Zyras (Zyras) morulus, Assing, 2017

Assing, Volker, 2017, On Zyras sensu strictu in the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions, with a focus on the faunas of the Himalaya, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Sulawesi (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Lomechusini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 67 (1), pp. 117-192 : 129

Zyras (Zyras) morulus spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6F52A4A8-EA4C-472C-AEA3-C3BF6A2C1795

( Figs 260–265 , Map 4 )

Type material: Holotype ♂: “ NEPAL, Dhaulagiri-Himal , Kali Gand. vall. , Yak Kharka ( upp. Marpha ), 41–4600 m, 12./ 13.VII.1998, leg. Jäger / Holotypus ♂ Zyras morulus sp. n., det. V. Assing 2016” ( SMTD) . Paratypes: 1 ♂: same data as holotype (cAss); 1 ♂ [slightly teneral] “ NEPAL HIMALAYA, SE Annapurna mts. , Telbrung Danda / Abies-Rhododendr.-forest, 10.VI.1997, lg. Jäger” ( SMTD) ; 1 ♀: “ NEPAL, Myagdi distr. , S-slope Ruyachaur Duri, 33–3400 m, 24.VI.1998, Berndt/Schmidt / Ankauf A. Dobbertin, Rostock, 2001, Museum Dresden” ( SMTD) ; 1 ♀: “S Lamjun Himal, E-slope Taunja Danda , 3900 m, 11.8.95 / NEPAL Annapurna Mts., leg. Frabrizi, Jäger, Schmidt / DEI Ankauf J. Schmidt 1999” ( SDEI) .

Etymology: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective: black) alludes to the nearly completely black coloration of the whole body.

Description: Body length 7.0– 8.5 mm; length of forebody 3.3–3.6 mm. Coloration: body completely black, except for the reddish to dark-brown tarsi, the reddish apical maxillary palpomere, and sometimes the dark reddish-brown antennomere XI.

Elytra with punctation not subject to sexual dimorphism, dense, but near scutellum not extremely dense (similar to the condition in female Z. pindarae ). Abdominal segment VII on whole surface with sparse non-setiferous micropunctation. Other external characters ( Figs 260–262 ) as in Z. pindarae .

♂: shapes and chaetotaxy of tergite and sternite VIII as in Z. pindarae ; median lobe of aedeagus 0.9–1.0 mm long and shaped as in Figs 263–264 ; paramere ( Fig. 265 ) 1.3 mm long, much longer than median lobe, and with rather long and slender apical lobe.

♀: tergite and sternite VIII as in Z. pindarae .

Comparative notes: Zyras morulus is readily distinguished from the highly similar and evidently closely related Z. pindarae particularly by black tibiae, different punctation of the male elytra and of the abdominal tergite VII, by a basally much broader ventral process of the aedeagus (ventral view), and (both absolutely and relatively) distinctly longer parameres with a longer and more slender apical lobe of the paramere.

Distribution and natural history: The type specimens were collected in four localities in the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges ( Map 4 ). The species appears to be confined to high-altitude habitats; the elevations range from approximately 3300 to above 4100 m. One specimen collected in June is slightly teneral.

Figures

Map 4: Revised distributions of Zyras condignus (black circles) and Z. morulus (white circles) in the Himalaya.

Figs 260–277: Zyras morulus (260–265), Z. variolatus (266–270), Z. montanus (271–275), and Z. preangeranus from Java (276–277): forebody (260); antenna (261); abdomen (262); median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (263–264, 266–267, 271–272, 276–277); paramere (265, 268, 273); male tergite VIII (269, 274); male sternite VIII (270, 275). Scale bars: 260–262: 1.0 mm; 263–277: 0.5 mm.