Lomechusoides wellenii ( Palm, 1949 )

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 : 586-588

Lomechusoides wellenii ( Palm, 1949)

Figs 139–146

Lomechusa wellenii Palm, 1949: 101 Type data: 9 Ex. aus Helsinge in Südfinnland , davon 1 ez. 4 an den Genitalien untersuchte ♁♁ und ♀♀. Die Art wurde von Herrn Dr. O. Wellenius am 30.IV.1940 bei Formica uralensis Ruzsky entdeckt. Lomechusa wellenii Palm : Schilow 1981: 222 (synonym of L. teres ).

Material studied. LECTOTYPE, ♁: FINLAND: 2 x (p) Fennia Nyl. Helsinge, O. Wellenius / 2 x (p) 30.IV.1940 / (p) in nido Formicae uralensis / triangular label with host ant / red label (p) HOLOTYPUS (h) Lomechusa wellenii Palm / (p) TYPE NO. (h) 1209: 1–3, (p) Zool. Mus. Lund Sweden (h) Staphylinidae / (p) HOST ANT (h) Formica polyctena Först. (p) P. Hlaváč det. 200 (h) 5 / red label (p) LECTOTYPE ♁ Lomechusoides wellenii ( Palm, 1949) , des. Jászay & Hlaváč, 2020 ( MZLU). PARALECTOTYPES, 1♀: FINLAND: (p) Fennia Nyl. Helsinge, O. Wellenius / (p) 30-IV-1940 / (p) in nido Formicae uralensis / (p) Lomechusa inflata Zett., H. Lindberg det. / (p) wellenii n. sp. / red label (p) HOLOTYPUS / (h) L. teres Epp. , (p) W. Schilov det. / (p) 19 (h) 80, 69 / (p) Type No. (h) 1209: 3 ( MZLU). 1♀: (p) Fennia Nyl. Helsinge, 30.IV.1940, O. Wellenius / (p) in nido Formicae uralensis / (h) Lomechusa inflata (p) Harald Lindb. det. / red label (p) ALLOTYPUS / (h) Lomechusa wellenii Palm / (p) Type No. (h) 1209: 2 ( MZLU). 1♀: (p) Fennia Nyl. Helsinge, 30.IV.1940, O. Wellenius / (h) Lomechusa wellenii Palm (p) Stockmann det. / (h) wellenii (MZLU) . All paralectotypes are bearing printed red label: PARALECTOTYPE ♀ Lomechusoides wellenii ( Palm, 1949) Jászay & Hlaváč det. 2020. Other material studied. Finland: 2♁♁: (p) Fennia Nyl., Helsinge, O. Wellenius / (p) 30.IV.1940 / (p) in nido Formicae uralensis / orange label (p) Mus. Zool. Helsinki, Loan no. C (h) 332, 333, http://id.luomus.fi/GAC.26852, http://id.luomus.fi/GAC.26853, Lomechusoides wellenii ( Palm, 1949) , O. Wellenius det. ( MZHF). 1♁: (p) Fennia, Joutseno, E. Thuneberg / (p) 270 / (h) L. wellenii Palm ♁ (p) det. T. Palm / orange label (p) Mus. Zool. Helsinki, Loan no. C (h) 334 / (p) http://id.luomus. fi/GAC.26855, Lomechusoides wellenii ( Palm, 1949) , E. Thuneberg det. ( MZHF). 1♁: host ant on label / (p) Fennia N, Helsinge, Stockmann / (p) 5306 / orange label (p) Mus. Zool. Helsinki, Loan no. C (h) 335 / (p) http://id.luomus. fi/GAC.26856, Lomechusoides wellenii ( Palm, 1949) , Stockmann det. ( MZHF). 2♁♁: (p) Fennia Nyl., Helsinge, 30.IV.1940, O. Wellenius / (p) http://id.luomus.fi/GAC.26854, http://id.luomus.fi/GAC.26857, Lomechusoides wellenii ( Palm, 1949) , O. Wellenius det. ( MZHF). 1♁: (p) Fennia Nyl., Helsinge, 30.IV.1940, O. Wellenius / (p) in nido Formica uralensis / (p) Lomechusa inflate Zett. H. Lindberg det. / (p) http://id.luomus.fi/GAC.26872, Lomechusoides inflatus ( Zetterstedt, 1828) , H. Lindberg det. ( MZHF). 1♁: (p) Fennia Nyl., Helsinge, 30.IV.1940, O. Wellenius / (p) ♁ / (p) Coll. Lindberg / orange label (p) Mus. Zool. Helsinki, Loan no. C (h) 328 / (p) http:// id.luomus.fi/GAC.26848, Lomechusoides wellenii ♁ ( Palm, 1949) , O. Wellenius det. ( MZHF). 1♀: (p) Fennia Nyl. Helsinge, 30.IV.1940, O. Wellenius / orange label (p) Mus. Zool. Helsinki, Loan no. C (h) 329 / (p) http://id.luomus. fi/GAC.26849, Lomechusoides wellenii ( Palm, 1949) , O. Wellenius det. ( MZHF). 1♀: (p) Fennia Nyl. Helsinge, 30.IV.1940, O. Wellenius / (p) ♀ / orange label (p) Mus. Zool. Helsinki, Loan no. C (h) 330 / (p) http://id.luomus. fi/GAC.26850, Lomechusoides wellenii ♀ ( Palm, 1949) , O. Wellenius det. ( MZHF). 1♀: (p) Fennia Nyl. Helsinge, 30.IV.1940, O. Wellenius / (h) L. inflate / (p) http://id.luomus.fi/GAC.26871, Lomechusoides inflatus ( Zetterstedt, 1828) , O. Wellenius det. ( MZHF). Sweden: 1♁: (p) Nb. (h) Sangis (p) S. Lundberg, (h) 26.10.74 / (h) welleni (p) det. Stig Lundberg / (p) Lomechusoides wellenii Palm. Det. M. Dvořák. 96 / (p) Lomechusoides wellenii Palm P. Hlaváč det., 2000 ( NMPC). 1♀: (p) Nb. (h) Sangis (p) S. Lundberg ( ZMLU). 1♀: (p) Överkalix Nb, S. Lundberg / (h) wellenii Palm , (p) det. Stig Lundberg Data Zoo-Tax ( ZMLU). 1♁: (p) Nb. (h) Säivis, 29.4.1979 (p) K. Persson ( ZMLU). 1♁: (h) Svecia: Nb. Svartbyn 20.8.1983 S. Lundberg lgt. / (p) Lomechusoides wellenii Palm P. Hlaváč det., 2000 ( NMPC). 1♁: (p) Nb. (h) Sangis, (p) S. Lundberg / (h) wellenii (p) det. Stig Lundberg / (p) Lomechusoides wellenii Palm , det. M. Dvořák / (p) Lomechusoides wellenii Palm, P. Hlaváč det. 2000 ( NMPC). 1♁: (p) Överkalix Nb, S. Lundberg / (h) 15/5-69 ( ZMLU).

