Neosclerus dupleseriatus, Assing, 2011

Assing, Volker, 2011, A revision of the genus Neosclerus C (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 6 (1), pp. 89-148 : 96-97

Neosclerus dupleseriatus sp. n. ( Figs 7-14)

Neosclerus fortepunctatus CAMERON, 1924: 189 f.; partim.

Type material:

Holotype : " India; Himachal Pradesh, Kullu Valley, 25 km S Kullu, 3 km SW Aut, 600 m, 4.X.1996, leg. Schulz & Vock / Holotypus  Neosclerus dupleseriatusdupleseriatus sp. n., det. V. Assing 2010 " (cAss). Paratypes: 1 : "Chakrata Dist. Khedar Khud 7500 / Dr. Cameron, 11.V.22 / Syntype / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147. / Syntype Neosclerus fortepunctatus Cameron, 1924 , det. R.G. Booth 2010 / Paralectotypus  Neosclerus fortepunctatus Cameron , desig. V. Assing 2010 / Paratypus  Neosclerus dupleseriatusdupleseriatus sp. n., det. V. Assing 2010 " ( BMNH); 1 : "Chakrata Dist., Khedar Khud / 7500' / Dr. Cameron, 11.V.22 / Neosclerus fortepunctatus / fortepunctatus Cam. Cotypus. don. Cameron / Chicago NHMus M.Bernhauer Collection / Paralectotypus  Neosclerus fortepunctatusfortepunctatus Cameron , desig. V. Assing 2010 / Paratypus  Neosclerus dupleseriatus sp. n., det. V. Assing 2010 " ( FMNH); 1 : "Arni Gad. Mussoorie. / Dr. Cameron, 16.X.1921 / Lobochilus fortepunctatus Cam. / Chicago Nat. Hist. Mus. (ex. M. Cameron Colln. by exchange with Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist.) / Paralectotypus Neosclerus fortepunctatus Cameron , desig. V. Assing 2010 / Paratypus Neosclerus dupleseriatus sp. n., det. V. Assing 2010 " (cAss); 1 : "Chakrata Dist. Khedar Khud 7500 / Dr. Cameron, 11.V.22 / Chicago Nat. Hist. Mus. (ex. M. Cameron Colln. by exchange with Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist.) / Paralectotypus Neosclerus fortepunctatusfortepunctatus Cameron , desig. V. Assing 2010 / Paratypus Neosclerus dupleseriatus sp. n., det. V. Assing 2010 " ( FMNH); 1 : "Mohna, 5000. Chakrata, U.P. / Dr. Cameron, 2.V.21 / Neosclerus fortepunctatus Cam. / ex coll. Scheerpeltz / Cotypus Neosclerus fortepunctatus Cameron. / fortepunctatus Cam " ( NHMW).

Comment:

Most of the paratypes originally belonged to the type series of N .. fortepunctatus CAMERON, 1924 , but are not conspecific with the lectotype of that species (see comment in the preceding section).

Description:

Body length 3.0- 3.3 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 7. External morphology as in N .. fortepunctatus , except as follows:

Head across eyes approximately 1.15 times as wide as long; postocular region extremely short, shorter than width of antennomere II; punctation coarse and rather dense ( Figs 8-9).

Pronotum relatively broader and shorter, approximately 1.03 times as wide as long and 0.9 times as wide as head.

Elytra of very variable length and width (dimorphic?), either approximately 0.9 times as long and 1.05 times as wide as pronotum, or approximately 1.05 times as long and 1.15-1.20 times as wide as pronotum ( Figs 8-9); punctation extremely dense, shallow, and partly ill-defined.

Abdomen approximately 0.95 times as wide as elytra; tergites III-V with shallow, but distinct transverse microsculpture.

: sternite VII posteriorly with a more extensive cluster of rather dense, long and dark setae, posterior margin distinctly concave in the middle ( Fig. 10); sternite VIII shorter and less slender, V-shaped posterior excision approximately 1/4 the length of sternite ( Fig. 11); aedeagus with relatively shorter, less slender, and apically more strongly hooked ventral process, with shorter dorsal plate, and with two long series of strongly sclerotized spines ( Figs 12-14).

Etymology:

The specific epithet (Latin, adjective) alludes to the presence of two long series of spines in the internal sac of the aedeagus.

Comparative notes:

Based on the similar external characters, the similar chaetotaxy of the male sternite VII, and the similarly derived morphology of the aedeagus, particularly the presence of two long series of spines in the internal sac, N .. dupleseriatus is closely allied to N .. fortepunctatus , with which it was previously confounded. For characters separating the two species see the description above. From other macropterous species with similarly coarse punctation of the forebody, N .. dupleseriatusdupleseriatus is reliably distinguished by the morphology of the aedeagus, from many of them also by the male secondary sexual characters.

Distribution and bionomics:

The species is currently known from several localities in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, northern India. The habitat is probably similar to that of N .. fortepunctatus . The holotype was collected at an altitude of approximately 2300 m in October .