Lithocharodes brooksi, Irmler, 2021

Irmler, Ulrich, 2021, The Neotropical species of the genus Lithocharodes SHARP, 1876 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Xantholinini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 71 (1), pp. 29-85 : 37-38

Lithocharodes brooksi spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3903CAF2-1B67-4B6A-9979-72E6336CA165

Figs 16 a-d, 43 O, 47 F

Type material: male, holotype: Peru: Madre de Dios, Cocha Salvador, Reserved Zone, Manu National Park (12°0.13'S, 71°31.36'W), flight intercept trap, 310 m elev., 20.- 21.10.2000, leg. R. Brooks, # PERU 1B00070 ( KNHM) . Paratypes: Peru, 3 males, 2 females, same location and collector as holotype (4 KNHM, 1 UIC) ; 2 females, same location and collector as holotype, (11°53.45'S, 71°24.24'W), 350 m elev., 17.- 19.10.2000, # PERU 1B00042 ( KNHM) ; Tambopata Prov., Madre de Dios Dptd., 15 km N Puerto Maldonado Reserva , Cuzco Amazonica (12°33'S, 69°03'W), 200 m elev., trail 26, Plot #Z1, #Z2E8, #Z2E15, #Z2E16, #Z2U19, flight intercept trap, 15 males, 23 females, 15.6., 20.6., 22.6., 24.6., 26.6., 28.6., 15.7. and 16.7.1989 leg. J.S. Ashe, R. Leschen (34 KNHM, 4 UIC) ; Madre de Dios, Cocha Cashu Biol. Stn., Manu National Park (71°24'24"W, 11°53'45"S), 350 m elev., flight intercept trap, 1 male, 1 female, 17.- 19.10.2000, leg. R. Brooks, #PER1B00042 ( KNHM) ; Madre de Dios, Pantiacolla Lodge, Alto Madre de Dios R. (71°13.9'W, 12°39.3'S), 460 m elev., female, 14.- 19.11.2007, leg. D. Brzoska #PER1B07004) ( KNHM) ; Madre de Dios, Amazonas Lodge, N Atalaya (71°22.6'W, 12°52.2'S), 480 m elev., flight intercept trap, 1 female, 10.- 13.11.2007, leg. D. Brzoska #PER1B07002 ( KNHM) ; Cusco, Cock of the Rock Lodge, NE Paucartambo (71°32.7'W, 13°03.3'S), 1120 m elev., flight intercept trap, 2 females, 4.- 9.11.2007, leg. D. Brzoska #PER1B07001) ( KNHM) ; Loreto, Llullapichis, Panguana Biol. Stn. (74°5.68'W, 9°37'S), pitfall trap, #PWa 4, 1 male, 15.- 29.10.1984, leg. M. Verhaagh ( UIC) .

Diagnosis: Males of the species can be easily identified by the specific shape of the aedeagus with the short parallel anterior part and teeth-like anterior angles. Additionally, the specific shape of the parameres are unique in the genus. The species resembles L. boliviana in colouration but is slightly lighter and smaller. The head is less densely punctate than in L. boliviana . Females of both species can hardly be separated.

Description: Length: 4.3 mm. Colouration: Black; pronotum slightly lighter, dark brown; abdomen, legs and antennae brown.

Head: 0.79 mm long, 0.65 mm wide; eyes large, slightly prominent; postocular space twice as long as eyes; nearly parallel; posterior angles widely rounded; posterior margin slightly emarginate; interantennal furrows short; reaching anterior third of eyes; setiferous punctation deep and moderately dense; on clypeus slightly denser than close to neck; wide midline impunctate; space between interantennal furrows impunctate; on average, interstices between punctures slightly shorter than diameter of punctures; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Antennae with first antennomere half as long as head; second and third antennomere conical, longer than wide; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; fourth antennomere 1.5 times as wide as long; tenth antennomere twice as wide as long; four to eleventh antennomeres pubescent. Pronotum: 0.87 mm long; 0.57 mm wide; widest in anterior third; shortly convergent to neck; behind widest part convergent to middle; posterior half approximately parallel; posterior angles combined with posterior margin convexly rounded; setiferous punctation deep and approximately as dense as on posterior head; on average, interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures; wide midline impunctate; adjacent to impunctate midline with irregular row of 19 to 20 punctures; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Elytra: 0.77 mm long; 0.73 mm wide; humeral angles subrectangular; sides slightly divergent to posterior angles; posterior angles sub-rectangular; posterior margin slightly convexly prominent with incision at suture; setiferous punctation as dense as on pronotum, but slightly weaker; surface with irregular microsculpture; less shiny than head and pronotum. Abdomen with dense setiferous punctation; punctures distinctly weaker than on fore-body; surface with isodiametric microsculpture; less shiny than head and pronotum; tergite VII of male with three teeth-like prominences at posterior margin, one in central and two in intermediate position between central tooth and outer angles; posterior margin of sternite VII of male slightly elevated and with short central triangular prominence. Meso- and metatibia each with 3 subapical ctenidia. Aedeagus oval with distinctly narrower and parallel anterior part; outer angles tooth-like; endophallus thick; anterior part divided into two strings with thick lobes; middle part with intermediate large plates; posterior part forming large sack covered by shorter lobes; paramere thick; slightly sinuate with widened apex; at inner side with numerous long setae.

Etymology: The species name honours R. Brooks from the Kansas Natural History Museum, who extensively collected staphylinids in the Neotropics.

Figures

Fig. 13–18: L.-simillima-group:Lithocharodes triangula (13), L. simillima(14), L. surinamensis (15), L. brooksi(16), L. germana (17), L. denticulata (18); aedeagus (a), paramere (b), sternite VII of male (c), tergite VII of male (d); scale bare: A–D: 0.2 mm; B: 0.1 mm.