Lathrobium vitalyi, Assing, 2008

Assing, V., 2008, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Paederinae and Xantholinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1237-1294 : 1270-1272

Lathrobium vitalyi nov.sp. ( Figs 48-52 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: " Kazakhstan, Aksu-Djabagly , Djabagly riv., Kshi-Kaindy, 30.06.1983, V. Kastcheev / Holotypus Lathrobium vitalyi sp. n. det. V. Assing 2008" (cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 7.5 mm. Coloration: head brown; pronotum and elytra reddish; abdomen blackish-brown with slightly paler apex; legs reddish; antennae darkreddish.

Head almost as wide as long (1.03 times as long as wide); punctation distinct, but not very coarse, moderately sparse; interstices in lateral dorsal areas approximately twice as wide as diameter of punctures, in median dorsal area even wider; surface with distinct, but shallow microsculpture composed of isodiametric meshes. Eyes weakly convex, small, approximately 1/4 the length of postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 55 ).

Pronotum 1.35 times as long as wide and 0.92 times as wide as head; punctation slightly coarser than that of head; interstices on average approximately 1.5 times as wide as diameter of punctures; microsculpture absent ( Fig. 55 ).

Elytra approximately 1.1 times as wide and at suture 0.57 times as long as pronotum, distinctly dilated posteriad (i. e. of trapezoid shape); punctation finer, shallower, and less defined than that of pronotum ( Fig. 55 ). Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen widest at segment VI, slightly broader than elytra; punctation fine, rather dense, and well-defined; microsculpture present, but very shallow; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: sternite VII transverse, with triangular median impression in posterior half, this impression furnished with black modified setae, posterior margin moderately concave in the middle ( Fig. 56 ); sternite VIII shaped as in Fig. 57 , in the middle with cluster of black modified setae, posterior margin in the middle with small and broadly V-shaped excision; aedeagus distinctive, with slender and, in ventral view, asymmetric ventral process ( Figs 58-59 ).

: unknown.

E t y m o l o g y: The species is dedicated to Vitaly Kastcheev, who collected the holotype and to whom I am most grateful for the generous gift of the holotype.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Lathrobium vitalei is readily distinguished from all its congeners by the characteristic shape of the aedeagus, in particular the shape of the ventral process, and the modifications of the male sternites VII and VIII. From other congeners recorded from Middle Asia and with similarly short elytra and reduced hind wings, it is additionally separated as follows:

from L. bucharense KOCH 1944 ( Uzbekistan) by the different head shape (in L. bucharense oval with almost obsolete posterior angles) and the reddish pronotum (in L. bucharense blackish);

from L caspicum KOCH, 1938 ( Azerbaijan, Iran) by the uniform coloration of the elytra (in L. caspicum bicoloured, with the anterior half black and the posterior half reddish) and by the elytral punctation (in L. caspicum coarser and arranged in rows);

from L. concolor MOTSCHULSKY 1860 ( Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Russian Far East) by darker head and abdomen, as well as by its smaller size;

from L. kuntzeni KOCH 1939 ( Uzbekistan, Iran) by the different coloration ( L. kuntzeni : pronotum black with blueish hue, apex of abdomen reddish) and much smaller eyes;

from L. marani KOCH 1939 by its smaller size, a reddish pronotum (in L. marani black), smaller eyes, and shorter elytra;

from L. semirufulum BERNHAUER 1902 by its larger size ( L. semirufulum : approximately 5 mm).

For illustrations of the genitalia of the above species see COIFFAIT (1982), KOCH (1938, 1939a, 1939b, 1944), and WÜSTHOFF (1942).

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: Thetypelocality is situated in southern Kazakhstan, in the region to the northeast of Tashkent. The holotype was collected in June. Additional bionomic data are not available.

Figures

Figs 48-54: Lobrathium reuteri nov.sp. (48-52) and L. schillhammeri ASSING & SCHÜLKE (53-54): (48) female tergite VIII; (49) female sternite VIII; (50) female segments IX-X; (51-54) ventral process of aedeagus in ventral and in lateral view. Scale bars: 48-50: 0.5 mm; 51-54: 0.2 mm.

Figs 55-59: Lathrobium vitalyi nov.sp.: (55) forebody; (56) male sternite VII; (57) male sternite VIII; (58-59) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 55: 1.0 mm; 56-59: 0.5 mm.