Megalopinus puthzianus, Mainda, 2024

Mainda, Tobias, 2024, On Oriental species of the genus Megalopinus Eichelbaum, 1915: one new species and taxonomical and biogeographical notes (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Megalopsidiinae), Soil Organisms 96 (1), pp. 37-46 : 41-43

Megalopinus puthzianus spec. nov.

( Figs 3 , 4A–C ) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0CE35F2F-46BF-40DC-BF13-10388B435B1D

Type specimens: male holotype: ‘ Thailand: 70m, Sur at Thani P., Khao Sok N. Park, Schwendinger 6.12.91’ / ‘ Megalopinus hirashimai Naomi , det. Puthz 2012 ’ / red label ‘male HOLOTYPE Megalopinus puthzianus nov. sp., design. Mainda, 2024’, aedeagus embedded in Euparal on a transparent platelet (MHNG). Six paratypes: one male specimen, ‘S-Thailand, Phang Nga Prov., Khao Lak Lamru N.P., rainforest nr. Hdqu., 23-27 III 2002, E. Heiss’ / ‘ Megalopinus hirashimai Naomi , det. Puthz, 2012 ’ / ‘coll. Puthz’ / yellow label ‘male PARATYPE Megalopinus puthzianus nov. sp., design. Mainda, 2024’, aedeagus embedded in Euparal on a transparent platelet (SMNS); one female specimen ‘THAILANDE-Trang, Khao Chong, 150 m, 17.VIII.86, leg. P. Schwendiger’ / ‘ Megalopinus hirashimai Naomi , det. Puthz 2012 ’ / yellow label ‘female PARATYPE Megalopinus puthzianus nov. sp., design. Mainda, 2024’ (MHNG); one male and three female paratypes, ‘ Malaysia, Kedah, Pulau Langkawi NW Datai rainforest, 2-10 XI 2002, E. Heiss’ / ‘ Megalopinus hirashimai Naomi , det. Puthz, 2012 ’ / ‘coll. Puthz’ / yellow label ‘ PARATYPE Megalopinus puthzianus nov. sp., design. Mainda, 2024’, male specimen with aedeagus embedded in Euparal on a transparent platelet (one female in cTM; one male, two females in SMNS).

Description: Measurements of the male holotype: BL: 2.55 mm, DE: 0.55 mm, FBL: 1.58 mm, EL: 0.66 mm, EW: 0.93 mm, HW: 0.94 mm, PL: 0.60 mm, PW: 0.75 mm, SL: 0.53 mm.

Habitus as in Fig. 3 . Chestnut brown to orange yellowish, without microsculpture; head and pronotum chestnut brown; elytra brown with yellowish crossband in anterior third, three rows of punctures and a few punctures in sutural third; abdomen lighter brown; antennae and legs yellowish.

Head 1.01 times broader than elytra, frons coarsely punctured, shiny.

Pronotum 1.25 times as broad as long, broadest in anterior third; with four transverse rows of coarse and deep punctures, between third and fourth row with impunctate Y-shaped area in middle of pronotum; punctures always separate; one large puncture in posteriolateral third on both sides. Each side of pronotum with two more distinct denticles in anterior half and two very small ones in posterior half.

Elytra 1.41 times as broad as long; humeral calli prominent. Scutellum with two longitudinal furrows, without punctures; deep, narrow longitudinal impression on both sides of suture. Punctures on left elytron: slr (6), shr (8), dsr (6 + 1 near anterior margin), ssr-c (6); punctures on right elytron: slr (3), shr (8), dsr (6 + 1 near anterior margin), ssr-c (4). Broadest in middle, posterior and lateral margins convexly rounded.

Abdomen narrower than head, shiny, with distinct paratergites. Basolateral striae of tergite V in anterior third of tergite, not extending to middle; tergite VII with membranous fringe at posterior margin (metathoric wings fully developed).

Male: Antennomere XI 3.00 times as long and 1.29 times as wide as antennomere X. Sternite VIII shallowly impressed at posterior margin. Tergite VIII without special features. Sternite IX slightly asymmetrical spatula-shaped. Tergite X shiny, widely punctured. Aedeagus ( Fig. 4D ) slender, with strong internal sclerites and two proximal fields of elongate denticles; parameres with eight apical setae.

Variation (n = 7): Measurements in mm: BL: 2.45– 2.75 mm, DE: 0.48–0.58 mm, FBL: 1.50–1.73 mm, EL: 0.60–0.70 mm, EW: 0.88–0.95 mm, HW: 0.84–0.98 mm, PL: 0.55–0.65 mm, PW: 0.68–0.79 mm, SL: 0.48–0.53 mm. Punctures on left elytron: slr (4–10), shr (6–9), dsr (6+1–9+1), ssr-c (2–6); punctures on right elytron: slr (3–6), shr (6–9), dsr (5+1–9+1), ssr-c (1–4).

Coloration: Cross band in anterior third of elytra more or less distinctly connected, sometimes appearing like separate patches ( Fig. 4A ) or color more reddish ( Fig. 4B ).

Female (specimen from Malaysia, Kedah): Antennomere XI 3.80 times as long and 1.33 times as wide as antennomere X.

Comparative notes: Megalopinus puthzianus spec. nov. is related to some smaller species of the acutangulus -group (see Puthz 2012 for the group definition) with a punctate sutural third of elytra, relatively broad head and relatively short lateral striae on tergite V. The species is distinguished from M. nepalensis and M. hirashimai by the coloration, at least one puncture in sutural third of elytra (ssr-c), shorter lateral striae of tergite V and by the internal structure of the aedeagus. It is separated from M. brancuccii by at least one puncture in sutural third of elytra (ssr-c), by the shape of the median lobe and the internal structure of the aedeagus. Megalopinus puthzianus spec. nov. is distinguished from M. creberrimus by smaller size, different coloration, and lack of a series of punctures along the suture and by the aedeagus.

Etymology: With the choice of the species epithet ‘ puthzianus ’ (derived from the German surname Puthz, noun), I cordially dedicate this new species to Dr. Volker Puthz (Schlitz, Germany), the world’s leading specialist for Euaesthetinae , Megalopsidiinae and Steninae , who kindly supports me in my taxonomic work since years.

Figures

Figure 3. Female paratype of Megalopinus puthzianus spec. nov., habitus, Malaysia, Kedah, scale = 1 mm.

Figure 4. Megalopinus puthzianus spec. nov., elytral coloration of a female paratype of M. puthzianus spec. nov., ‘Thailande-Trang’ (4A); elytral coloration of a male paratype of M. puthzianus spec. nov., Thailand, Khao Lak Lamru N.P. (4B); aedeagus of M. puthzianus spec. nov. holotype (4C). All without scale.