Himalodromeus cyanipennis ( Cameron, 1924 ) Shavrin, 2024

Shavrin, Alexey V., 2024, Review of Hygrogeus Mulsant & Rey, 1880 and Trichodromeus Luze, 1903, with descriptions of three new genera from the eastern Palaearctic Region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Anthophagini: Omaliinae), Zootaxa 5531 (1), pp. 1-62 : 47-49

Himalodromeus cyanipennis ( Cameron, 1924) comb. n.

( Figs 90–91, 95 , 98–109 , 110–111 , 116–121 , 124 )

Hygrogeus cyanipennis Cameron, 1924: 174 ; Cameron 1930: 165, Scheerpeltz 1933: 1067, Herman 2001: 308, Smetana 2004: 245, Schülke & Smetana 2015: 316.

Hygrogeus cyanipennis var. atrocaeruleus Champion, 1925: 105 ; Cameron 1930: 165, Scheerpeltz 1933: 1067.

Hygrogeus coeruleipennis Coiffait, 1983: 280 syn. n.

Type material examined. Lectotype (here designated) of Hygrogeus cyanipennis Cameron, 1924 ♂: ‘ SYN- | TYPE’ <round label with blue margin, printed>, ‘Type | H.T.’ <round label with red margin, printed>, ‘Chakrata Dist. | Chulli Khud 8000 | Dr. Cameron. | 14. V. [19]22.’ <printed>, ‘ Hygrogoeus | cyanipennis | Cam.’ <handwritten in black>, ‘M.Cameron | Bequest. | B.M. 1955-147.’ <printed>, ‘NHMUK 014598198’ <printed label with barcode in right side of the label>, ‘ LECTOTYPE | Hygrogeus | cyanipennis Cameron, 1924 | Shavrin A.V. des. 2024’ <red, printed>, ‘ Himalodromeus | cyanipennis ( Cameron, 1924) | Shavrin A.V. det. 2024’ <printed> ( BMNH). Paralectotypes: 1 ♂: ‘ ♂ ’ <printed>, ‘ SYN- | TYPE’ <round label with blue margin, printed>, ‘Chakrata Dist. | Chulli Khud 8000 | Dr. Cameron. | 14. V. [19]22.’ <printed>, ‘ Hygrogeus | cyanipennis | Cam. | Type’ <handwritten in black> ( BMNH); 1 ♂: ‘ SYN- | TYPE’ <round label with blue margin>, ‘Co- | type’ <round label with yellow margin, printed>, ‘Chakrata Dist. | Chulli Khud 8000 | Dr. Cameron. | 14. V. [19]22.’ <printed>, ‘United Prov., | N. India. [underlined by yellow] | B.M. 1924-335.’ <printed>, ‘ ♂ ’ <printed>, ‘ Hygrogoeus | cyanipennis Cam. | Co - type.’ <handwritten in black> ( BMNH); 1 ♂ (strongly damaged: specimen without head, fore legs, left middle and left hind legs): ‘ SYN- | TYPE’ <round label with blue margin, printed>, ‘Chakrata Dist. | Chulli Khud 8000 | Dr. Cameron. | 14. V. [19]22.’ <printed>, ‘E. l. H2’ <handwritten in black>, ‘M.Cameron | Bequest. | B.M. 1955-147.’ <printed> ( BMNH); 4 ♂♂ (one specimen dissected), 3 ♀♀: ‘ SYN- | TYPE’ <round label with blue frame, printed>, ‘Chakrata Dist. | Chulli Khud 8000’ <printed>, ‘Dr. Cameron. | 14. V. [19]22.’ <printed>, ‘M.Cameron | Bequest. | B.M. 1955-147.’ <printed>. All paralectotypes with additional printed label: ‘ Himalodromeus | cyanipennis ( Cameron, 1924) | Shavrin A.V. det. 2024’.

