Diochus setifer Huang, Janák & Zhou, 2024

Huang, Tian, Janák, Jiří & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2024, Six new species and a key to 12 species of the genus Diochus Erichson (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Staphylininae, Diochini) from India, Nepal and Pakistan, Zootaxa 5538 (6), pp. 501-545 : 513-516

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5538.6.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B749F7E3-9AF2-460C-90C4-41C466A6AF5A
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14248199
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E287E6-DF1D-FFA5-FF1F-FF4FE54BA289
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Diochus setifer Huang, Janák & Zhou
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

3. Diochus setifer Huang, Janák & Zhou , sp. nov.

( Figs 1C View FIGURE 1 ; 4-1; 4-2)

Type locality. India: Meghalaya: Garo Hills .

Type material. Holotype: male, INDIA: Meghalaya: Garo Hills, Songsak, 400 m, 2. XI. 78, Besuchet-Löbl ( MHNG) . Paratypes: INDIA: Meghalaya: 1 male, 2 females, same data as holotype ( MHNG) ; 1 female, Khasi Hills, Nongpoh , 700 m, 5. XI. 78, Besuchet-Löbl ( MHNG) ; 1 female, Garo Hills , Tura , 700–900 m, 1. XI. 78, Besuchet-Löbl ( MHNG) ; Assam: Manas, 3 males, 8 females, 200 m, 22. X. 78, Besuchet-Löbl ( MHNG, JJRC) ; Garhwal ( UP): 1 male, au-dessous de Bhatwari , 1500 m, 24. X. 79, I. Löbl ( MHNG) . Holotype with an identification label: “ HOLOTYPUS Diochus setifer sp. nov. Huang, Janák & Zhou det. 2024”. Paratypes with identification labels: “ PARATYPUS Diochus setifer sp. nov. Huang, Janák & Zhou det. 2024”.

Measurements. BL = 5.05 mm, FL = 2.39 mm, HL = 0.64 mm, HW = 0.50 mm, EyL = 0.16 mm, TL = 0.36 mm, ANL = 1.32 mm, ANT1 = 0.21 mm, ANT2 = 0.13 mm, ANT3 = 0.14 mm, ANT4 = 0.10 mm, ANT 11 = 0.13 mm, PL = 0.91 mm, PW = 0.74 mm, EL = 0.87 mm, EW = 0.96 mm, SL = 0.60 mm.

Description. Body long, narrowed anteriorly and posteriorly, medium sized. Body dark brown, abdominal intersegmental membrane lighter. Legs brown, tarsi distinctly lighter. Antennae dark brown to yellowish brown, apex of each antennomere lighter. Maxillary and labial palpi brown.

Head (Fig 4-1A). Round square in shape, 1.28 times as long as wide. Tempora slightly widened backwards, posterior angles rounded. Dorsal surface shiny, bearing distinct and transverse microstriae, also with coarse and sparse punctures. Head with 5–7 irregular punctures scattered around each eye and numerous smaller punctures on deflexed portion of tempus and near posterior margin. Each side of cranium with characteristic punctures: one frontal puncture on frontal region, two anterolateral punctures near antennal insertion, three lateral punctures near dorsal margin of eye, with temporal puncture and occipital puncture near basal margin; disc surface bearing two additional paired punctures in middle area. Frontal furrows and anteocular furrows absent. Eye medium-sized, distinctly protruding laterad, longitudinal diameter shorter than half the length of tempora (eye: tempora = 0.44). Epistoma not flattened, abruptly oblique, anterior margin slightly emarginate medially. Distance between antennal insertions (0.15 mm) distinctly longer than distance from antenna to eye (0.09 mm). Ventral surface with scattered punctures, interspaces between them about 4 puncture diameters. Gular sutures deep, confluent at basal 1/3, then extended to base.

Antennae (Fig 4-1B). Scape rod-shaped, slightly thickened apically, distinctly shorter than two subsequent antennomeres combined; antennomere 2 slightly elongate; antennomere 3 slightly longer than 2; length of antennomere 4 about thrice of width, antennomere 4 to 10 gradually shortened, antennomere 4 observably longer than 10; antennomere 11 distinctly longer than 10.

Mouthparts (Fig 4-1A). Labrum oval-shaped, lateral margin rounded, widest at basal 1/2; width of anterior margin is about 1/3 the width at the widest point. Mandibles (Figs 4-1D) falciform, left one with a sharp tooth and two blunt teeth on inner margin, right one with two teeth.

