Micrillus nigriceps ( CAMERON 1931) Assing, 2013

Assing, V., 2013, On the Palaearctic and Oriental species of Scymbalium and Micrillus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (2), pp. 1479-1520 : 1496-1497

Micrillus nigriceps ( CAMERON 1931) , nov.comb., nov.stat.

( Figs 14-16 , Map 3 )

Scymbalium indicum nigriceps CAMERON 1931: 214 f.

Type material examined Lectotype, present designation: "Calcutta. / Atkinson Coll. 92-3 / Syntype / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147. / Lectotypus Scymbalium nigriceps Cameron , desig. V. Assing 2013 / Micrillus nigriceps (Cameron) , det. V. Assing 2013" ( BMNH). Paralectotypes: 3, 2 sex? [all glued on the same label; forebodies of two specimens missing]: same labels as lectotype, but with additional label " Scimbalium indicum Epp. v. nigriceps Cam. " (BMNH).

Additional material examined: India: 1, Meghalaya, Cherrapunjee , 1200 m, 16.V.1976, leg. Wittmer & Baroni Urbani ( NHMB) .

Comment: Scymbalium nigriceps was originally described as a "variety" of S. indicum EPPELSHEIM. The description is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from "Calcutta" ( CAMERON 1931). Six partly incomplete syntypes were located in the Cameron collection at the BMNH. A male is designated as the lectotype. An examination of the type material revealed that S. nigriceps represents a distinct species and belongs to the genus Micrillus .

Redescription: Body length 4.5-5.5 mm; length of forebody 2.7-2.9 mm. Coloration: body including appendages pale reddish, with the head somewhat darker.

External characters similar to those of M. indicus .

: sternite VIII distinctly oblong, posterior excision narrow and rather deep ( Fig. 14 ); aedeagus ( Figs 15-16 ) very small, 0.35 mm long, strongly asymmetric, and of distinctive shape.

Comparative notes: The similar external and male sexual characters suggest that M. nigriceps is closely related to M. indicus , from which it is distinguished by the darker head, the shape of the male sternite VIII (slightly more oblong), and the slightly different shape of the smaller aedeagus (apex of ventral process shorter, internal structure of different shape).

Distribution: This species is currently known only from northeastern India ( Map 3 ).

Figures

Map 3: Distributions of Micrillus indicus (EPPELSHEIM) (triangles), M. nigriceps (CAMERON) (diamonds), M. intermedius (CAMERON) (open and filled circles), and M. siamensis nov.sp. (filled circle) in the Oriental region, based on examined records.

Figs 9-16: Micrillus aethiopicus (CAMERON), paratype (9-13) and M. nigriceps (CAMERON), lectotype (14-16): (9) habitus; (10) forebody; (11, 14) male sternite VIII; (12-13, 15-16) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 9-10: 1.0 mm; 11-16: 0.2 mm.