Tetrabothrus nilgiricus, Assing, 2016

Assing, Volker, 2016, On some Lomechusini of the Palaearctic and Oriental regions (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 66 (1), pp. 13-111 : 94-95

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.21248/contrib.entomol.66.1.13-111

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5903514

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/766F7C36-FFE0-FFB9-FF36-7354DAB9FC02

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Tetrabothrus nilgiricus
status

sp. nov.

Tetrabothrus nilgiricus View in CoL spec. nov.

( Figs 152–153 View Figs 144–159 , 435–436 View Figs 420–441 )

Type material: Holotype ♂ [in rather poor condition; most of antennae, left hind leg and right metatarsus missing]: “ S India ; Tamil Nadu ; Nilgiri Hills , 11 km SE Kotagiri; 1000± 100 m; 11°24'N 76°56'E; Kunchappanai, P. Pacholátko leg.; 3.–15.v.2002 / Holotypus ♂ Tetrabothrus nilgiricus sp. n., det. V. Assing 2015” ( NHMB). GoogleMaps

Comment: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from Nilgiri Hills, the mountain range where the type locality is situated.

Description: Small species species; body length 4.6 mm; length of forebody 1.9 mm. Coloration: head and pronotum dark-brown; elytra brown; abdomen dark-brown, with the apex (segments VII–X) and the posterior margins of tergites III–VI dark-reddish; legs yellowish, with the apices of the meso- and metafemora infuscate; antennomeres I–V blackish-brown (remainder of antennae missing); maxillary palpi dark-yellowish with yellowish terminal palpomere.

Head ( Fig. 152 View Figs 144–159 ) distinctly transverse, extensively impunctate along middle; punctation in lateral dorsal portions very fine and sparse. Eyes large, approximately 0.7 times as long as distance from posterior margin of eye to posterior constriction of head.

Pronotum ( Fig. 152 View Figs 144–159 ) 1.14 times as broad as long and 1.08 times as broad as head, strongly convex in crosssection; punctation very fine and sparse.

Elytra ( Fig. 152 View Figs 144–159 ) as long as pronotum; punctation very fine and sparse. Hind wings fully developed.

Abdomen ( Fig. 153 View Figs 144–159 ) narrower than elytra and with rather deep anterior impressions on tergites III–VI; tergites III– VI with a lateral seta and two postero-lateral setae (at posterior margin) on either side, otherwise impunctate; tergite VII with three lateral setae on either side; tergite VIII with rather numerous setae at and near posterior margin; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe; posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly concave in the middle.

♂: median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 435–436 View Figs 420–441 ) 0.57 mm long; ventral process strongly curved, apically acute and very slender; paramere 0.6 mm long, its apical lobe of moderate length and slender.

Comparative notes: Tetrabothrus nilgiricus is distinguished from T. indicus , its geographically closest congener, by distinctly smaller size ( T. indicus : length of forebody 2.0– 2.4 mm), darker coloration ( T. indicus : head and pronotum pale-reddish to reddish-brown; elytra pale reddish with the postero-lateral portions more or less distinctly darker; antennae with at least antennomeres I–III reddish), the different punctation pattern of the pronotum ( T. indicus : posterior margins of tergites III–VI each with four postero-lateral setae on either side), and by the shapes of the ventral process and of the crista apicalis of the aedeagus.

Distribution: The type locality is situated in the Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, South India. The holotype was collected at an altitude of approximately 1000 m.

NHMB

Natural History Museum Bucharest

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