Hygrodromicus splendidus Zerche, 1992

Shavrin, Alexey V., 2024, On some species of the genus Hygrodromicus Tronquet with description of a new species from Pakistan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini), Zootaxa 5481 (3), pp. 384-390 : 388-389

Hygrodromicus splendidus Zerche, 1992

( Figs 2 , 5–7 )

Hygrodromicus splendidus Zerche, 1992: 116

Material examined. KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY: 9 ♂♂, 21 ♀♀: Ketmen Ridge, Dolaity R . 15.07.1988. V . Kastcheev leg. (cSh, NMW, ZIN); 1 ♂, 1 ♀: same data, 09.07.1988 (cSh) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀: same data, Avat R . 14.07.2009 (cSh); 13 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀: same data, Kulbastau [=Kol`bastau] R . 27.07.1988 (cSh, ZIN) ; 3 ♀♀: same data, Bolshoy Kyrgyzsay. 18.05.1991 (cSh) ; 1 ♀: same data, 10.06.1988 (cSh) ; JAMBYL: 1 ♂: Aksu-Dzhabagly, Koksay R . 02.07.2001. V . Kastcheev leg. (cSh); KYRGYZSTAN: CHÜY: 1 ♀: Kegety Gorge. 09.06.1994. S. Ovchinnikov leg. (cSh) .

Redescription. Measurements (n = 50): HW: 0.94–1.01; HL: 0.74–0.75; OL: 0.25–0.26; LT: 0.17–0.18; AL (averaged): 3.46; PL: 0.88–0.94; PWmax: 1.33–1.41; PWmin: 1.23–1.25; ESL: 1.47–1.63; EW: 2.07–2.35; MTbL(averaged): 1.55; MTrL (averaged): 0.34 (MTrL 1–4: 0.19; MTrL 5: 0.15); AW: 2.13–2.36; AedL: 1.28–1.34; BL: 5.45–7.00 (holotype: Zerche (1992)).

Habitus as in Fig. 2 . Body reddish-brown to black, usually with distinctly paler elytra; mouthparts, antennae and legs brownish; apical segment of maxillary palpi and tarsi yellowish. Head with dense and fine isodiametric microculpture, coarser on infraorbital portions; neck with dense transverse or isodiametric sculpture; pronotum with dense and coarse isodiametric meshes, usually finer along middle and mediobasal third; scutellum with dense and fine transverse meshes; abdomen with dense and sometimes coarse isodametric or transverse microsculpture.

Head 1.2–1.3 times as broad as long, with slightly elevated middle portion; medioapical depression deep and wide, narrowing posteriad; interocellar depression wide, relatively shallow or deep; anteocellar foveae narrow and long, strongly convergent diagonally toward level of anterior margins of eyes. Punctation irregular, fine, sometimes invisible in some specimens, denser and slightly larger between eyes; neck without visible punctation or with several punctures in middle. Ocelli small and indistinct (invisible in holotype) or moderately large. Antenna reaching basal third or apical margins of elytra when reclined, with somewhat widened antennomeres; antennomere 3 slightly longer than 2, 4–5 slightly longer and usually indistinctly broader than 3, 6–10 slightly longer than 5 (sometimes antennomere 5 indistinctly shorter).

Pronotum markedly convex and distinctly transverse, 1.5 times as broad as long, 1.3–1.4 times as broad as head, from widest anterior portion strongly narrowed posteriad toward obtuse or subacute posterior angles; anterior angles widely rounded, sometimes slightly protruded anteriad; posterior margin straight or rounded, slightly narrower than posterior margin usually widely concave in middle. Punctation fine and dense, more distinct than that on head, finer in middle and sometimes with narrow impunctate median band. Scutellum without or with several fine punctures in middle.

Elytra 1.1–1.3 times as broad as long. Punctation dense, distinctly larger and deeper than that on pronotum, with interstices between punctures in middle about one-two diameters of nearest punctures.

Abdomen slightly narrower (holotype) or broader than elytra, with two large and transverse tometose spots in the middle of abdominal tergite IV and two small spots in tergite V (some specimens witth indistinct spots); palisade fringe narrow or invisible.

Male.Apical margin of abdominal tergite VIII somewhat straight or rounded.Apical margin of abdominal sternite VIII sinuate. Aedeagus with small basal portion and moderately wide elongate median lobe, distinctly narrowed in apical third, slightly broadened in preapical portion and narrowed toward small rounded apex; parameres narrow, indistinctly broadened apically, usually not reaching apex of median lobe, with four short apical setae; internal sac relatively long, with two narrow sclerotized lobes in preapical portion and moderately long flagellum, spirally folded in basal portion ( Fig. 5 ). Lateral aspect of the aedeagus as in Fig. 6 .

Female. Apical margins of abdominal tergite VIII straight or rounded. Apical margin of abdominal sternite VIII rounded.

Comparative notes. Based on the general shape of the aedeagus, H. splendidus is similar to H. cachemiricum , H. incrassatus sp. n., H. klapperichi , H. reitteri and H. wrasei . From all these species it can be distinguished by the broader antennae, more convex pronotum, and details of the external and internal morphology of the aedeagus. Additionally, it differs from H. cachemiricum , H. klapperichi and H. reitteri by the broader pronotum and elytra.

Distribution. Hygrodromicus splendidus is known from several locality in the Middle Asia: south-western Kazakhstan, north Kyrgyzstan and north Tajikistan ( Fig. 7 ).

Bionomics. The holotype was collected at elevation 3000–4000 m a.s.l. The detailed bionomical data is unknown.

Remarks. Hygrodromicus splendidus was originally described based on the holotype from Tajikistan (“… Pamir, Muksu Gebiet… Hochflâche bei Kishlak Ljarsch…”). The specimens studied by me are conspecific to the holotype, but have some insignificant morphological differences. Thus, I decided to redescribed this species. It is here recorded from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan for the first time.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Distribution of Hygrodromicus incrassatus (square) and H. splendidus (circles).

FIGURES 1–2. Habitus of Hygrodromicus: 1–H. incrassatus (paratype), 2–H. splendidus (Kazakhstan, Ketmen` Mts.). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 3–6. Aedeagus of Hygrodromicus (Figs 3–4: H. incrassatus (holotype); Figs. 5–6: H. splendidus (Kazakhstan: Ketmen` Mts.): 3, 5–parameral view, 4, 6–lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.