Scymbalium badium (MOTSCHULSKY 1858)

Assing, V., 2013, On the Palaearctic and Oriental species of Scymbalium and Micrillus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (2), pp. 1479-1520 : 1485-1487

Scymbalium badium (MOTSCHULSKY 1858) ( Figs 56-60 )

Lathrobomorphus badius MOTSCHULSKY 1858: 646 .

Scimbalium [sic] waageni BERNHAUER 1928: 13 ; nov.syn.

Scimbalium [sic] brunneum CAMERON 1931: 213 f.; nov.syn.

Type material examined S. badium : Lectotype, present designation: " Lathrobomorphus badius Motch. Ind. or. / Lectotypus Lathrobomorphus badius Motschulsky / Scymbalium badium (Motschulsky) , det. V. Assing 2013" ( ZMMU). Paralectotypes: 1: with small remains of yellow label; writing illegible (ZMMU) ; 1 [head and most of thorax missing]: "Lathrobomorphus badius Motch. Ind. or. Birma " ( ZMMU) .

S. waageni : Holotype: "Calcutta / Coll. Waagen, don. Staudinger. / Waageni. Eppelsh. / Scimbalium / Scimbalium Waageni Brnh. Typus / Chicago NHMus, M.Bernhauer Collection / Holotypus Scymbalium waageni Bernhauer , rev. V. Assing 2013 / Scymbalium badium (Motschulsky) , det. V. Assing 2013" ( FMNH).

S. brunneum : Syntype [without antennae]: " India / Bowring 63.47* / Scimbalium badium. Mots. / Scimb. brunneum Cam / M.Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147. / Syntype / Scymbalium brunneum Cameron , det. V. Assing 2013" (BMNH).

Comment: The original description of L. badius is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from "Indes orientales" (MOTSCHULSKY 1858). Three syntypes were located in the Motschulsky collection at the ZMMU, a male and a female in moderate condition, and one female in very poor condition (parts of three legs, parts of the ventral structures of the thorax, and most of the abdomen present). The male is designated as the lectotype.

Scymbalium waageni was described from a holotype ("Das typische Stück") from "Calcutta" and a paratype ("Ein zweites Stück") from " Sumatra (Medan)" ( BERNHAUER 1928). The holotype, a female, was located in the Bernhauer collection at the FMNH. It seems rather likely that the unexamined paratype from Sumatra is not conspecific with the holotype.

The original description of S. brunneum is based on an unspecified number of females (": unknown"), possibly a unique specimen, from " India (without further indication)" ( CAMERON 1931). One syntype was located in the Cameron collection at the BMNH. When describing S. brunneum, CAMERON (1931) was evidently unaware of the description of S. waageni , as can be inferred from his mentioning the latter only in a preface to a subsequent work ( CAMERON 1932). According to CAMERON (1931), S. brunneum is distinguished from S. badium by the darker coloration, a conclusion probably based on MOTSCHULSKY´ s (1858) statement that the body colour of S. badium was "d'un testacé roux". The type specimens of S. badium , however, are all brown. A study of the types of S. badium , S. waageni , and S. brunneum revealed no evidence suggesting that they should represent different species. Hence the new synonymies proposed above.

Redescription: Body length 8.5-9.3 mm, length of forebody 4.8-5.1 mm. Coloration: body brown to dark-brown with reddish-brown elytra; legs brown to darkbrown.

Head ( Figs 56-57 ) 1.00-1.04 times as long as broad; posterior angles moderately marked; punctation fine, shallow, and moderately dense; interstices with very fine transverse microsculpture. Eyes shorter than postocular region. Antenna approximately 3.2-3.3 mm long and slender; all antennomeres longer than broad.

Pronotum ( Fig. 56 ) 1.06-1.10 times as long as broad and 0.96-1.00 times as broad as head, widest near anterior angles; anterior margin weakly concave in the middle; posterior margin broadly concave; punctation very fine and dense; impunctate median band indistinct, narrow, present only in posterior half of midline, and not reaching posterior margin; interstices with or without shallow traces of microsculpture.

Elytra ( Fig. 56 ) approximately as long as pronotum or slightly longer, with very dense, fine, and somewhat asperate punctation, and with distinct microsculpture, matt. Protarsomeres I-IV distinctly dilated in both sexes, without sexual dimorphism. Metatarsomere I longer than the combined length of II and III, nearly as long as the combined length of II-IV.

Abdomen with very fine and dense punctation, and with distinct microsculpture, nearly matt; posterior margin of tergite VIII with palisade fringe; tergite X and sternite IX very small.

: posterior margin with concave, nearly semi-circular posterior excision ( Fig. 58 ); aedeagus ( Figs 59-60 ) small in relation to body, 0.68 mm long, symmetric, and without distinctly sclerotized internal structures; parameres nearly completely reduced (see comment in the section on S. nepalense ).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Scymbalium badium has been reported, partly as S. brunneum or S. waageni , from India, Bhutan, and Myanmar (BISWAS & BISWAS 1995; CAMERON 1931; COIFFAIT 1978; FAUVEL 1904; SMETANA 2004).

Figures

Figs 56-62: Scymbalium badium (MOTSCHULSKY), lectotype (56-60) and S. nepalense nov.sp., holotype (61-62): (56) forebody; (57, 61) median dorsal portion of head; (58, 62) male sternite VIII; (59-60) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 56: 1.0 mm; 58, 62: 0.5 mm; 59- 60: 0.2 mm; 57, 61: 0.1 mm.