Pseudolathra ceylonica, Rougemont, 2015

Rougemont, Guillaume de, 2015, New Oriental and Papuan Pseudolathra (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (2), pp. 1785-1799 : 1792

Pseudolathra ceylonica nov.sp.

( Figs 10 fb, 10al, 10av, 10al2, 10av2)

Material examined: Holotype: CEYLAN Northern, Murunkan, 5.II.70, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL [ MHNG]; 1 & 2 paratypes: CEYLAN Eastern, Kuntalai, 2.II.70, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL [ MHNG, 1 paratype in CRO]; 1 paratype: CEYLAN North western, Rajakadalywa, 31.I.70, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL [ MHNG]; 1 paratype: CEYLAN North central, Alut Oya , 3.II.70, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL [ CRO].

In respect of size, relative proportions, colour, puncturation and male secondary sexual characters this new species is identical to P. fissa ASSING, 2013 , so these characters need not be described. The large aedeagus of P. ceylonica nov.sp. is of the same type as that of P. fissa , with a pair of strongly sclerotised structures curved at their apex. In lateral view ( Fig. 10 al) these are abruptly bent at almost right angle, whereas they are gently curved in P. fissa ; the shape of the large bifid ventral process is also different from that of P. fissa both in lateral and in ventral view. The pair of apical structures appears to be a partly internal structure, which is extruded in the specimen photographed in Figs 10 al, 10av and retracted to lie under the dorsal plate in the specimen in Figs 10 al2 and 10av2 (ventral process detached in 10al; dorsal plate detached in al2) The analogous structure in P. fissa illustrated by Assing appears to be in the same extruded position as the one in Figs 10 al, 10av.

P. fissa was described from two localities in neighbouring South India; P. ceylonica nov.sp. is its vicariant sister species in Sri Lanka.

Figures

Figs 9-10: Fore-body (fb), aedoeagus in lateral view (al), aedoeagus in ventral view (av), male sternite VII (s7), male sternite VIII of: 9: P. mahratta; 10: P. ceylonica Fig. 9: P. mahratta 9fb 9al 9av 9s7 9s8