Parosus simplex, Makranczy & H-, 2014

Makranczy, György, 2014, Review of the genus Parosus Sharp, 1887 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (1), pp. 77-133 : 126-127

Parosus simplex sp. nov. Figs 115-118, 130, 141

TYPE MATERIAL: HOLOTYPE (3), “ PERU, Cuzco Dept., Consuelo, Manu rd. , km. 165 [13°02'S, 71°30'W, 1050m], 1.X.1982, [leg.] L. E. Watrous & G. Mazurek (FMHD #82-318), ex litter under rotten palm” ( FMNH) . – PARATYPES (10), PERU, Cuzco Dept., Consuelo, Manu rd. , km. 165, 1.X.1982, leg. L. E. Watrous and G. Mazurek (FMHD #82-315), ex litter at rotten logs ( FMNH, 1), same but leg. L. E. Watrous and G. Mazurek (FMHD #82-318), ex litter under rotten palm ( FMNH, 1), same but 4.X.1982, leg. L. E. Watrous and G. Mazurek (FMHD #82-336), ex rotten palm ( FMNH, 13, 1), same but 5.X.1982, leg. L. E. Watrous and G. Mazurek (FMHD #82-343), ex rotten palm ( FMNH, 1, MHNG, 13), same but 6.X.1982, leg. L. E. Watrous and G. Mazurek (FMHD #82-348), ex litter under rotten palm ( FMNH, 2), same but 12.X.1982, leg. L. E. Watrous and G. Mazurek (FMHD #82-377), ex litter under rotten palm ( FMNH, 13), same but 14.X.1982, leg. L. E. Watrous and G. Mazurek (FMHD #82-384), ex leaf litter & mushrooms ( CNCI, 13) .

OTHER MATERIAL: PERU, Cuzco Dept., Consuelo, Manu rd. , km. 165, 4.X.1982, leg. L. E. Watrous & G. Mazurek (FMHD #82-336), ex rotten palm ( FMNH, 1, specimen missing tip of abdomen) .

DESCRIPTION: Forebody as in Fig. 130. Measurements (n=6): HW = 0.66 (0.59- 0.72); TW = 0.65 (0.57-0.71); PW = 0.65 (0.59-0.70); SW = 0.59 (0.53-0.65); MW = 0.71 (0.67-0.75); AW = 0.59 (0.57-0.63); HL = 0.50 (0.45-0.55); EL = 0.12 (0.11-0.13); FL = 0.09 (0.09-0.10); TL = 0.21 (0.17-0.24); PL = 0.44 (0.40-0.46); SL = 0.65 (0.61- 0.69); SC = 0.63 (0.59-0.67); FB = 1.66 (1.52-1.78); BL = 2.95 (2.71-3.16) mm. Body strongly reddish. Head and pronotum medium to dark brown (area of infraocular ridges and two medially situated spots at supraantennal prominences blackish). Elytra medium to dark brown (slightly and indefinitely darkening posteriorly), shoulder areas often lighter, orangeish. Abdomen medium to light brown (apex not conspicuously darkened), first few visible tergites often lighter, yellowish. Legs, mouthparts and antennae medium to light brown. Pubescence rather short and sparse, a little shorter and more dense on elytra.

Head and pronotum. Mid-antennal articles moderately transversal (antennomere 6 length:width = 0.053: 0.065 mm). Clypeus (Fig. 115) trapezoid, ratio of longitudinal distance of supraantennal prominence tip from eyefront to the same from clypeal front = 0.60-0.81. Infraocular ridge (Fig. 118) fine, slightly continuing after posterior edge of eye in short keel. Temple broadly rounded, first half almost straight, more curved posteriorly. Pronotum (Fig. 116) with maximum width 1.81x base width, sides almost evenly rounded (convex) all the length, no straight parts, but anteriorly sometimes little more curved, anterior angles appearing sharp (in dorsal view). Shiny, almost unpunctured clypeus, not delimited (frontoclypeal groove absent, only marked by a trace of a sometimes blackish line). Supraantennal prominences shiny, unpunctured. Posterior half of vertex shallowly impressed. First half of pronotal disc shallowly impressed along midline, this impression spreading to posterior half, around a slightly elevated, shiny, unpunctured stripe in posterior half of midline. Pronotal side with a slight trace of depression around the middle. Head with 24-26 'longitudinal' puncture lines, pronotum with 24-26 'longitudinal' puncture lines, head punctation loosened on mid- and anterior vertex, on pronotum a tiny bit larger punctures than those on head.

Elytra and abdomen. Elytra (Fig. 117) slightly dilating posteriorly, behind scutellum distinct but not too deep impressions. Medially serrate fringe absent on hind margin of tergite VII. Elytral punctation not umbilicate, punctures similar in size to the ones on head, interspaces about 1/2 of puncture diameters. Bases of tergites (posterior to basal ridges) without apparent microsculpture, segments with a few tiny, very scattered punctures. Aedeagus as in Fig. 141.

ETYMOLOGY: The species is named after its lack of contrasting colours and other peculiar traits, including absence of the very characteristic medially serrate fringe on the posterior edge of tergite VII.

COMPARATIVE NOTES: Being a 'unicoloured' species with rather light (reddishbrownish) body colour and one of only four that misses the medially serrate fringe on the hind margin of tergite VII, this is species is easy to recognize.

DISTRIBUTION: The species is so far known from a single location in the southern part of Peru (Cuzco Dept.).

BIONOMICS: Specimens were collected from (rotten) litter under palm trees.