Amaurodera species, FAUVEL, 1905

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 : 81-82

3.8.3. Key to the named Amaurodera species of Thailand

1. Body usually of dark coloration: forebody black; abdomen usually blackish, sometimes with tergite III slightly paler, rarely with reddish tergites III–IV; antennae with at least antennomeres III–VI usually blackish-brown to blackish, rarely paler. Head and pronotum without sexual dimorphism. ♂: median lobe of aedeagus as in ASSING (2003: figures 14–15 ). ♀: proximal portion of spermathecal capsule conspicuously dilated ( ASSING 2003: figure 16 ). Very variable and widespread species. ............................................................................................... kraepelini FAUVEL

– Body usually of paler coloration: forebody mostly reddish to reddish-brown; abdomen with at least tergite III (sometimes except for the infuscate posterior margins) pale-reddish; antennae yellowish to brown. Head with or without sexual dimorphism. ♂: median lobe of aedeagus of different shape. ♀: proximal portion of spermathecal capsule not strongly dilated. .............................................................................................................................................. 2

2. Pronotum with numerous moderately long and more or less erect setae in antero-lateral portion. ♂: median lobe of aedeagus with very broad (ventral view) and strongly sinuate (lateral view) ventral process (YAN & LI 2015: figures 5B–C ); apical lobe of paramere conspicuously long, more than half as long as basal portion of paramere. ♀: spermathecal capsula somewhat truncate proximally. ............................................................... yunnanensis PACE

– Pronotum only with few long and erect setae anteriorly. Primary sexual characters different; apical lobe of paramere shorter than basal portion of paramere. ........................................................................................................................... 3

3. Head with sexual dimorphism, in male rather extensively impressed in median portion (e.g., Fig. 145 ), without such an impression in female. Mostly smaller species; pronotum only in one species> 0.88 mm long. Abdominal tergites III and IV usually pale-reddish (rarely darker), usually not infuscate at posterior margins. Ventral process of aedeagus slender, more or less parallel-sided or subapically even dilated in ventral view. Spermatheca with distinctly delated distal portion and with large apical cuticular invagination. ........................................................... 4

– Head without sexual dimorphism, impressed neither in male nor in female. Larger species; pronotum at least 0.88 mm long. Abdominal tergites III and IV mostly with more or less distinctly infuscate posterior margins. Ventral process of aedeagus basally broad, lateral margins converging apicad in ventral view. Spermatheca with weakly dilated distal portion and with small apical cuticular invagination. ............................................................... 8

4. Elytra with distinct microreticulation visible at a magnification of 40–50 x ( Fig. 129 ). Ventral process of aedeagus ventro-medially with a pair of lateral angular projections ( Figs 391, 393–394 ). ....................... reticulata spec. nov.

– Elytra with indistinct traces of microreticulation visible only at high magnification (100 x). Ventral process of aedeagus of different shape. ............................................................................................................................................... 5

5. Smaller species, pronotum 0.70–0.80 mm long. ............................................................................................................. 6

– Larger species, pronotum 0.81–0.94 mm long. ............................................................................................................... 7

6. Legs uniformly yellowish. Median lobe of aedeagus smaller, <0.6 mm long ( Figs 389–390 ). Spermatheca as in Fig. 395 . ..................................................................................................................................................... gilvios spec. nov.

– At least meso- and metafemora usually more or less distinctly infuscate apically. Median lobe of aedeagus larger,> 0.7 mm long, ventral process distinctly angled in the middle in lateral view ( Figs 396–397 ). Spermatheca as in Figs 398–399 . .......................................................................................................................................... dentata spec. nov.

7. Smaller species; length of pronotum 0.81–0.87 mm. Eyes usually larger, approximately 0.7 times as long as distance from posterior margin of eye to posterior constriction of head ( Fig. 144 ). Ventral process of aedeagus smoothly sinuate in lateral view ( Figs 405–409 ). Spermatheca as in Fig. 410 . .............................................. thailandensis PACE

– Larger species; length of pronotum 0.88–0.94 mm. Eyes smaller, approximately half as long as distance from posterior margin of eye to posterior constriction of head. Ventral process of aedeagus more or less distinctly angular in lateral view ( Figs 400–402 ). Spermatheca as in Figs 403–404 . ................................................ parvoculata spec. nov.

8. Ventral process of aedeagus strongly bulging in lateral view; crista apicalis larger ( Figs 411–412 ). Spermatheca smaller and with shorter proximal portion ( Figs 413–414 . .............................................................. fasciata spec. nov.

– Ventral process of aedeagus weakly to moderately bulging in lateral view; crista apicalis smaller ( Figs 415–418 ). Spermatheca larger and with longer proximal portion ( Fig. 419 ). ........................................................ meorum PACE

Figures

Figs 1–26. Antenna (1–21) and forebody (22–26) of Orphnebius spp. of the O. hauseri group: spinans (1, 23), cernens (2, 24), lunatus (3, 25), bakeri (4, 26), breviceps (5), extensus (6), serratus (7), integer (8), bicuspis, Laos (9), bicuspis, NE India (10), fusicollis (11), retunsus (12), fodens (13), opticus (14), dilatatus (15), fuscapicalis (16), grandicollis (17, 22), reductus (18), biformis, male (19), biformis, female (20), effeminatus (21). Scale bars: 22–26: 1.0 mm; 1–21: 0.5 mm.

Figs 144–159. Amaurodera thailandensis (144–145), A. fasciata (146), A. meorum (147), A. spinans (148), A. varicollis (149), A. disparicollis, male (150), A. disparicollis, female (151), Tetrabothrus nilgiricus (152–153), T. pubescens, syntype (154–156), T. collucatus (157–158), and T. neoguineensis, holotype (159): forebody (144–152, 154, 157, 159); abdomen (153, 156); antenna (155, 158). Scale bars: 144–154, 156–157, 159: 1.0 mm; 155, 158: 0.5 mm.

Figs 119–143. Drusilla bifida (119–122), Rabdotodrusilla pectinata (123–125), Amaurodera arunica (126–127, 132), A. gilvios (128, 133), A. reticulata (129, 134), A. dentata (130, 135), A. parvoculata (131, 136), A. thailandensis (137–138), A. fasciata (139), A. meorum(140),A. disparicollis (141), A. spinans (142),andA. varicollis(143):forebody (119, 123, 126, 128–131); head and pronotum (120); antenna (121, 124, 132–143); abdomen (122, 125, 127). Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figs 379–395. Drusilla bifida (379), Rabdotodrusilla pectinata (380–383), Amaurodera arunica (384–388), A. gilvios (389–390, 395), and A. reticulata (391–394): sutural portion of left elytron (379); median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (380– 381, 385–386, 389–392); male tergite VIII (382); male sternite VIII (383); male pronotum (384); spermatheca (387–388, 395); subapical portion of median lobe of aedeagus in dry preparation (393); subapical portion of median lobe of aedeagus in transparent light (394). Scale bars: 384: 0.5 mm; 379–383, 385–392, 395: 0.2 mm; 393–394: 0.1 mm.

Figs 396–419. Amaurodera dentata (396–399), A. parvoculata (400–404), A. thailandensis (405–410), A. fasciata (411–414), and A. meorum (415–419: 415–416, 419:Khao Yai Nat.Park):median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (396–397, 400–402, 405–409, 411–412, 415–418); spermatheca (398–399, 403–404, 410, 413–414, 419). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.