Lathrobium squamosum, Assing, 2013

Assing, Volker, 2013, On the Lathrobium fauna of China V. New species and additional records from Yunnan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 63 (1), pp. 53-128 : 113-115

4.5 The L. squamosum species group

4.5.1 Lathrobium squamosum sp. n.

(Figs 294-301, Map 7 )

Type material:

Holotype ♂: “ CHINA: Yunnan [CH07-19], Dehong Dai Aut. Pref., mountain range 31 km E Luxi [= Mangshi ], 2280 m, 24°29'31"N, 98°52'58"E, secnd. pine forest with old decid. trees, litter sifted, 3. VI.2007, M. Schülke / Holotypus ♂ Lathrobium squamosum sp. n. det. V. Assing 2013” (cSch). Paratypes : 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀: same data as holotype (cSch, cAss) ; 1 ♀: same data, but leg Wrase (cSch) ; 3 ♂♂: same data, but leg. Pütz (cPüt, cAss) .

Etymology:

The specific epithet (Latin, adjective: scaly) alludes to scaly sculpture of the internal structures of the aedeagus.

Description:

Species of moderate size; body length 7.0-8.0 mm; length of forebody 3.1-3.5 mm. Protarsomeres I-IV without sexual dimorphism, of variable width in both sexes. Other external characters (Fig. 294) as in L. daliense .

♂: sternites III-VI unmodified; sternite VII (Fig. 295) moderately transverse, symmetric, in posterior median portion with few very weakly modified black setae, posterior margin truncate; sternite VIII (Fig. 296) weakly transverse, symmetric, pubescence not distinctly modified, posterior excision distinct and almost U-shaped; aedeagus (Figs 297-298) approximately 0.9 mm long and symmetric; ventral process relatively short and stout, laterally compressed, and apically of distinctive shape; dorsal plate with weakly sclerotized, short, and somewhat convex (cross-section) apical portion, and with unsclerotized, moderately long basal

Figs 294-307: Lathrobium squamosum (294-301) and L. bihamulatum (302-307): forebody (294, 303); male sternite VII (295, 304); male sternite VIII (296, 305); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (297-298, 306); internal structures of aedeagus in lateral view (299, 307); female sternite VIII (300); female tergites IX-X (301); habitus (302). Scale bars: 294, 302-303: 1.0 mm; 295-298, 300-301, 304-307: 0.5 mm; 299: 0.1 mm.

portion; internal sac with pair of relatively large dark structures with scaly sculpture (Fig. 299).

♀: sternite VIII (Fig. 300) approximately 1.2 mm long and approximately as broad as long; tergite IX (Fig. 301) with long and undivided antero-median portion, and with relatively short postero-lateral processes; tergite X (Fig. 301) distinctly convex, nearly angled in cross-section, slightly shorter than antero-median portion of tergite IX.

Comparative notes:

Though similar in external appearance to L. daliense and allied species, L. squamosum is apparently not closely related to them, as is suggested particularly by the different morphology of the female tergites IX and X. The male and female sexual characters do not indicate closer affiliations with any of the other species known from Yunnan.

Distribution and natural history:

The type locality is situated in the Ertaipo Shan to the east of Mangshi, Yunnan ( Map 7 ). The specimens were sifted from litter in a secondary pine forest with old deciduous trees at an altitude of 2280 m, together with L. bihamulatum .

Figures

Map 7: Distribution of the species of the L. lijiangense (filled star), the L. celere (other filled symbols), the L. squamosum (open star), and the L. curvatissimum (other open symbols) (sub-)groups: L. seriespinosum and L. sexspinosum (black star); L. squamosum (white star); L. glandulosum (black circles); L. acre (black triangle); L. incurvatum (white diamond); L. stipiferum (white circles); L. yinae (white triangles); L. curvatissimum (white square).