Neck (Fig 4-1A). Cylindrical, shiny, only bearing shallow microsculpture, width 0.14 mm, shorter than 1/3 of head width. Dorsal surface with distinct groove; ventral surface with gular sutures forming obvious triangular region, with deep transverse median furrow.

Prothorax (Fig 4-1A). Pronotum dark brown, elongate (PL to PW ratio 1.24), distinctly longer and wider than head. Anterior region near anterior angles deflexed, lateral margins widened posteriad to basal 1/4 (widest at 1/4), then convergent backwards, anterior and posterior angles broadly rounded. Dorsal surface glossy, extensively with micropunctures, but without any microsculpture. Each side of longitudinal midline with one row of punctures composed of 3 large punctures and 2 additional punctures outside of puncture row, 13–15 punctures scattered near each margin (including anterior, lateral and posterior margins). Prosternum bearing an observable transverse ridge between basisternum and furcasternum, angularly backwards.

Pterothorax (Fig 4-1A). Mesoscutellum triangular, surface shiny, bearing distinct microstriae, but without any punctures. Transverse ridge on mesoventrite wave shaped; the paired oblique furrows short but deep; the carina delimiting mesocoxal cavity slightly arcuate. Discrimen region on metaventrite normally elevated.

Elytra (Fig 4-1A). Elytra dark brown, slightly transverse (EL to EW ratio 0.91), distinctly longer and wider than pronotum. Humeri well developed, lateral margins divergent posteriorly, posterior margin not rounded, but obliquely truncate. Dorsal surface shiny, flattened, without microsculpture; each elytron with row of 5 punctures along suture, row of 5 punctures on disc, also with 4−5 rows of punctures on deflexed portion.

Legs (Fig 4-1C). First four segments of protarsi heart-shaped, moderately dilated, and those of meso- and metatarsi slender. Last segment of protarsi slightly longer than 2−4 together, that of meso-, meta- nearly equal to the length of each 2−3.

Abdomen. Broadest at segment V. Tergites III–VII covered with dense and obvious transverse microstriae; each tergite with dense brown pubescence, also with row of darker and coarser setae at posterior margin of III–VI. Tergites III–VII with a basal impression near anterior margin, respectively, each one only possessing one basal transverse carina; all abdominal tergites with surface shiny, bearing polygonal microsculpture, with dense punctures. Posterior margin of tergite VII with distinct palisade fringe. All abdominal sternites shiny, with microstriae and punctures as those on tergites.

Male (Figs 4-1E–J; 4-2A–E). Head with a small round elevation between eyes. Posterior margin of sternite VIII emarginate medially, also emarginate on both sides, with several setae on both sides oriented diagonally obliquely backwards (Figs 4-1E, L; 4-2B). Posterior margin of tergite VIII arcuate (Figs 4-1F; 4-2C). Tergite IX (Figs 4- 1H; 4-2D) symmetrical, connected mediobasally, narrowed apically. Sternite IX (Figs 4-1G; 4-2E) asymmetrical, widest near basal 1/3 to 1/2; basal margin straight, apical margin normally emarginate; width of apical margin distinctly shorter than basal margin. Tergite X (Figs 4-1H; 4-2D) symmetrical, triangular. Aedeagus (Figs 4-1I−J; 4-2A) symmetrical, medium-sized, ca. 0.60 mm long, normally sclerotized. Parameres symmetrical, thin and long, reaching to apical tenth of median lobe. Internal structures sclerotized, paired strip-shaped sclerites and paired rectangular sclerites on both sides, in black color; a rectangular sclerite and a V-shaped sclerite in middle, brown color. Sperm pump coiled, thinned toward apex.

Female (Figs 4-2F−I). Head without elevation between eyes. Sternite VIII (Fig 4-2F) with posterior margin rounded. Tergite IX bearing numerous setae, elongate and sharply pointed apically. Sternite IX (Fig 4-2H) symmetrical, with deep concaved margin in middle. Tergite X broad, basal margin curved. Sternite X (Fig 4-2G) slender and rhomboidal, with numerous setae in lower half. Tube of spermatheca sclerotized, thin and long, with several bends (Fig 4-2I).

Distribution. India.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to D. emarginatus sp. nov. and D. cameroni sp. nov. in body size and coloration. The main difference is the setae of male sternite VIII: in this species, the posterior margin is with numerous normal setae on both sides, while in D. emarginatus sp. nov. with fascicular setae on both sides and in D. cameroni sp. nov. with no setae.

Etymology. The name refers to setae on posterior margin of male sternite VIII.