Phymatura gonggaensis Pace, 1998

Kim, Yoon-Ho & Ahn, Kee-Jeong, 2016, Taxonomy of the genus Phymatura J. Sahlberg (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) in the Korean Peninsula, Zootaxa 4061 (2), pp. 189-196 : 193-195

Phymatura gonggaensis Pace, 1998 , stat. rev.

(Figs. 3, 15–22)

Phymatura gonggaensis Pace, 1998: 206 .

Phymatura gonggaensis: Smetana, 2004: 440 (as valid species). Pseudatheta gonggaensis: Pace, 2010: 268 (as valid species).

Description. Body length 2.6–3.4 mm. Body elongate, slightly broad in dorsal aspect; glossy, sculpture reticulate, pubescent; light brown to brown, postero-lateral margin of elytra, abdominal tergites V–VII brown to dark brown, head dark brown. Head. Subquadrate, narrower than pronotum; eyes large, longer than temples; infraorbital carina well developed, complete; neck absent; antennomere 4 transverse, 5–6 slightly transverse, 7–10 transverse, 5–10 slightly incrassate toward tip. Mouthparts. Labrum ( Fig. 15 ) transverse, 8 pairs of macrosetae present, sensilla of antero-medial sensory area distinct, shallowly and narrowly emarginate, α-sensillum with setose process, slightly convergent distally, β and γ minute and conical, ε with short setose process, shorter than α, two lateral sensilla present on lateral margin of epipharynx, without transverse row of sensory pores in basal region of epipharynx; right mandible with distinct median tooth, prostheca ( Fig. 16 ) well developed, divided into 2 distinct area, condylar molar patch width about 2/5 of basal area of mandible, composed of small lobe-like structures; lacinia ( Fig. 17 ) elongate, spines on inner margin closely placed in a row, without forming distinct apical comb, maxillary palpomere 2 slender and elongate, shorter than 3, 3 dilated subapically and then slightly convergent toward apex, 4 without spine at apex; labium ( Fig. 18 ) with ligula moderate in length and divided in apical half, ligula almost as long as labial palpomeres 1–2 combined, two medial setae moderately separated on prementum, mentum slightly emarginate in anterior margin. Thorax. Pronotum transverse, about 1.4 times as wide as long, widest at basal third and slightly convergent apically, base slightly bisinuate, surface pubescent, directed postero-laterally, without distinct macrosetae; hypomeron narrowly visible in lateral aspect; prosternum transverse, with distinct median knob; elytra wider than pronotum, postero-laterally sinuate; hind wings fully developed, venation almost completely reduced, with six setose lobes on flabellum; mesoventrite with longitudinal carina, mesoventral process narrow, apex narrowly round; metaventral process narrowly round, shorter than mesoventral process; isthmus absent; mesocoxal cavities narrowly separated; protarsomere 1 as long as 2, mesotarsomere 1 slightly longer than 2, metatarsomere 1 as long as 2 and 3 combined, with one empodial seta between tarsal claws, almost as long as tarsal claws. Abdomen. Tergites III–VI transversely impressed; tergite X with chevron shaped medial setal patch, with five macrosetae on each side. Genitalia. Spermatheca elongate and folded at base, duct bent about 90°, tube membranous, slightly curved; median lobe ( Fig. 21 ) elongate and curved, slightly bulbous at base, apical process slender and elongate, flagellum moderately long, tapering to apex, not coiled; paramere ( Fig. 22 ) with apical lobe of paramerite subcylindrical and elongate, a row of setae present on basal half, composed of four setae, four macrosetae present on apical to subapical margin, condylite extending to apex of paramerite. Secondary sexual characteristics. Males: postero-median margin of tergite VII ( Fig. 19 ) with distinct tubercle; tergite VIII ( Fig. 20 ) broadly emarginate, with 4 to 5 denticles present on each side of midline, one distinct tubercle present on median margin of tergite VIII; sternite VII with large patch of numerous pores, width more than 2/3 of sternite VII.

Material examined. KOREA: 14 exx (1 male, 2 females on slides), Gangwon Prov.: Pyeongchang-gun, Jinbu-myeon, Mt. Odaesan, Gwandaegeoli, 9.ix.2009, YH Kim, fungus on logs; 2 females, Hongcheon-gun, Naemyeon, Mt. Kyebangsan, Unduryeong, 24.viii.2000, M.-H. Kim, ex mushroom.

Distribution. Korea (South), China (Sichuan, Yunnan).

Remark. Phymatura gonggaensis is similar to P. crenulicauda , but can be distinguished by the following characters: male tergites VII and VIII with large tubercle; and median lobe with flagellum moderate in length. Pace (2010) transferred this species to the genus Pseudatheta Cameron without any discussion. Here, we propose that Pseudatheta gonggaensis be restored to the genus Phymatura where it was originally assigned based on the following characters: large size, body length more than 2.5 mm; hypomeron visible in lateral aspect; hind wings with setose projections on flabellum; mesoventrite with longitudinal carina; metatarsomere 1 distinctly longer than 2; sternite VIII with distinct posterior triangular projection ( Ashe 1992).

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 22. Phymatura gonggaensis, SEM photographs. 15, labrum, dorsal aspect; 16, left mandible, ventral aspect; 17, maxilla, ventral aspect; 18, labium, ventral aspect; 19, male tergite VII, dorsal aspect; 20, male tergite VIII, dorsal aspect; 21, median lobe, lateral aspect; 22, paramere, lateral aspect.