Microlia azteca ( Casey, 1911 )

Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2002, A revision of the genus Microlia Casey, 1910 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Hoplandriini), Zootaxa 34, pp. 1-24 : 15-16

3. Microlia azteca ( Casey, 1911) ( Figs. 16, 45­48 )

Nosora azteca Casey, 1911: 146 .

Nosora azteca: Fenyes, 1920: 308 .

Nosora azteca: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 717 . Nosora azteca: Seevers, 1978: 143 .

Type material. Lectotype and two paralectotypes: 3, MEXICO: Cuernavaca (Wickam) ( NHNM). The fourth specimen labeled as paralectotype is missing from the pin. This reference to the lectotype is not to be considered as lectotype designation. The lectotype will be designated by Hanley (in press, c).

Diagnosis: Microlia azteca can be distinguished from other species of Microlia by larger body, spermatheca forming multiple coils (but not irregular loops) ( Fig. 47 ), mesotarsus with 5 segments and uniformly brown coloration.

Description: Length 2.3 mm. Body uniformly brown, legs, antennal articles 1­4 and mouthparts yellow.

Head surface glossy, on disk with weak isodiametric microsculpture, puncturation strong, distance between punctures equal to their diameter. Eyes 2.2 times longer than temples.

Pronotum strongly transverse, 1.3 times wider than head, width 0.50­0.51 mm, length 0.34­0.36 mm, width to length ratio 1.5, surface glossy, with weak transverse microsculpture; puncturation as on head. Elytra wider (0.60­0.61 mm) and longer (0.51­0.56 mm, measured from humeral angle) than pronotum (pronotal length to elytral length ratio 0.65), 1.1 times wider than long, surface glossy, with weak transverse microsculpture, puncturation finer than on pronotum, slightly asperate, distance between punctures 1­2 times their diameter. Mesotarsus with 5 segments.

Abdominal terga glossy, with fine microsculpture consisting of transverse (terga 3­6) or isodiametric (tergum 7) meshes, with fine puncturation, distance between punctures 2­3 times their diameter.

Puncturation of female tergum 7 strongly asperate; tergum 8 with straight posterior margin ( Fig. 46 ), sternum 8 with convex posterior margin ( Fig. 45 ). Spermatheca forming numerous coils, but not irregular loops ( Fig. 47 ).

Variation: The coloration of the three known specimens of M. azteca is identical and resembles that of darker specimens of M. meticola . However one cannot rule out a chance that specimens with lighter coloration might occur in M. azteca as in the other species where longer series had been examined.

Distribution: Known from a single locality in Mexico ( Fig. 80 ).

Figures

FIGURE 80. Geographical distribution of Microlia Casey. 1 – M. silacea (Erichson); 2 – M. meticola (Casey); 3 – M. azteca (Casey); 4 – M. pentamera Gusarov, sp. nov.; 5 – M. tetramera Gusarov, sp. nov.; 6 – M. panamensis Gusarov, sp. nov.

FIGURES 45 ­ 48. Details of Microlia azteca (Casey) (paralectotype). 45 – female sternum 8; 46 – female tergum 8; 47 – spermatheca; 48 – right antenna. Scale bar 0.2 mm.