Tmesiphorus princeps Sharp, 1883

Inoue, Shota, Maruyama, Munetoshi & Nomura, Shûhei, 2019, Revision of the genus Tmesiphorus LeConte, 1849 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from Japan, Zootaxa 4646 (1), pp. 67-86 : 75-78

Tmesiphorus princeps Sharp, 1883

[Japanese name: Oo-higekata-arizukamushi]

( Figs 7–9 )

Tmesiphorus princeps Sharp, 1883: 299 (original description); Raffray, 1908: 374 (catalogue); Raffray, 1911: 157 (catalogue); Jeannel, 1958: 119 (diagnosis); Nomura, 2001: 158 (catalogue); Löbl & Besuchet, 2004: 327 (catalogue); Terayama & Maruyama, 2007: 6 (catalogue); Shibata et al., 2013: 97 (catalogue); Maruyama et al., 2013:33 (illustration, diagnosis).

Type locality. Japan, Honshû, Niigata, Futai .

Type material. Holotype: 1♀, “ ♀ / Tmesiphorus / princeps / Type D.S. / 20.9.81 / Lewis. (on glue board) // Type / H. T. (red-bordered disc) // Japan / G. Lewis / 1910–220” ( NHM).

Material examined. (11♂, 14♀). Japan: [Hokkaidô] : 3♀, Furano-shi, Fukiage-onsen , 11 VI 2008, Y. Kida leg. ( KUM) ; [ Honshû ] : 1♂, Kanagawa-ken, Isehara-shi, Hinata-rindô , 8 IV 2001, K. Toyoda leg. (cAR) ; 1♂, same data, but S. Arai leg. ( LU) (cAR) ; 2♀, Ishikawa-ken, Hakusan-shi, Mt. Kuchisanpoudake , 4 VI 2016, K. Nakata leg. ( FH) ( KUM) ; 2♀, same data, but 11 X 2015 ( CJ) ; 1♀, Ishikawa-ken, Hakusan-shi, Mt. Eboshi-yama , 17 IX 2016, K. Nakata leg. ( PS) ( KUM) ; 1♀, same data, but 4 VI 2017 ( FH) ; Ishikawa-ken, Kanazawa-shi, Tomurobessho , Mt. To- muro-yama, 22 V 2016, K. Nakata leg. ( PF) ( KUM) ; 4♂, Gifu-ken, Gifu-shi, Nagaraobusa , 7 VI 2003, K. Kinomura leg. (LM) ( KUM) ; 2♂, same data, but 10 VII 2005 (LM) ( KUM) ; 1♂, 1♀, same data, but 25 VI 2005 (LM) ( KUM) ; 1♂, Gifu-ken, Takayama-shi, Kamitakara-chô , Nakao , 4 VIII 2003, K. Kinomura leg. (LT) ( KUM) ; 1♀, same data, but 11 VIII 2005 ( AJ) ( KUM) ; 2♀, Gifu-ken, Takayama-shi, Shoukawa-chô , Isshiki , 5 V 2013, K. Kinomura leg. ( AJ) ( KUM) ; 1♂, same data, but Sandani , 28 VIII 2005, K. Kinomura leg. ( AJ) ( KUM) ; 1♀, [Kyûshû]: Nagasakiken, Tsushima-shi, Kamiagata-chô , Sasuna , 24 IX 2015, Y. Hisasue leg. ( CJ) (cIN).

Diagnosis. Tmesiphorus princeps is similar in general appearance to T. crassicornis and T. kinomurai sp. nov. Tmesiphorus princeps is distinguished from T. crassicornis by the combination of long setae covering body surface, slightly more slender antennae, elongate antennomeres IX, and shorter longitudinal carinae of tergite V. It may be separated from T. kinomurai sp. nov. by the combination of stouter body, thicker antennae, enlarged antennomeres IX–XI that form a club, bulb-like abdomen, and shorter longitudinal carinae on tergite V. Tmesiphorus princeps shows local variation in lengths of tergal carinae. The specimens from Hokkaidô tend to have shorter carinae on tergite V.

Redescription. Male ( Fig. 7-A ). Body length 2.96–3.16 mm. Body reddish-brown.

