Lathrobium brevissimum ASSING, 2013

Assing, V. & S, Longwang, 2013, New species and records of Lathrobium from China and Nepal (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (2), pp. 1643-1655 : 1651-1653

Lathrobium brevissimum ASSING nov.sp.

( Figs 19 - 24 )

Type material: Holotype: NEPAL Prov. Karnali Distr. Humla, 16 km N Simikot , 3 km NW Sankha La , 4250-4600 m NN / 30.VI.2001 border of snow fields, 29°57'19'', 81°39°30''E, leg. M. Hartmann / Holotypus Lathrobium brevissimum sp.n., det. V. Assing 2013" ( NME) . Paratypes: 2: same data as holotype ( NME, cAss).

Etymology: The specific epithet is the superlative of the Latin adjective brevis (short) and alludes to the conpicuously small body size of the species.

Description: Species of minute body size; body length 4.1-4.5 mm; length of forebody 2.1-2.3 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 19 . Coloration: body blackish-brown, with the posterior portion somewhat paler brown; legs and antennae pale-brown.

Head ( Fig. 20 ) 1.95-1.10 times as long as broad; punctation rather fine and sparse; interstices with distinct microreticulation, much broader than diameter of punctures. Eyes small and weakly projecting from lateral contours of head, composed of 12-15 ommatidia, and 0.20-0.25 times as long as postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna short, approximately 1.3 mm long; antennomere II nearly twice as long as broad, III noticeably oblong, IV approximately as broad as long, and IV-X weakly transverse.

Pronotum ( Fig. 20 ) approximately 1.25 times as long as broad and 1.03-1.05 times as broad as head; lateral margins subparallel in dorsal view; punctation similar to that of head; impunctate midline broad; interstices without microsculpture.

Elytra ( Fig. 20 ) 0.56-0.57 times as long as pronotum, very weakly dilated posteriad; humeral angles weakly marked; punctation shallow, fine, and sparse. Hind wings completely reduced.

Abdomen 1.07-1.10 times as broad as elytra; punctation distinct and moderately dense, somewhat sparser on tergites VII and VIII than on tergites III-VI; interstices with distinct microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: protarsomeres I-IV moderately dilated; tergite VIII oblong, not distinctly tapering posteriad, and with truncate posterior margin; sternite VII ( Fig. 22 ) distinctly transverse, with concave anterior margin and with weakly concave posterior margin, pubescence unmodified; sternite VIII ( Fig. 21 ) weakly transverse, posterior excision moderately deep and moderately broad, pubescence unmodified; aedeagus ( Figs 23-24 ) small, approximately 0.7 mm long, symmetric, and dorso-ventrally conspicuously flattened; ventral process basally broad and apically needle-shaped in ventral view; sclerotized dorsal plate absent; internal sac with dark membranous structures.

: unknown.

Comparative notes: Based on the external and male sexual characters, particularly the similarly modified aedeagus, L. brevissimum is most closely related to L. planissimum ASSING 2012 (West Nepal: Mahakali Province: Darchula District) of the L. jumlense species group. It differs from this species by the darker coloration, the more transverse male sternite VII, the deeper posterior excision of the more transverse male sternite VIII, and by the apically distinctly needle-shaped ventral process of the aedeagus. For illustrations of L. planissimum and an explanation of characters shared by the species of the L. jumlense group see ASSING (2012).

Distribution and natural history: Thetypelocalityissituatedin Humla District (northwestern Nepal: Karnali Province). The specimens were collected at the margins of snowfield at an altitude between 4250 and 4600 m.

Figures

Figs 19-24: Lathrobium brevissimum: (19) habitus; (20) forebody; (21) male sternite VIII; (22) male sternite VII; (23-24) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 19-20: 1.0 mm; 21- 24: 0.2 mm.