Lectotype (here designated) of Hygrogeus cyanipennis var. atrocaeruleus Champion, 1925 ♂ ( Fig. 91 ; left antennomeres 8–11 and right antenna missing): ‘ ♂ ’ <printed>, ‘ SYN- | TYPE’ <round label with blue margin, printed>, ‘Type | H. T.’ <round label with red margin, printed>, ‘Burphu, | Gori V., 11500 ft. | India. H.G.C.’ <printed>, ‘ Hygrogeus | cyanipennis,Cam. | v. atrocaeruleus, Ch [ampion].’ <printed>, ‘ Hygrogeus | cyanipennis Cam | v. atrocaeruleus . | type ♂ Ch[ampion]’ <handwritten in black>, ‘E.M.M. 1925. | det. G.C.C.’ <printed>, ‘G.C. Champion. | Brit. Mus. 1925-42.’ <printed>, ‘ LECTOTYPE | Hygrogeus | cyanipennis | atrocaeruleus Champion, 1925 | Shavrin A.V. des. 2024’ <red, printed>, ‘ Himalodromeus | cyanipennis ( Cameron, 1924) | Shavrin A.V. det. 2024’ <printed> ( BMNH). Paralectotypes: 1 ♂: ‘ ♂ ’ <printed>, ‘ SYN- | TYPE’ <round label with blue margin, printed>, ‘Burphu, | Gori V., 11500 ft. | India. H.G.C.’ <printed>, ‘ Hygrogeus | cyanipennis,Cam. | v. atrocaeruleus, Ch. ’ <printed>, ‘E.M.M. 1925. | det. G.C.C.’ <printed>, ‘G.C. Champion. | Brit. Mus. 1925-42.’ <printed> ( BMNH); 5 ♂♂ (one specimen dissected): same data as the previous ( BMNH); 11 ♀♀: same data as the previous except first printed label: ‘ ♀ ’ ( BMNH); 1 ♂, 10 ♀♀: ‘ SYN- | TYPE’ <round label with blue margin, printed>, ‘Laptel, | N.Kumaon, India | 15,000 ft. H.G.C.’ <printed>, ‘G.C. Champion. | Brit. Mus. 1925-42.’ <printed>, ‘ Hygrogeus | cyanipennis,Cam. | v. atrocaeruleus, Ch. ’ <printed> ( BMNH). All paralectotypes with additional printed label: ‘ Himalodromeus | cyanipennis ( Cameron, 1924) | Shavrin A.V. det. 2024’.

Additional material examined. INDIA: UTTARAKHAND: 2 ♀♀: 10 km NE Govind Ghat (=Gobindghat), road to Ghangaria, Bhunder Ganga River . 11– 12.06.2011. A. Shavrin leg. (cSh) ; NEPAL: SUDURPASHCHIM: 1 ♂: Seti, Sgima bis Flusstal des Losani Khola. 1900–3000 m a.s.l. 26.06.2009. J. Weipert leg. (cSh); KARNALI: 1 ♂: Jumla, Talphi S, Maharigaon 29°20’25’’N 82°23’16’’E. 3200 m a.s.l. 09.07.1999. A. Weigel leg. (cSh) .

Redescription. Measurements (n=40): HW: 1.11–1.55; HL: 0.71–1.12; OL: 0.25–0.37; TL: 0.17–0.25; AL (lectotype of Hygrogeus cyanipennis ): 5.70; PL: 0.96–1.75; PWmax:1.45–2.32; PWmin:1.17–1.67; ESL:2.11–2.62; EW: 2.30–3.15; MTbL (lectotype of Hygrogeus cyanipennis ): 2.45; MTrL (lectotype of Hygrogeus cyanipennis ): 1.05 (MTrL 1–4: 0.60; MTrL 5: 0.45); AW: 2.40–3.00; AedL: 1.41–1.47; BL: 6.00–8.50 (lectotype of Hygrogeus cyanipennis : 8.25; lectotype of H. cyanipennis atrocaeruleus : 7.20; holotype of H. coeruleipennis : 6.50).

Habitus as in Figs 90–91 . Body reddish-brown to dark-brown, with bluish elytra (some types of H. cyanipennis with reddish head, pronotum and abdomen as in Fig. 91 ); mouthparts, antennae and legs yellow-brown, sometimes with distinctly darker femora. Head with regular and very dense fine isodiametric microsculpture, finer in apical part of clypeus and middle, and sometimes coarser and denser between ocelli; neck with dense, transverse microreticulation, distinctly coarser and larger than that in middle portion of head; pronotum with distinct, dense and fine isodiametric microsculpture about as that in head, finer in middle and mediobasal portion; scutellum with fine transverse meshes; abdomen with fine transverse microsculpture, usually finer in middle of abdominal tergites V–VII. Pronotum and elytra in some specimens without distinct pubescence.