Note. This species was synonymized by Schilow (1981: 222) with L. teres without any justification. Schilow examined specimens from the Caucasus (Martkopi) deposited in NMW and HNHM. The specimen in HNHM is bearing erroneous holotype’s label and this specimen does not belong into the type serie of this species. Schilow’s synonymy was not accepted by Schülke & Smetana (2015: 663) in the Palaearctic catalogue. L. teres according to the original description (Wasmann 1896: 246) should be a very characteristic species, which should differ from all known species of the genus by the strongly elongate body, four times as long as wide as well as by the unique structure of the pronotum. The synonymy is not supported further by the different distribution of both species. They are separated by a vast area between the Caucasus and Scandinavia. The synonymy of L. teres with L. wellenii is rejected and it is treated as a valid species here.

Description. Body light reddish-brown ( Fig. 139 ) except clypeus, labrum antennae, posterior margin of pronotum, anterior margin of visible tergites II–IV, larger part of anterior margin of visible tergites V–VII, anterior margin of visible sternites III–IV, larger part of anterior margin of visible sternites V–VII, prosternum, mesoventrite, metaventrite and epimeral and episternal sclerites brown.

Head quadrate, ratio HW/HL: 1.00, with deep, wide, U-shaped frontal median impression, which is microsculptured with shallow punctures, dull; disc of head microsculptured with fine punctures, dull; length of eyes 0.26x of length of head; eyes protuberant, temples behind eyes awfully narrowing and subparallel posteriorly. Antennae long, scape ♁ 1.78x, ♀ 1.69x as long as wide and ♁ 2.27x, ♀ 2.75x as long as pedicel, pedicel ♁ 1.15x, ♀ 0.94x, antennomere III: ♁ 1.80x, ♀ 1.40x, IV: ♁ 1.08x, ♀ 1.27x as long as wide, antennomeres V–VIII oval elongate, terminal antennomeres thin and acute, ♁ 1.08x, ♀ 1.22x as long as scape, relative length of antennomeres from base to apex: ♁: 25: 11: 18: 13: 17: 17: 17: 17: 16: 15: 27, ♀: 22: 8: 14: 14: 16: 16: 16: 15: 15: 15: 27.

