Myrmedonota Cameron , 1920

Maruyama, Munetoshi, Patrick, Brian & Klimaszewski, Jan, 2008, First record of the genus Myrmedonota Cameron (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from North America, with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 1716, pp. 35-43 : 36

Genus Myrmedonota Cameron, 1920

See, Kistner (2003) for references, list of species, and key to species. Type species: Myrmedonota cingulata Cameron, 1920 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. This genus is characterised and distinguished from the other lomechusine genera by a combination of the following character states: 1) body surface finely punctated; 2) head with occipital suture; 3) pronotum transverse,>1.5 wider than long; 4) setation on abdomen sparse to moderate; 5) cardo of maxilla covers bases of stipes and lacinia (Fig. 3); 6) lacinia extremely narrowed and parallel-sided (Fig. 3); 7) mentum almost as long as wide (Figs. 4, 13); 8) apodeme of labium with medial projection (Figs. 5, 14); 9) 1st segment of labial palpus longer than 2nd segment (Figs. 5, 14); 10) each lobe of ligula with 2 setulae (Figs. 5, 14).

Comments. Myrmedonota is placed in the subtribe Myrmedoniina of the tribe Lomechusini based on the combination of the following character states: elongated lacinia; mesoventral process shorter than metaventral process; tarsal formula 4, 5, 5; base of capsule of aedeagal median lobe partially covers the compressor plate.

This is the first record of Myrmedonota from North America. The diagnosis is based on an examination of the type species M. cingulata Cameron, 1920 (2 ɗɗ and 2 ΨΨ, MALAYSIA: Selangor, Ulu Gombak, 8–15 VI 2005, coll. M. Maruyama, by flight interception traps); the present new species, and the original descriptions of M. papyriomyrmecis Kistner, 2003 and M. termitophila Bourguignon & Roisin, 2006 .

In North America, the members of this genus are similar to those of Pella in general appearance, but can be distinguished by the small body size (in Pella ,> 3.5 mm) and the mouthpart character states 5) to 10) in the above diagnosis as outlined in the modified key below. This genus is keyed out as Pella in the key of Klimaszewski et al. (2005, pp. 707–710). In Ashe’s (2001, pp. 310–311) “Key to the Nearctic genera of Lomechusini ”, Pella and Myrmedonota are keyed out to Zyras .