Head ( Figs. 8-A, B ) slightly longer than wide, HL 0.58–0.60 mm, HW 0.54–0.56 mm, almost ovoid in dorsal view, densely punctate with long setae; frons narrowed, with longitudinal groove including small fovea narrowed posteriorly to vertex; vertex with two small foveae, with short longitudinal carina between foveae, shallowly de- pressed around vertexal foveae; eyes large, prominent; occiput rounded, with dense tufts of yellow setae; antennae ( Figs. 7-C, D ) thick, with antennomeres I thick, elongate, each 2.5 times longer than II; II each slightly longer than III; III–VIII each small, successively broadened towards apices; VII, VIII each wider than long; IX–XI significantly enlarged to form club, curved inward in outer margin; IX each longer than wide, 1.5 times longer than X, slightly thicker than X, shallowly depressed longitudinally with dense setae on ventral surface; with a depression on ventral surface from base to apex, broadened apically, half as wide as segmental width on apical margin; X each as long as wide, nearly quadrate, slightly depressed, with sparse setae on ventral surface; XI each thickest at middle, narrowed at base, narrowed apically from middle, strongly produced outward, slightly depressed with sparse setae on ventral surface; with a depression broadened apically from the base to middle, nearly circular; maxillary palpi asymmetri- cal; segments II and III each with slightly longer penicillate spine on lateral margin; segments IV small, thick, with rounded lobe on lateral margin, apical portion conical.

Pronotum ( Fig. 8-C ) about as long as wide, PL 0.58–0.64 mm, PW 0.60–0.64 mm; dorsum broadly rounded, widest anterior to middle, narrowed posteriorly, densely punctate, with long setae, with distinct median and lateral foveae at base; elytra ( Fig. 8-D ) much wider than long, EL 0.76–0.84 mm, EW 1.10–1.18 mm, sparsely covered long setae, weakly punctate; each elytron with basal median and inner foveae pubescent, weakly sulcate from median fovea to posterior 2/3 of elytra; posterior margin with thick brush-like yellow setae; profemora thickest, with white setae on anterior face; mesofemora as thick as metafemora; tibiae slender; protibiae thickest, arcuate, thickened at middle, as long as mesotibiae, metatibiae longest; tibiae all with dense yellow setae at apices; tarsi ( Fig. 8-F ) elongate; tarsomeres II 2 /3 as long as III, protarsal claws asymmetrical, anterior claws each thicker than posterior one.

Abdomen ( Fig. 8-E ) large, bulbous, wider than long, AL 1.00– 1.12 mm, AW 1.20–1.30 mm, covered with long setae; tergite IV as long as tergite VI; tergite V longest; tergite VII small; tergite VIII smallest, semicircular; tergites IV and V with lateral carinae; those of tergite IV extending from anterior margin to posterior margin; those of tergite V short, 1/3 times as long as tergal IV carinae; tergite IV with thick brush-like yellow setae along posterior margin.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 9 ) 0.38 mm in length, well-sclerotized, oval; parameres symmetric, projecting ventrally; each paramere with four setae at apex; median lobe asymmetric, strongly projecting ventrally; basal bulb broad, weakly narrowed apically; apex slightly asymmetrical, narrowing, projecting ventrally; secondary gonopore large; endophallus short, curved laterally.

Female ( Fig. 7-B ). BL 2.92–3.22 mm; HL 0.55–0.60 mm; HW 0.54–0.58 mm; PL 0.59–0.62 mm; PW 0.58–0.64 mm; EL 0.76–0.84 mm; EW 1.06–1.20 mm; AL 0.98–1.20 mm; AW 1.19–1.30 mm. Antennae with antennomeres II–VIII slightly longer than in male, more slender than in male, successively wider towards apices; segments IX–XI not modified, smaller than in male, antennal club indistinct.

Distribution. Japan: Hokkaidô, Honshû, Tsushima.

Biology. This species has been collected from nests of Formica spp., Camponotus spp., Lasius (Chthonolasius) spp. ( Maruyama et al. 2013), Manica yessensis (new host record), and Polyergus samurai (new host record). Sharp (1883) wrote that this species was collected with a "black ant". This is probably either a Formica sp. or Camponotus sp., all of which have a dark brown body color among the host ants recorded.

Figures

FIGURE 7. A, B: Habitus of Tmesiphorus princeps, C, D: left antenna.A, male; B, female; C, antenna in dorsal view; D, antennal club in ventral view by SEM.

FIGURE 8. Tmesiphorus princeps, male. A, head; B, head in dorsal view; C, pronotum; D, elytra; E, abdomen; F, right pro- tarsus.

FIGURE 9. Male genitalia of Tmesiphorus princeps. A, ventral view; B, lateral view; C, dorsal view.