Echiaster, Assing & I, 2014

Assing, V. & I, North, 2014, Three new species and additional records of Echiaster from Asia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 46 (2), pp. 1087-1096 : 1094-1095

Key to the Asian species of Echiaster

1 Minute species; body length <3.2 mm; length of forebody <1.7 mm. Forebody with dense punctation, but noticeable shine. Head oblong and of subquadrangular shape ( Fig. 15 ). Pronotum conspicuously small in relation to head and elytra ( Fig. 15 ). Elytra large and long ( Fig 15 ). Abdominal tergites VI-VIII with moderately dense punctation; posterior margins of tergites VII and VIII very weakly convex.: sternite VIII with long and distinctly sparser pubescence ( Fig. 16 ); aedeagus minute, approximately 0.25 mm long, and shaped as in Figs 17-19 . South India: Tamil Nadu ( Map 1 )................... ............................................................................................................ E. discrepans nov.sp.

- Larger species; body length> 4.0 mm; length of forebody> 2.2 mm. Forebody matt. Head of oval shape (e.g., Figs 2-3 , 10 ). Pronotum larger and much more oblong, at least approximately 1.3 times as long as broad. Elytra smaller and narrower (e.g., Figs 2-3 , 10 ). Abdominal tergites VI-VIII with very dense punctation; posterior margins of tergites VII and VIII strongly convex.: sternite VIII with short and very dense pubescence (e.g., Figs 9, 11 ); aedeagus distinctly larger and of different shape. Unknown from South India.................................................................................................2

2 Each elytron with longitudinal reddish band extending from humeral angles to posterior margin, or nearly so. Eyes large, nearly as long as distance from posterior margin of eye to posterior constriction of head ( Figs 2-3 ).: sternite VIII shaped as in Fig. 9 ; ventral process of aedeagus apically long and slender ( Figs 4-7 ). Thailand, North India ( Map 1 ) ............................................................................. E. bivirgatus nov.sp.

- Elytra of uniform coloration or with subcircular reddish humeral spot of variable size. Eyes smaller.: sternite VIII of different shape; ventral process of aedeagus apically shorter and less slender .......................................................................................................3

3 Larger species; body length 5.3-5.7 mm; length of forebody 3.0- 3.3 mm.: sternite VIII shaped as in ASSING (2013: figure 4); aedeagus larger, 0.75 mm long ( ASSING 2013: figures 5-6). Laos, Thailand, China: Yunnan ( Map 1 ) ........... E. maior ASSING, 2013

- Smaller species; length of forebody <3.0 mm.: aedeagus approximately 0.65 mm long at most.........................................................................................................................4

4: sternite VIII with very shallow posterior excision ( Fig. 11 ); aedeagus larger, approximately 0.65 mm long; ventral process basally broader in ventral view and apically strongly bent dorsad in lateral view ( Figs 12-13 ). North Thailand ( Map 1 )............ .......................................................................................................... E. paulexcisus nov.sp.

-: sternite VIII with deeper posterior excision; aedeagus smaller, approximately 0.55 mm long; ventral process basally more slender in ventral view and apically weakly bent dorsad in lateral view ( ASSING 2013: figures 7-8). Widespread: China, Taiwan, South Japan ( Map 1 ) ............................................................. E. unicolor BERNHAUER, 1922

Figures

Map 1: Distribution of Echiaster species in Asia. Echiaster discrepans (white circles); E. bivirgatus (white diamonds); E. maior (white triangles); E. paulexcisus (black diamond); E. unicolor (black circles).

Figs 14-19: Echiaster discrepans nov.sp.: (14) habitus; (15) forebody; (16) male sternite VIII; (17- 19) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 14: 1.0 mm; 15: 0.5 mm; 16-19: 0.1 mm.

Figs 1-7: Echiaster bivirgatus nov.sp. (1-2, 4-5: holotype; 3, 6-7: paratype from North India): (1) habitus; (2-3) forebody; (4-7) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 1-3: 1.0 mm; 4-7: 0.2 mm.

Figs 8-13: Echiaster bivirgatus nov.sp., holotype (8-9) and E. paulexcisus nov.sp. (10-13): (8) male sternite VII; (9, 11) male sternite VIII; (10) forebody; (12) aedeagus in lateral view; (13) apical portion of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 10: 1.0 mm; 8-9, 11-13: 0.2 mm.