Stilicoderus brachypterus, Assing, 2016

Assing, Volker, 2016, On Stilicoderus and Stiliderus V. Two new species, additional records, and a catalogue (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (1), pp. 281-300 : 288-289

Stilicoderus brachypterus nov.sp. (Figs 6-8, 17-18, Map 1 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3 [abdomen infested with Laboulbeniales ]: " NEPAL, Khandbari District / For. NE Kuwapani, 2500 m 28.III.82, A. & Z. Smetana / Stilicoderus granulifrons Rgmt. , det. 1986, G. de Rougemont / Holotypus 3 Stilicoderus brachypterus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2016" (cRou) . Paratypes: 1♀: " NEPAL, Khandbari Distr. Forest NE Kuwapani 2400 m 24.IV.84, Smetana & Löbl" cRou ); 2♀♀: "NEPAL-Expeditionen Jochen Martens / 412 Sankhua Sabha Distr. , Arun Valley , betw. Mure and Hurure, mixed broad-leaved forest, 2050-2150 m, 9-17 June88, Martens & Schawaller leg. / Stilicoderus granulifrons Rgmt. , det. 1990, G. de Rougemont " ( SMNS, cAss) .

C o m m e n t: All the unexamined specimens in MHNG, SMNS, and cSme which were recorded from Nepal as S. granulifrons by ROUGEMONT (1996) are also designated as paratypes of S. brachypterus .

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet (adjective) alludes to the reduced length of the hind wings.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 7.0-8.5 mm; length of forebody 4.5-4.7 mm. Pronotum 1.08-1.10 times as long as broad. Elytra 0.81-0.86 times as long and approximately 1.1 times as broad as pronotum (Fig. 6). Hind wings of reduced length, approximately twice as long as elytra. Other external characters as in S. confusus .

3: sternite VII (Fig. 7) strongly transverse, with broad and rather deep posterior excision, anterior margin of this excision truncate, not sinuate; sternite VIII (Fig. 18) strongly transverse, posterior excision broad, deep, and of subtriangular shape; aedeagus (Figs 8, 17) 0.83 mm long (total length 1.05 mm); ventral process stout, moderately strongly sclerotized, curved in basal portion and straight in apical portion; apical internal structures slender, the left structure (ventral view) slightly longer than the right one.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: As can be inferred from the similar external and the similar male sexual characters, S. brachypterus is closely allied to S. granulifrons , with which it had been confounded, and S. confusus . It differs from both species by the narrower and shorter elytra ( S. granulifrons and S. confusus : elytra approximately as long, or nearly so, and approximately 1.25 times as broad as pronotum), the reduced length of the hind wings (fully developed in S. granulifrons and S. confusus ), a more transverse sternite VII with a posterior excision of different shape (deeper than in S. granulifrons , but shallower than in S. confusus ; anterior margin not sinuate), the shape of the male sternite VIII (similar to that of S. granulifrons , but with slightly broader and deeper posterior excision), as well as by the shapes of the ventral process and of the apical internal structures of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: The known distribution is confined to four geographically close localities in East Nepal ( Map 1 ). The altitudes range from 2050 to 2500 m. Two specimens were collected in a mixed broad-leaved forest. The holotype is infested with Laboulbeniales.

Figures

Map 1: Distributions of Stilicoderus granulifrons (circles; white circle: type locality), S. confusus