Aleochara (s.str.) muluensis, Rougemont, 2016

Rougemont, G. de, 2016, New Bornean Staphylinidae (Coleoptera), Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (1), pp. 559-572 : 569-571

Aleochara (s.str.) muluensis nov.sp. (Fig. 8)

3 Holotype: SARAWAK, Gunung Mulu N.P., Camp 4 tube 243, 2011 I. Hanski [ NHML] ; 3 paratypes: Ibid .; 3 paratypes: Ibid., but tube 244; 1 paratype: Ibid., but tube 245; 1 paratype: Ibid., but tube 225; 2 paratypes: Ibid., but tube 227; 1 paratype: Borneo, Gunung Mulu, I, Hanski , Camp 4 1700- 2300 ‘238 ’; 2 paratypes: Ibid, but ‘240’; 3 paratypes: Camp 3 1020-1650 m ASL vial 19; 2 paratypes: Ibid., but vial 96; 1 paratype: Ibid., but vial #90 [holotype and 14 paratypes in NHML, 5 paratypes in CRO; 1 paratype in LML] .

A few other specimens in Hanski’s material remain unmounted with other Staphylinidae in tubes of spirit in the NHML.

D e s c r

i p t i o n: length: 7.5-9.5 mm. Body black, the outer 1/3 rd – 2/3 rds of elytra red, the areas of each colour clearly demarcated; all appendages black except pale brown 4 th segment of maxillary palps and dark brown tarsi. Head convex, slightly elongate, the temples retracted posteriad to arcuate base; eyes large, as long as temples, fairly prominent; frons produced into a ^- shaped point; surface glossy, the puncturation relatively sparse, interstices everywhere larger than diameter of punctures. Last segment of maxillary palps acicular, half as long as penultimate segment; second antennomere very short, antennomere IV transverse, V-X strongly transverse, over twice as broad as long. Pronotum transverse, widest at about 2/5 ths from base, the sides retracted to anterior angles, base broadly arcuate; puncturation similar to that of head; disc with a pair of shallow longitudinal impressions on either side of mid-line, extending to a little more than half the length from base, where they merge with a shallow transverse impression interrupted by a pair of raised callosities. Scutellum densely and finely punctured. Elytra strongly transverse, 2/3 rds as wide as long; surface of each elytron with a longitudinal impression bordered internally by a longitudinal elevation; punctures about as large as those of head and pronotum, but much denser and slightly aspirate. Abdominal tergites glossy, each with a row of small aspirate punctures along posterior margin, the puncturation otherwise very sparse and irregular, leaving large areas impunctate.

Plate 3: (7) Tympanophorus borneensis ; (8) Aleochara muluensis ; h: habitus; fb: fore-body; al: aedoeagus in lateral view; ml: median lobe in ventral view; p: paramere; s7: male sternite VII; t: male tergite VIII.

V a r i a b i l i t y:theextentoftheredareaontheouterpartofeach elytron varies, as can be appreciated by comparing Figs 8h and 8fb.

M a l e: posterior margin of abdominal tergite VIII (Fig. 8t) with six large, irregular teeth, the outer pair acute, the others larger and mostly blunt. Aedoeagus: Figs 8al, 8av, inner structures membranous, devoid of sclerotised struts or spines; parameres large, broad and complex.

R e c o g n i t i o n Aleochara muluensis nov.sp. is distinguished from the other twelve described species of Aleochara known from Borneo by the combination of colour and sculpture. One other species, A. sabahensis PACE , has reddish marks on the lateral parts of the elytra but these are smaller and obscure, the pronotum and elytra are devoid of impressions and the abdomen is densely punctured; A. muluensis is evidently close to the unicolorous black A. nigrolucens CAMERON from northern India and A. borneensis KLIMASZEWSKI from Mt. Kinabalu, which has comparable impressions on the pronotum, but not on the elytra, and is less sparsely punctured. The aedoeagi of these two species are also similar, the median lobe being devoid of sclerotised inner structures, and the parameres very broad, but the outlines of both differ both in ventral and lateral views (cf. Figs 18 & 19, KLIMASZEWSKI 1990).

All material of this species was taken in dung- and carrion-baited traps. It appears to be confined to high altitudes on Gunung Mulu where it probably, like many of its congeners elsewhere, preys on the immature stages of Diptera.