Venezolanoconnus andinus Franz,

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2012, Taxonomy of ' Euconnus complex'. Part I. Morphology of Euconnus s. str. and revision of Euconnomorphus Franz and Venezolanoconnus Franz (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae), Zootaxa 3555, pp. 55-82: 78

Venezolanoconnus andinus Franz  Edit

( Figs. 59 –61, 65–66, 68– 70)

Venezolanoconnus andinus Franz, 1988: 81  Edit ; Fig. 25.

Material studied. Holotype: 3: four labels: "Bosque de la Carbonera / 2000 m, Umg. Merida / Venezuela, lg. Franz"" with "SA 273 " on the reverse side [white, printed; reverse handwritten], " Venezolanoconnus  Edit / andinus  Edit m. / det. H. Franz" [white, handwritten and printed], " 3 " [white, printed], " Holotypus " [red, handwritten] ( NHMW).

Diagnosis. This species can be identified on the basis of the pronotum only slightly broader than long and strongly narrowing anterad.

Redescription. Body of male ( Fig. 59) strongly convex, elongate but moderately slender, with moderately long appendages, BL 1.58 mm; glossy, uniformly light brown with slightly lighter palps; vestiture slightly lighter than cuticle.

Head ( Figs. 60 –61, 66) rhomboidal in shape, broadest at eyes, HL 0.25 mm, HW 0.35 mm; occipital constriction distinctly narrower than half HL; tempora much shorter than eyes, strongly convergent caudad; vertex strongly transverse, convex; frons confluent with vertex, slightly convex, subtrapezoidal and steeply, abruptly declining towards strongly transverse clypeus; supraantennal tubercles barely marked; eyes large and strongly convex, kidney-shaped and transverse in relation to the long axis of the head, each composed of ca. 50 small and smooth ommatidia. Dorsal punctures on head fine and sparse, inconspicuous; setae long, moderately dense, erect, those on vertex and tempora directed caudad. Antennae ( Fig. 59) slender, gradually thickening towards apices, AnL 0.63 mm; antennomeres I –II elongate; III –V each about as long as broad; VI –X each slightly transverse; XI 1.6 × as long as broad, nearly symmetrical, with blunt subconical apex.

Pronotum ( Fig. 59) in dorsal view approximately subtrapezoidal, broadest in posterior third, PL 0.40 mm, PW 0.45 mm; anterior margin short and slightly arcuate; lateral margins strongly rounded, especially in posterior third, so that hind pronotal corners are not marked and sides form a regular arch with rounded posterior pronotal margin; base of pronotum without foveae. Punctures on pronotal disc very fine, inconspicuous; setae long, moderately dense and strongly erect, those on sides of pronotum bristle-like, distinctly thicker than those in middle.

Elytra ( Fig. 59) broadly oval and much more convex than pronotum, broadest distinctly behind middle, EL 0.93 mm, EW 0.78 mm, EI 1.19; base of elytra distinctly arcuate; humeral calli prominent, each sharply delimited mesally by subhumeral line as long as 0.4 × EL; elytral apices separately rounded. Punctures on elytral disc more distinct and denser than those on pronotum but only superficial and with diffused margins; setae moderately long, moderately sparse and suberect, about as thin as those on vertex and distinctly thinner than those on sides of pronotum. Hind wings well-developed, twice as long as elytra.

Legs ( Fig. 59) moderately long and slender; all tibiae straight.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 68–70) moderately stout, AeL 0.15 mm, with indistinctly delimited, subtriangular apical part (possibly slightly distorted during the previous preparation in the only known male); internal structures strongly asymmetrical, with long and curved sclerite projecting apically; parameres very broad, with subapical groups of several setae.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Western Venezuela, Mérida State.

Figures

FIGURES 59 – 64. Morphology of Venezolanoconnus Franz. 59 – 61, V. andinus Franz, holotype male, dorsal habitus (59), head in frontal view (60), head and prothorax in left lateral view (61). 62, V. caracasensis Franz, dorsal habitus of female holotype. 63 – 64, V. ranchoi, dorsal habitus of male holotype (63), head of female paratype in frontal view (64).

FIGURES 65 – 70. Details of morphology of Venezolanoconnus Franz. 65 – 66, 68 – 70, V. andinus Franz, holotype male. 67, V. ranchoi, paratype male. Venter (65; sternite VIII removed), head in ventral view (66 – 67), aedeagus in ventral (68), dorsal (69) and lateral (70) views. Abbreviations: ai, asetose impression of mesoventrite; ar, anterior ridge; bst, basistipes; cd, cardo; gal, galea; gen, gena; gp, gular plate; gs, gular suture; hyr, hypomeral ridge; hr, hypostomal ridge; hy, hypomeron; lac, lacinia; lmfa, lateral metafurcal arm; lp, labial palp; md, mandible; mn, mentum; mscc, mesocoxal cavity; mscs, mesocoxal socket; mst, mediostipes; msvp, mesoventral intercoxal process; mtvp, metaventral intercoxal process; mxpI – IV, maxillary palpomere I – IV; nss, notosternal suture; occ, occipital constriction; pcc, procoxal cavity; pcs, procoxal socket; pn, pronotum; pre, prepectus; ps, prosternum; psp, prosternal intercoxal process; ptp, posterior tentorial pit; smn submentum; stIII – VII, abdominal sternite III – VII; vIII, metaventrite.

FIGURES 25 – 27. Details of morphology of Euconnus (s. str.) hirticollis (Illiger). Ventral (25), dorsal (26) and left lateral (27) view on ventral and lateral pterothorax (meso- and metanota removed). Abbreviations: aestIII, metanepisternum; apc, anapleural cleft; cxIII, metacoxa; dlf, dorso-lateral fovea; epmIII, metepimeron; lmfa, lateral metafurcal arm; mfs, metafurcal stem; mscc; mesocoxal cavity; mscs, mesocoxal socket; msff, mesofurcal fovea; msvp, mesoventral intercoxal process; mtvp, metaventral intercoxal process; pre, prepectus; si, setose impression of mesoventrite; vII, mesoventrite; vIII, metaventrite; vlf, ventro-lateral fovea.