Lomechusoides siculus Fiori, 1914

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 : 578-580

Lomechusoides siculus Fiori, 1914

Figs 119–123

Lomechusa strumosa var. sicula Fiori, 1914: 107 Type data: Castelbuono (Madonie).

Material studied. Italy: 3♀♀: (p) I-Italia-Sicily, Castelbuono env., Cozo Luminario (1000 m), Martin Švarc leg. ( PCMS, PCPB) .

Note. The type material of this species was not available for study. The material from the vicinity of the type locality (Sicily: Castelbuono) is here considered conspecific with L. siculus and supports L. siculus as a valid species.

Description. Body yellowish-reddish-brown ( Fig. 119 ) except antennae, clypeus, labrum, pronotum, anterior margins of visible tergites V–VII, posterior margins of visible sternites V–VII, metaventrite except anterior part of its metaventral process and posterior margin of metaventrite and episternal and epimeral sclerites, brown.

Head slightly trapezoidal, longer than wide, HW/HL: 0.76, with deep U-shaped frontal median impression which is evenly microsculptured and with weakly visible fine punctures, dull; disc of head evenly microsculptured and finely punctate, dull; length of eyes 0.24x of length of head; eyes protuberant, temples behind eyes convergent. Antennae long, scape 1.53x as long as wide, 2.44x as long as pedicel, pedicel 0.90x as long as wide, all antennomeres elongate, III: 1.40x, IV: 1.21x, V: 1.36x as long as wide, antennomere X cone-shaped, terminal antennomere slender and acute, 1.36x as long as scape, relative length of antennomeres from base to apex: 22: 9: 14: 14: 15: 14: 15: 15: 15: 16: 30.

Pronotum ( Fig. 120 ) slightly trapezoidal, ratio PW/PL: 1.56, with concave anterior margin, anterior corners obtuse, lateral sides in anterior half broadly rounded, in posterior half lateral margins concave and divergent posteriad, basal corners acutely angled, bearing microsculpture and unevenly punctate, lateral impressions with slightly defined tubercles; pronotal disc with fine microsculpture and with sparse, uneven puncturation, tubercles well-defined; median line well-defined; in lateral view lateral margins thick, sligthly and equally narrowed and slightly curved posteriad, lacking visible sharp edge; maximal pronotal width in basal corners, here slightly less wider than width of elytra at humeri; pronotum with macrosetae, anterior margin with about four macrosetae, lateral margins with about four–five macrosetae.

Anterior margin of metaventral process ( Fig. 121 ) slightly concave, lateral margins of metaventral process concave, anterior part with transversal elevation, with lateral lines, subparallel or slightly convergent anteriad, anterior part in median line slightly roof-like elevated, posterior part in median line lacking or very slightly visible round shallow lentil-like impression, metaventral process microsculptured and punctate; metaventral disc with shallow, longitudinal impressions on sides of median line, located in posterior part, metaventrite microsculptured and sparsely punctate, with long setae strongly exceeding margin of adjacent puncture.

Elytra finely punctate, elytra 0.86x as long as pronotum, ratio EW/EL: 2.26, anterior part with about eight– eleven macrosetae, humeral part with about two macrosetae, distance between punctures on disc 2.0–2.5x as long as diameter of puncture.

Abdomen with visible tergite II finely punctate and setaceous, visible tergites III–IV finely punctate and setaceous only on posterior margin, anterior part with fine punturation, punctures bearing minute setae, visible tergite V–VII finely punctate, densely and largerly punctate on lateral parts, visible tergite II, VI–VII with even microsculpture, visible tergites III–V unevenly microsculptured.

Male unknown.

Spermatheca ( Fig. 122 ) apical part 1.20x as long as basal part, 1.25x (on widest part) wider than basal extended part and 2.88x as long as wide, apical part distinctly divergent apically, apex rounded.

Measurements. (♀): TL 6.20 mm; FB 2.85 mm; HL 1.15 mm; HW 0.87 mm; antennal length 2.95 mm; PL 1.10 mm; PW 1.72 mm; EL 0.95mm; EW 2.15 mm; FTL 1.07 mm; MTL 1.40 mm; HTL 1.75 mm.

Differential diagnosis. L. siculus is separated from all other species of the L. strumosus complex by the equally microsculptured frontal median impression on the head and long setae exceeding margin of the adjacent puncture on the frontal impression and on disc of the head. Moreover, from L. dlabolai and L. reitteri it differs by the larger, bicoloured body. From L. folgaricus , L. primoricus , L. strumosus and L. wellenii it differs by the trapezoidal pronotum, and from L. penicillatus by shorter antennomeres. From L. zeyai and L. sibiricus it differs by the presence of humeral macrosetae on the elytra and by the lack of a sharp visible edge on the lateral margins of the pronotum in lateral view and by elongate and slender tibiae. From L. rossii and L. terres , it differs by the pronotum with wide and more shallow lateral impressions, with evenly microsculptured and punctate surface and by the well-defined tubercles on the pronotal disc. From L. dudkorum and L. richteri by the conical antennomere X ( Fig. 119 ), from L. fallax by the evenly microsculptured pronotum lacking shiny spots on the disc of pronotum, from L. zerchei by the narrower maximal pronotal width which is equal to or less than width of elytra at humeri.

Host ant. Unknown.

Distribution. Italy (Sicily).

Figures

FIGURES 119–123. Lomechusoides siculus Fiori, 1914, female, (locality: Italia-Sicily: Castelbuono). 119, dorsal habitus; 120, pronotum in dorsal view (L: 1.10 mm, W: 1.72 mm); 121, metaventral process; 122, spermatheca; 123, antennomeres IX–X. Scale bars in mm.