third segment of labial palpus	thick, short, less than half of combined first and second segments	narrow, long, less than half of combined first and second segments	thick, short, more than half of combined first and second segments