Zyras (Zyras) nigerrimus CAMERON, 1943

Assing, Volker, 2017, On Zyras sensu strictu in the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions III, with a focus on the Southeast of Continental Asia and the Sunda Islands (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Lomechusini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 67 (2), pp. 213-246 : 230

Zyras (Zyras) nigerrimus CAMERON, 1943

Zyras (Zyras) nigerrimus CAMERON, 1943: 142 .

Zyras (Zyras) bartolozzii PACE, 2003: 68 ; syn. n.

Zyras (Zyras) alboterminalis PACE, 2008: 150 ; syn. n.

Type material examined: Z. nigerrimus : Holotype ♀: “ Borneo, Mt. Poi , 5000’ / Z. nigerrimus Cam. Type / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147. / Syntype / Holotypus Zyras nigerrimus Cameron , rev. V. Assing 2017” ( BMNH) . Paratype ♀ [without elytra]: “ Borneo, Mt. Poi / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147. / Syntype / Paratypus Zyras nigerrimus Cameron , rev. V. Assing 2017” .

Z. bartolozzii : Holotype ♂: “ MALAYSIA: PAHANG, Genting Sempah (600 m), 21.XI.1987, S. Taiti e L. Bartolozzi / Holotypus Zyras bartolozzii m., det. R. Pace 1988 / Zyras bartolozzii sp. n., det. R. Pace 1988 / “La Specola”, Firenze, 7750 / Zyras nigerrimus Cameron , det. V. Assing 2017” ( MZUF).

Z. alboterminalis : Holotype ♂: “♂ / SABAH: Kibongol V., 7 km N Tambunan, 700 m, 20.V.1987, Burckhardt - Löbl / Holotypus Zyras alboterminalis mihi, det. R. Pace 2000 / Zyras alboterminalis n. sp., det. R. Pace 2000 / MHNG ENTO 00010000 / Zyras nigerrimus Cameron , det. V. Assing 2017” ( MHNG) . Paratypes: 1 ♂: “ BORNEO SABAH Mt. Kinabalu Nat. Pk., Poring Hot Springs 480 m, 10.V.87 A. Smetana ” ( MHNG); 1 ♂ : “ SABAH: Poring Hot Springs, Langanan Falls , 900–950 m, 12.V.1987, Burckhardt - Löbl ” ( MHNG) .

Additional material examined: Malaysia: 3 ♂♂, Sarawak, 4th Division , Gn. Mulu NP , alluvial forest litter, V-VII.1978, leg. Hammond & Marshall ( BMNH, cAss) .

Comment: The original description of Z. nigerrimus is based on material from “Mt. Poi, altitude 5,000 ft. ”. In stating “Type in my collection” CAMERON (1943) designated a holotype. Two type specimens, the holotype and a paratype in poor condition, both females, were located in the Cameron collection. A comparison of the types of Z. nigerrimus with those of Z. alboterminalis and Z. bartolozzii revealed that all of them are conspecific. Zyras alboterminalis had already been synonymized with Z. bartolozzii by ASSING (2017). In consequence, both Z. alboterminalis and Z. bartolozzii are placed in synonymy with Z. nigerrimus .

This species is highly similar to Z. brignolii (PACE, 1986) , whose male sexual characters are unknown. Based on external characters, Z. nigerrimus is distinguished from Z. brignolii only by more slender antennae (preapical antennomeres oblong, as opposed to transverse in Z. brignolii ) and by larger eyes.