Aleochara (Xenochara) himalayanae, Assing, 2009

Assing, V., 2009, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Aleochara species of the subgenera Xenochara M & R and Rheochara M & R (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 59 (1), pp. 33-101 : 92-93

Aleochara (Xenochara) himalayanae nov. sp. ( Figs 203-210)

Type material:

Holotype ♂: " China: Gansu province, Xiahe (= Labrang ) env., 35°11.5'N, 102°30.6'E, 2940 m ( GPS), 19.-22.VI.2005, J. Hájek, D. Král & J. Ružička leg. [CH 1] / individually collected, grasslands, close valley with loess loam near the stream, in burrows and on excrements of Marmota himalayana / Holotypus ♂ Aleochara himalayanae sp. n., det. V. Assing 2009" (cAss) . Paratypes: 3 exs.: same data as holotype (cSch, cAss) ; 1 ex.: " China: Gansu province, Sangke env., 35°06.7'N, 102°25.1'E, 3057 m ( GPS), 21.VI.2005, J. Hájek, D. Král & J. Ružička leg. [CH 3] / individually collected, grasslands, on dog carrion and under stones near the stream; in cow and sheep excrements on pasture" (cSch) ; 8 exs.: " China: Qinghai province, Yunning Si [lamasery], 2890 m, 36°45.6'N, 102°10.6'E, ( GPS), 1.-16.VII.2005, J. Hájek, D. Král & J. Ružička leg. / [CH 10 & 19]; baited pitfall traps (fish meat) with ethylene glycol; wet coniferous forest, close valley above the village" (cSch, cAss) .

Description:

Body length: 3.8-6.0 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 203. Coloration: head, pronotum, and abdomen blackish, with the posterior margin of segment VIII reddish; elytra bright reddish, distinctly contrasting with remainder of body, anterior margin infuscate; legs dark reddish, with the femora usually slightly darker; antennae blackish, antennomeres I-III often slightly paler brown.

Head approximately as long as wide ( Fig. 204); punctation relatively fine and moderately sparse; interstices on average distinctly wider than diameter of punctures and without microsculpture; eyes moderately convex, somewhat longer than postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna slender; antennomere IV approximately as long as wide or weakly transverse; V very weakly transverse, distinctly larger (longer and broader) than IV; VI-X weakly increasing in

width; X approximately 1.5 times as wide as long; XI slightly longer than the combined length of IX and X ( Fig. 205).

Pronotum 1.30-1.35 times as wide as long and approximately 1.45 times as wide as head, widest in or slightly behind the middle; posterior angles very obtuse, but marked ( Fig. 204); punctation somewhat variable, rather dense and relatively fine; interstices on average approximately as wide as diameter of punctures, without microsculpture (except for some micropunctation).

Elytra approximately as long as pronotum ( Fig. 204); posterior margin near posterior angles obliquely truncate, not sinuate; punctation coarser and denser than that of pronotum; interstices much narrower than diameter of punctures. Legs moderately long and slender; metatarsus 0.8- 0.9 times as long as metatibia; metatarsomere I elongate, approximately as long as the combined length of II-IV.

Abdomen widest at segments IV/V; tergites III-V with moderately deep, very densely and rather coarsely punctate anterior impressions; punctation moderately coarse, much denser on anterior than on posterior tergites; interstices without microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly concave ( Fig. 206).

♂: posterior margin sternite VIII strongly, almost acutely produced, in the middle with long and dense marginal setae; median lobe of aedeagus with distinct, strongly sclerotised pair of carinae between crista apicalis and base of ventral process ( Figs 207-209).

♀: posterior margin of sternite VIII weakly (very obtusely) angled in the middle and with much shorter marginal setae; spermatheca as in Fig. 210.

Etymology:

The name (Latin: noun, genitive) is derived from the specific epithet of the Himalayan marmot ( Marmota himalayana ), with which this species may be associated.

Comparative notes:

Based on the morphology of the primary and secondary sexual characters, A. himalayanae is closely related to A. marmotae SAINTE-CLAIRE DEVILLE, 1927 from the Alps. It is distinguished from this species by numerous external characters alone, particularly by the conspicuously bicoloured body ( A. marmotae : elytra usually as dark as head and pronotum, more rarely dark-brown), the very sparse micropunctation and glossy appearance of the forebody ( A. marmotae : head and pronotum with very dense micropunctation and almost matt), the much more slender antennae, the more defined punctation of the head and pronotum, the much denser and coarser punctation of the abdomen, and the relatively longer metatarsomere I. The median lobe of the aedeagus is distinctly smaller than in A. marmotae , has a weakly sinuate ventral process (lateral view), a smaller crista apicalis and internal structures of different shape; for an illustration of the aedeagus and the spermatheca of A. marmotae see Figs 211-212.

Distribution and bionomics:

The species is known from three localities in Gansu and Qinghai provinces, China. The type specimens were collected from burrows and dung of Marmota himalayana and with fish-baited pitfall traps at altitudes of 2890-3060 m. The circumstances of collection and the observation that the sexual characters suggest a close relationship to A. marmotae suggest that A. himalayanae may be associated with the Himalayan marmot.