Lomechusoides fallax Jászay, Hlaváč & Baňař, 2023

Jászay, Tomáš, Hlaváč, Peter & Baňař, Petr, 2023, A taxonomic revision of the myrmecophilous genus Lomechusoides Tottenham, 1939 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). Part II. The revision of the strumosus species group, Zootaxa 5343 (6), pp. 539-593 : 563-565

Lomechusoides fallax Jászay, Hlaváč & Baňař sp. nov.

Figs 68–74

Etymology. The name of the species is derived from the Latin word fallāx, meaning deceptive.

Material studied: HOLOTYPE, ♁: RUSSIA: (p) Russia: Primorsky kray, Anisimovka (=Kangaus), Krinichnaya Mt. , 70 km /(p) E Vladivostok, 43.07 N 132.41 E, 500 m, 08.VI.1993, leg. L. Zerche ( DEI Eberswalde) / red label (p) HOLOTYPE ♁ Lomechusoides fallax sp. nov., det. T. Jászay, P. Hlaváč & P. Baňař det., 2021 ( DEI) . PARATYPE, 1 ♀: same data as for holotype / red label (p) PARATYPE ♀ Lomechusoides fallax sp. nov., det. T. Jászay, P. Hlaváč & P. Baňař det., 2021 ( DEI) .

Description. Body light reddish-brown ( Fig. 68 ) except anterior part of frontal median impression, clypeus, labrum, anterior margin of visible tergites II–IV, larger part of anterior margin of visible tergites V–VII, larger part of anterior margin of visible sternites V–VII, metaventrite except anterior part of metaventral process and posterior narrow margin of metaventrite brown.

Head rectangular, longer than wide HW/HL: ♁ 0.83, ♀ 0,89, with deep, V-shaped, slightly microsculptured frontal median impression, posterior half of impression with visible dense shallow punctures, glossy; disc of head microsculptured with sparce punctures, dull; length of eyes 0.23x of length of head; eyes protuberant; temples behind eyes shortly narrowing, subparallel posteriad.

Antennae long, scape ♁ 1.35x, ♀ 1.42x as long as wide and ♁ 2.30x, ♀ 2.22x as long as pedicel, pedicel ♁ 0.88x, ♀ 0.90x as long as wide, antennomeres III: ♁ 1.45x, ♀ 1.40x, IV: ♁ 1.00x, ♀ 1.09x and V: ♁ 1.30x, ♀ 1.36x as long as wide, antennomeres VI–VIII oval elongate, terminal antennomere slender and apically acute, ♁ 1.34x, ♀ 1.60x as long as scape, relative length of antennomeres from base to apex: ♁: 23: 10: 16: 13: 15: 15: 15: 15: 16: 16: 31; ♀: 20: 9: 14: 12: 15: 15: 14: 15: 15: 15: 32.

Pronotum ( Fig. 69 ) slightly trapezoidal, ratio PW/PL: ♁ 1.74, ♀ 1.67 with concave anterior margin, anterior corners obtuse, lateral sides in first half broadly rounded, in second half slightly concave and divergent posteriad, posterior corners obtuse, with microsculptured and densely punctate lateral impressions, pronotal disc unevenly, finely microsculptured and unevenly punctate, anterior part sparcely punctate, disc densely punctate, punctures with well-defined tubercles; median line well-defined; in lateral view lateral margins, in anterior half thick, shortly narrowed anteriad, in posterior half thin, lacking sharp edge; maximal pronotal width just before posterior corners, here as wide as elytra at humeri; pronotum with macrosetae, anterior margin with about four, lateral margins with six macrosetae.

Anterior and lateral margins of metaventral process ( Fig. 72 ) concave, with lateral lines divergent anteriad, anterior part with slightly defined transverse line, posterior part in median line with lentil-like impression, metaventral process microsculptured and densely punctate; metaventral disc with narrow posteriad divergent lines on sides of median line, metaventrite microsculptured and unevenly sparcely punctate, discal setae long, exceeding margin of adjacent puncture.

Elytra finely punctate, ♁ 1.00x, ♀ 1.00x as long as pronotum, ratio EW/EL: ♁ 2.00, ♀ 1.90 with six macrosetae on anterior part, humeral part with two macrosetae; distance between punctures on disc about twice as long than diameter of puncture.

Abdomen with visible tergite II finely punctate and setaceous, visible tergites III–V finely punctate and setaceous only on posterior margins, their anterior part with fine puntures, visible tergites VI–VII with sparse puncturation on whole surface, denser, larger and more shallow punctures on lateral parts, visible tergite II evenly microsculptured III–V unevenly microsculptured and visible tergites VI–VII unevenly but widespreadly and distinctly microsculptured.

Aedeagus ( Figs 70–71 ) with robust median lobe, apical-lobe tube like, shorter than basal bulb, from lateral view ventral side nearly straight, slightly convex, apex sharp with scattered pseudopores, lateral sides of apical lobe in ventral view convergent apicad, apex truncate. Apical lobe of parameres narrow ( Fig. 73 ), parallel-sided, hook-shaped and bent backwards, apex with about 4 setae and about 6 minute microsetae.

Spermatheca ( Fig. 74 ) with apical part 1.47x as long as basal part and 1.23x (on widest part) broader than basal extended part and 2.59x as long as wide, apical part curved and subparallel, apex very slightly acuminate.

Measurements. (♁, Holotype): TL 6.00 mm; FB 3.00 mm; HL 1.05 mm; HW 0.87 mm; antennal length 2.95 mm; PL 1.05 mm; PW 1.82 mm; EL 1.05mm; EW 2.10 mm; FTL 1.15 mm; MTL 1.40 mm; HTL 1.75 mm. (♀, Paratype from the same locality as Holotype): TL 5.80 mm; FB 2.80 mm; HL 0.90 mm; HW 0.80 mm; antennal length 2.85 mm; PL 1.05 mm; PW 1.75 mm; EL 1.05 mm; EW 2.00 mm; FTL 1.10 mm; MTL 1.35 mm; HTL 1.70 mm.

Differential diagnosis. L. fallax is separated from L. dlabolai and L. reitteri by the larger size and by the bicoloured body. From L. folgaricus , L. primoricus , L. strumosus and L. wellenii it differs by the trapezoidal shape of the pronotum, and from L. penicillatus by shorter antennae and shorter antennomeres V and VI. From L. zeyai and L. sibiricus , it differs by the straight lateral sides at the midlength of the pronotum. From L. zerchei , it differs by the maximal pronotal width which is equal to the width of elytra at humeri. From L. rossii and L. teres , it differs by wider lateral impressions on the pronotum which are deeper in the posterior part. From L. dudkorum , L. richteri and L. siculus , it differs by having pronotum surface with uneven microsculpture, with shiny spots, and the densely punctate disc.

Host ant. Unknown.

Distribution. Russia (Primorsky territory).

Figures

FIGURES 68–74. Lomechusoides fallax sp. nov. 68, female paratype, dorsal habitus; 69–73, male holotype, (locality: Russia: Primorsky territory, Anisimovka). 69, pronotum in dorsal view (L: 1.05 mm, W: 1.82 mm); 70, aedeagus, lateral view; 71, aedeagus, ventral view; 72, metaventral process; 73, apex of paramere; 74, female paratype, spermatheca, (locality: Russia: Primorsky territory, Anisimovka). Scale bars in mm.