Sphaerobulbus ornatus, Smetana, Aleš, 2006

Smetana, Aleš, 2006, Contributions to the knowledge of the “ Staphylinus­complex ” (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini) of China. Part 13. The genus Sphaerobulbus Smetana 2003. Section 3, Zootaxa 1317, pp. 41-47 : 45-46

Sphaerobulbus ornatus spec. nov.

( Figs. 6–11 )

Type material. Holotype (male): CHINA: Shaanxi: “ CHINA: Shaanxi (Qinling Shan) Taibaishan mt. Houzhenzi, 1500–2000 m, 33°52'N 107°44'E, V–VI.2000, Plutenko” (MSC).

Paratype (male): same data as holotype (ASC).

Description. Black, fore body rather dull; each elytron with large, triangular subhumeral spot of yellowish­silvery tomentose pubescence; visible abdominal tergites 4 and 5 each with a patch of yellowish­silvery tomentose pubescence in middle; general pubescence of dorsal side of body dark brownish, that on legs to great extent pale, yellowish; maxillary and labial palpi piceous, antennae black, legs piceous to piceousblack with vaguely paler front tarsi. Head of rounded quadrangular shape, with entirely rounded posterior angles, wider than long (ratio 1.27), eyes small, slightly convex, tempora considerably longer than eyes from above (ratio 1.92), dorsal surface of head densely, moderately coarsely punctate and pubescent, punctation gradually becoming slightly less dense anteromediad; interspaces between punctures without microsculpture; narrow, inconspicuous impunctate median line present on posterior half of head. Antenna moderately long, segment 3 slightly longer than segment 2 (ratio 1.16), segments 4 to 8 longer than wide, becoming gradually shorter, segments 9 and 10 about as long as wide, last segment markedly shorter than two preceding segments combined. Pronotum about as long as wide, parallel­sided to slightly narrowed anteriad, narrow marginal groove disappearing downwards at about anterior third of pronotal length; disc of pronotum with complete, narrow impunctate midline, vaguely dilated in front of posterior margin; punctation and pubescence similar to that on head but slightly finer, interspaces between punctures without microsculpture. Scutellum finely punctate and setose, surface with extremely fine, rudimentary microsculpture. Elytra moderately long, hardly widened posteriad, at suture somewhat shorter than pronotum at midline (ratio 0.80), at sides about as long as pronotum at midline; punctation fine and very dense, finely asperate, elytra appearing dull; pubescence piceous­black, dense. Wings each folded under elytron, but apparently nonfunctional. Abdomen with fifth visible tergite with pale apical seam of palisade setae; tergite 2 (in front of first visible tergite) finely and densely punctate and pubescent on apical half; posterior basal line on first three visible abdominal tergites obtusely extended posteriad on each lateral portion, base of tergites between extensions slightly depressed, with depression delimited laterally by short oblique carina; tergites very finely and very densely punctate, punctation finer than that on elytra, evenly covering each tergite and in general becoming hardly sparser toward apex of abdomen; interspaces with extremely fine, rudimentary microsculpture that becomes almost obsolete toward middle of each tergite; pubescence dark brownish, very dense.

Male. Sternite 8 with inconspicuous, subarcuate medioapical emargination. Male genital segment with sternite 9 as in Fig. 6 , with moderately deep and wide apical emargination. Tergite 10 as in Fig. 7 , rather narrowly triangular, with slightly delimited apical portion and acute apex, densely setose. Aedoeagus rather short, as in Figs. 8–10 ; median lobe with largely parallel­sided middle portion, with short apical portion with subacute apex ( Fig. 9 ); paramere situated on median lobe markedly asymmetrically, with apex distinctly not reaching apex of median lobe; underside of paramere without black sensory peg setae, with 6 variably long setae at right margin ( Fig.10 ).

Female unknown.

Length 18.0–19.0 mm.

Geographical distribution. Sphaerobulbus ornatus is at present known only from the type locality in Qinling Shan in Shaanxi.

Bionomics. The specimens were taken from pitfall traps, but nothing is known about the habitat requirements of this species.

Recognition and comments. Sphaerobulbus ornatus is a conspicuous species, due to its pubescence pattern, combined with the modification of the posterior basal line on first three visible abdominal tergites (see the description). It cannot be confused with any other species of the genus.

The holotype is missing the left antenna except for the three basal segments. The pubescence of the paratype is to some extent damaged, obviously due to the extended exposure to the fluids in the pitfall trap.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin adjective ornatus , ­ a ­um (adorned, decorated). It refers to the presence of the pair of yellowish­silvery tomentose spots on abdominal tergites.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 11. Details of Sphaerobulbus biplagiatus (1 – 5) and S. ornatus (6 – 11). 1, 6 — sternite 9 of male genital segment; 2, 7 — tergite 10 of male genital segment; 3, 8 — aedoeagus, ventral view; 4, 9 — apical portion of median lobe, ventral view, paramere removed; 5, 10 — underside of apical portion of paramere; 11 — tergite 10 of female genital segment.