Head 1.3–1.5 times as broad as long, with relatively strongly convex infraorbital and slightly elevated middle portions at level of anterior margin of eyes; anterio-median depression moderately deep, distinctly narrowed basad and sometimes connected with interocellar depression; interocellar depression moderately deep, wide, subtrapezoidal or rectangular, separated from infraorbital portions by slightly or strongly convergent latero-anteriad narrow and deep anteocellar foveae, reaching level of anterior third or anterior margin of eyes; temples 1.4 times as long as longitudinal length of eyes. Head ventrally as in Fig. 103 . Ocelli small and sometimes indistinct, located slightly below level of posterior margin of eyes; distance between ocelli 1.3–1.5 times as long as distance between ocellus and posterior margin of eyes. Punctation fine and moderately dense, finer and sparser in apical portion of clypeus and in middle, slightly larger on infraorbital portions; mediobasal part between ocelli and neck without visible punctation. Labrum as in Fig. 98 . Mandibles as in Fig. 99 . Labium as in Fig. 101 . Mentum as in Fig. 102 . Maxilla as in Fig. 100 ; last (apical) maxillary palpomere long about twice as long as penultimate segment or slightly shorter, from base gradually broadened apicad, with rounded or truncate apex. Antenna reaching level of posterior third of elytra or slightly longer; basal antennomere more than four times as long as broad, antennomere 2 slightly less than twice and distinctly narrower than basal antennomere, 3 distinctly longer than 2, 4–5 slightly shorter than 3, 6–9 slightly longer than 5, 10 indistinctly shorter than 9, apical antennomere about as long or slightly longer than 10, from apical third slightly narrowed toward subacute or small rounded apex.

Pronotum 1.3–1.5 times as broad as long, from widest anterior third significantly narrowed posteriad toward obtuse or subacute hind angles, usually distinctly protruded latero-posteriad ( Fig. 95 ); frontal part usually slightly protruded apicad and sometimes with slightly concave latero-apical margins ( Fig. 104 ); anterior margin slightly or widely concave, sometimes rounded, distinctly shorter than widely concave posterior margin; laterobasal portions in front of hind angles elongate and somewhat subparallel or sometimes slightly concave; middle portion with indistinct or distinct narrow longitudinal depression (deeper in middle in some specimens), starting from medioapical part and reaching level of narrowest part of pronotum; mediobasal portion without or with transverse and moderately deep depression; lateral margins narrowly bordered, sometimes slightly reflexed and with indistinct smooth crenulation, stronger in middle; laterobasal portions widely depressed; some specimens of H. cyanipennis “var.” atrocaeruleus with two deep oval depressions in middle of anterior part of disc. Mesoventrite as in Fig. 105 . Scutellum as in Fig. 108 . Metaventrite as in Fig. 106 . Metendosternite as in Fig. 107 . Punctation dense, larger and deeper than that on pronotum, with interstices between punctures in middle about as long as one-two diameters of nearest punctures, sometimes sparser in middle or in medioapical and mediobasal portions. Scutellum ( Fig. 108 ) without punctation or with several fine punctures.

Elytra slightly impressed in middle, distinctly broader than long, strongly broadened posteriad ( Fig. 109 ), 1.4 times to about twice as long as pronotum; lateral margins with deep logitudinal impression, broadly flattened and distinctly reflexed in about middle; hind margins widely rounded. Punctation dense, larger and deeper than that on pronotum, with interstices between punctures in middle about as long as diameters of two-three punctures, denser in apical portion, and finer and sparser in middle. Hind wings fully developed.

Metatarsi more than twice shorter than metatibia; apical metatarsomere shorter than preceding four metatarsomeres.

Abdomen slightly narrower or broader than elytra.

Male. Profemuri and protarsomeres 1–4 wide. Pronotum broader, more convex. Posterior margin of abdominal tergite VIII straight ( Fig. 116 ). Posterior margin of abdominal sternite VIII with significant deep emargination, additionally slightly concave in middle, with moderately long setation on each elongate latero-apical portion ( Fig. 117 ). Aedeagus with moderately broad basal part and median lobe, with long and narrow sclerotized lateral lobes, reaching about level of apical third of median lobe; median lobe from middle gradually narrowed toward subacute apex; parameres shortened, not reaching middle of median lobe, slightly broadened apically, with four short apical setae; dorsal lobes with sclerotized, elongate portions, rounded apically; internal sac without distinct spines, with narrow sclerotized structures in middle and long narrow flagellum, spirally folded in basal portion; apical part of flagellum widely broadened ( Fig. 110 ). Lateral aspect of the aedeagus as in Fig. 111 .

