Mannerheimia punctatissima, Shavrin, 2023

Shavrin, Alexey V., 2023, Two new species and faunistic records of the genus Mannerheimia Mäklin, 1880 from India, Nepal and China, and additional notes on some eastern Palaearctic species of Omaliinae Macleay, 1825 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Zootaxa 5319 (4), pp. 524-536 : 528-530

Mannerheimia punctatissima sp. n.

( Figs. 2 , 5–6 )

Type material. Holotype ♁ (dissected; left antennomeres 9–11 missing): ‘[ NEPAL] 356 Taplejung Distr., Omje Khar —| ka NW Yamputhin,mature mixed | broad-leaved forest, 2300–2500 m | 1–6-May [19]88 [J.] MARTENS & [W.] SCHAWALLER’ <printed>, ‘HOLOTYPE | Mannerheimia | punctatissima sp.n. | Shavrin A.V. des. 2023’ <red label, printed> ( SMNS).

Paratypes: 2 ♀♀: same data as the holotype, with additional red printed label: ‘PARATYPE | Mannerheimia | punctatissima sp. n. | Shavrin A.V. des. 2023 (1 ♀: cSh; 1 ♀: SMNS) .

Description. Measurements (n=3): HW: 0.52–0.55; HL: 0.27–0.28; OL: 0.15; AL (holotype): 0.72; PL: 0.40– 0.42; PWmax: 0.77–0.82; PWmin: 0.76–0.80; ESL: 0.92–0.95; EW: 1.10–1.19; MTbL (holotype): 0.66; MTrL (holotype): 0.37 (MTrL 1–4: 0.27; MTrL 5: 0.10); AW: 0.93–1.20; AedL: 0.40; BL: 2.07–2.40 (holotype: 2.39).

Body small, very convex and wide ( Fig. 2 ). Coloration yellow-brown, with slightly darker head and abdomen, lateral portions of pronotum paler, latero-basal and apical portions of elytra, and paratergites; mouthparts, antennae and legs yellow (antennomeres 6–11 slightly darker). Body shiny, lacking microsculpture except for abdominal tergite IV bearing fine isodiametric meshes. Head with very fine punctation, distinctly sparser in middle; neck with very sparse and fine punctation; punctation of pronotum very dense, large and deep, finer and sparser in mediobasal third; punctation of elytra denser, larger and deeper than that on pronotum (one paratype ( Fig. 2 ) with finer and sparser punctation in middle), each elytron with indistinct four to five very tangled longitudinal rows of punctures; abdominal tergites without or with very indistinct, sparse and fine punctation. Apical portion of clypeus with sparse and moderately short erect setae; lateral margins of elytra with very sparse, short, erect setation; abdomen without distinct setation.

Head distinctly transverse, 1.9 times as broad as long, anteocellar foveae missing. Ocelli moderately small, flattened and very indistinct (more visible in one paratype), situated at about level of posterior margin of eyes. Apical palpomere of maxillary palpi about 2.5 times as long as preceding palpomere, from about middle gradually narrowed toward acute apex. Antennae with slightly transverse antennomeres 7–10; basal antennomere about twice as long as broad, 3 distinctly narrower than 2, 5–6 slightly broader than 4, 7–8 broader than 6, 9 longer than 8, 10 slightly longer than 9.

Pronotum distinctly transverse, about twice as broad as long, 1.4 times as broad as head, widest in middle; anterior angles slightly protruded anteriad; lateral margins evenly narrowed toward widely rounded hind angles, lacking latero-basal sinuations; laterobasal portions lacking impressions.

Elytra 1.1–1.2 times as broad as long, strongly broadened apicad, distinctly more than twice as long as pronotum; mediobasal portions of each elytron near suture with slightly elevated surface between punctures (one paratype without elevations).

Male. Apical margin of abdominal tergite VIII rounded. Apical margin of abdominal sternite VIII widely concave.Aedeagus with moderately wide basal portion, gradually narrowed toward subacute apex; parameres wide, slightly broadened apically and slightly longer than median lobe; internal sac narrow, long, with two fields of small spines ( Fig. 5 ).

Female. Apical margins of abdominal tergite VIII and sternite VIII rounded.

Comparative notes. Based on the general shape of the antennomeres, the length of the elytra distinctly more than twice as long as the pronotum, the pronotum with slightly protruded apicad anterior angles and lacking laterobasal impressions, and the general shape of the aedeagus, M. punctatissima sp. n. is similar to M. cachemirica Coiffait, 1982 , known from Kashmir ( Coiffait 1982). Mannerheimia punctatissima sp. n. can be distinguished from it by the smaller and paler body, by lacking latero-basal sinuation of the pronotum, finer punctation of the abdomen, broader apical portions of the parameres, and narrower apical portion of the median lobe.

Distribution. Mannerheimia punctatissima sp. n. is known only from the type locality in eastern part of Nepal ( Fig. 6 ).

Bionomics. Specimens were collected by sifting of litter in mixed broad-leaved forest at elevations from 2300 to 2500 m a.s.l.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin punctatissimus, - a, - um (strongly punctate). It alludes to the relatively strong punctation of the pronotum and the elytra.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Distribution of Mannerheimia in the Himalayan Region: M. prolongata (circle), M. punctatissima (square).

FIGURES 1–2. Habitus of Mannerheimia: 1—Mannerheimia prolongata (paratype), 2—M. punctatissima (paratype). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 3–5. Aedeagus of Mannerheimia prolongata (Figs. 3–4) and M. punctatissima (Fig. 5): 3, 5—parameral view, 4—lateral view. Scale bar: 0.10 mm.