Neosclerus armatus, 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 : 123-124

Neosclerus armatus sp. n. ( Figs 109-115)

Type material:

Holotype : " Taiwan - Hsinchu Co., envs. Yulao Scen. View, Rd. 60, Jienshih Twnsh., 1400 m, roadside litter, 25.III.2008, leg. Vít [7] / Holotypus  Neosclerus armatusarmatus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2009" (cAss) . Paratype : same data as holotype (cAss).

Description:

Body length 3.5-3.7 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 109. External morphology as in N .. smetanai ( Fig. 110), distinguished only by the male sexual characters:

: posterior margin of sternite VII distinctly concave in the middle ( Fig. 111); sternite VIII with narrower posterior excision, anterior median carina less slender and posteriorly with shorter process ( Figs 112-113); aedeagus with ventral process apically in lateral view more slender and in ventral view more acute ( Figs 114-115).

Etymology:

The specific epithet (Latin, adjective: armed) alludes to the sharp spine-like process on the male sternite VIII.

Comparative notes:

Like the preceding species, N .. armatusarmatus is closely allied to N .. configens and N .. hlavaci , from which it is reliably distinguished only by the male sexual characters. For characters separating it from the extremely similar N .. smetanai see the description above.

Distribution and bionomics:

The type locality is situated in Hsinchu County, northwestern Taiwan, where the holotype was sifted from roadside leaf litter at an altitude of 1400 m in March .