Pronotum ( Fig. 140 ) rectangular, ratio PW/PL: 1.61 with short concave anterior margin, anterior corners obtuse, lateral sides in anterior half broadly rounded, in basal half slightly convex posteriad, subparallel, posterior corners acutely angled, bearing deep lateral microsculptured impressions, which is evidently deeper behind middle of impressions, with uneven puncturation; pronotal disc unevenly microsculptured, anterior margin evenly microsculptured, pronotum with sparse uneven puncturation, tubercles on whole surface well-defined, shiny, median line shallow, weakly-defined; in lateral view lateral margins thick, anteriad and posteriad thinned, lacking visible sharp edge; maximal width of pronotum at posterior corners, here narrower than width of elytra at humeri; pronotum with macrosetae, anterior margin with about four, lateral margins with about three–five macrosetae.

Anterior margin of metaventral process ( Fig. 143 ) straight, lateral margins with lateral lines in anterior part, convergent anteriad, posterior part in median line lacking lentil-like impression; metaventral disc with shallow impressions on lateral sides of median line, metaventrite unevenly microsculptured and punctate, discal setae long, exceeding margin of adjacent puncture.

Elytra sparsely punctate, 0.91x as long as pronotum, ratio EW/EL: 2.00; with about seven–eight macrosetae in anterior part and one macroseta in humeral part, distance between discal punctures two to three times longer than diameter of puncture.

Abdomen with visible tergites II–IV densely punctate and setaceous on posterior margin, visible tergites V–VII with fine and sparse puncturation in posterior margin, visible tergites VI–VII with puncturation on lateral parts, with diameter of puncture slightly larger, visible tergite II uneven microsculptured, visible tergites III–V lacking microsculpture and visible tergites VI–VIII with visible microsculpture on lateral sides.

Aedeagus ( Figs 141–142 ) with robust median lobe, apical lobe tube-like, apical part sharp, with dense pseudopores, ventral side slightly convex in lateral wiev, lateral sides of apical lobe on basal half subparallel in ventral view, apical half narrowing and pointed apically. Apical lobe of parameres at apex subparallel-sided ( Fig. 144 ), apex rounded, with about three setae and scattered pseudopores.

Spermatheca ( Figs 145–146 ) apical part twice as long as basal part and 1.5x wider than basal part, 2.9 times as long as wide, apical part narrowed apically, apex rounded.

Measurements. (♁): TL 6.25 mm; FL 3.05 mm; HL 0.87 mm; HW 0.87 mm; antennal length 3.25 mm; PL 1.15 mm; PW 1.85 mm; EL 1.05 mm; EW 2.10 mm; FTL 1.22 mm; MTL 1.52 mm; HTL 1.85 mm.

Differential diagnosis. L. wellenii is separated from L. dlabolai and L. reitteri by the larger size and bicoloured body and the rectangular pronotum. From L. dudkorum , L. fallax , L. penicillatus , L. richteri , L. rossii , L. sibiricus , L. siculus , L. teres , L. zerchei and L. zeyai it differs by posterior 90 degree angles of the pronotum. From L. folgaricus it differs by the bicoloured pronotum, by the transversal crest lacking distinct tubercle on the aedeagus and on apical lobe of the aedeagus by narrowing apical half apically and on the spermatheca by rounded apex. From L. primoricus it differs by lacking the transversal carina on the anterior part of the metaventral process, by the apical part on spermatheca which is twice as long as the basal part and narrowed apically, while by L. primoricus the apical part on the spermatheca is 1.25 x as long as the basal part and subparallel. From L. strumosus it differs by the bicoloured pronotum, by the shorter apical part than basal part of spermatheca and by subparallel lateral sides on basal half of apical portion of aedeagus in ventral view. From L. teres is separated by the quadrate head with Ushaped frontal median impression, by the rectangular pronotum with well-defined tubercles on the whole surface of the pronotum, by lacking the lentil-like impression on the posterior part in median line of the metaventral process, by sparsely punctate elytra, by the ventral protuberance narrowing apically, and by the subparallel-sided apical lobe of parameres, while L. teres has the head trapezoidal with the shallow, oval median impression, the trapezoidal pronotum, weakly-defined tubercles on the whole surface of the pronotum, by the lentil-like impression on the posterior part in the median line of the metaventral process and densely punctate elytra, the subparallel ventral protuberance and the drop-like apex, and by enlarged apex of parameres.

Host ant. Formica polyctena Foerster, 1850 , F. pratensis Retzius, 1783 , F. sanguinea Latreille, 1798 , F. uralensis Ruzsky, 1895 .

Distribution. Finland, Sweden.

Figures

FIGURES 139–146. Lomechusoides wellenii Palm, 1949. 139, male paralectotype, dorsal habitus; 140, pronotum in dorsal view (L: 1.15 mm, W: 1.85 mm), (locality: Svecia, Svartbyn); 141, male, aedeagus, lateral view; 142, male, aedeagus, ventral view; 143, male, metaventral process; 144, apex of paramere; 145, female, spermatheca, (locality: Svecia, Sangis); 146, female, spermatheca, (locality: Fennia Nyl., Helsinge). Scale bars in mm.