Female. Profemuri and protarsomeres 1–4 moderately narrow. Pronotum distinctly narrower and less convex. Posterior margin of abdominal tergite VIII ( Fig. 119 ) and sternite VIII ( Fig. 120 ) straight. Genital segment as in Fig. 121 .

Comparative notes. Based on the coloration of the body with bluish elytra, the shape of the apical part of the pronotum distinctly protruded anteriad and the general shape of the aedeagus, H. cyanipennis is more similar to H. grandis sp. n., from which it can be distinguished by the somewhat smaller pronotum, broader at level of anterior portion, with shorter apical extension and sparser punctation of the disc, the lack of longitudinal elevations on the elytra, the narrower apical part of the median lobe, and other details of the morphology of the aedeagus.

Distribution. Himalodromeus cyanipennis is known from North India (Kashmir, Uttarakhand) and western Nepal (Sudurpashchim, Karnali) ( Fig. 124 ).

Bionomics. Specimens were collected at elevations from 1900 to 4572 a.s.l. Cameron (1924) notes that specimens of H. cyanipennis were collected “near stream”. I collected two specimens on the bank of Bhunder Ganga River (Uttarakhand, India) under large stones .

Remarks. Hygrogeus cyanipennis was originally described based on an unspecified number of syntypes from “Chulli Khud (8000 feet) in the Chakrata District in May 1922 ”. I have studied 11 specimens from BMNH, and a male with the additional label ‘Type H.T.’ I designate here as the lectotype. Some specimens of this serie are immature, with paler body. Cameron noted that the length of the body is “ 9.75 mm ”, but all studied specimens by me were from 7.34 to 8.42 mm.

Champion (1925) described H. cyanipennis var. atrocaeruleus , as the darker variation of H. cyanipennis from “Burphu, Gori Valley, alt. 11,500 ft …” and “Laptel, alt. 15,000 ft ”. I have studied 21 specimens of this taxon in the collection of BMNH. The specimen with additional label ‘Type H.T.’ was designated as the lectotype in order to fix the identity of the name. One syntype from “Laptel” belong to an possibly undescribed species of Trichodromeus (see above).

Hygrogeus coeruleipennis was originally described from “Cachemire, Badrinath, 3 500 m …”. Based on the original description and figure of the aedeagus (figs 2A, 2B in Coiffait (1983)), this species is conspecific with the relatively variable H. cyanipennis . Thus, it was synonymized with the latter species.

This species is here recorded from Nepal for the first time.

Figures

FIGURE 124. Distribution of Himalodromeus: H. cyanipennis (circles), H. grandis (square), H. reductus (triangles).

FIGURES 90–97. Habitus (Figs 90–94) and apical part of pronotum (Figs 95–97) of Himalodromeus: 90—H. cyanipennis (Uttarakhand), 91, 95—H. cyanipennis (paratype), 92—Hygrogeus cyanipennis var. atrocaeruleus (lectotype), 93, 96—H. grandis (holotype), 94, 97—H. reductus (paratype). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 98–109. Himalodromeus cyanipennis: 98—labrum (dorsal view), 99—mandibles (left and right, dorsal view), 100— maxilla (dorsal view), 101—labium (ventral view), 102—mentum (ventral view), 103—head (ventral view), 104—prothorax (ventral view), 105—mesoventrite (ventral view), 106—metaventrite (ventral view), 107—metendosternite (dorsal view), 108—scutellum (ventral view), 109—elytron (ventral view). Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 110–115. Aedeagus of Himalodromeus (Figs 110–111: H. cyanipennis (paralectotype), Figs 112–113: H. grandis (holotype), Figs 114–115: H. reductus (paratype): 110, 112, 114—parameral view, 111, 113, 115—lateral view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 116–123. Abdominal segments (ventral view) of Himalodromeus (Figs 116–121: H. cyanipennis; Fig. 122: H. grandis; Fig. 123: H. reductus): 116—male tergite VIII, 117, 122–123—male sternite VIII, 118—male genital segment, 119— female tergite VIII, 120—female sternite VIII, 121—female genital segment. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.