Lithocharodes compacta, Irmler, 2021

Irmler, Ulrich, 2021, The Neotropical species of the genus Lithocharodes SHARP, 1876 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Xantholinini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 71 (1), pp. 29-85 : 39

Lithocharodes compacta spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3253E356-C82F-425A-B034-8AD4AFFB91F7

Figs 37 a-d, 45 H, 49 J

Type material: male, holotype: Mexico, Mor., 7mi E

Cuvernavaca, 6.7.1975, leg. Q.D. Wheeler ( FMNH) .

Diagnosis: The species resembles L. verhaaghi in the small size, the unicoloured colouration, and the parallel shape of the head. It is slightly larger, the elytra are distinctly shorter than the pronotum, whereas they are longer than the pronotum in L. verhaaghi . Moreover, the shape and structure of the paramere is unique among the species of the genus.

Description: Length: 3.7 mm. Colouration: Black; legs and antennae brown with femora darker brown to blackish.

Head: 0.67 mm long, 0.52 mm wide; eyes small; postocular sides four times as long as eyes; postocular sides nearly parallel; posterior angles widely rounded; interantennal furrows extremely weak, nearly absent; setiferous punctation deep, large and dense; on average, interstices between punctures half as wide as diameter of punctures; wide midline impunctate; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Antennae with second and third antennomere slightly longer than wide; second slightly longer than third; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; fourth antennomere approximately 1.5 times as wide as long; tenth antennomere 2.5 times as wide as long; all antennomeres pubescent. Pronotum: 0.71 mm long, 0.46 mm wide; widest at anterior third; slightly narrowed toward posterior margin; at posterior margin 0.75 times as wide as at widest width; in posterior half sides nearly parallel; setiferous punctation as deep and large as on head but slightly sparser; on average, interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures or partly slightly less wide; wide midline without punctures; line of punctures adjacent to impunctate midline with 18 to 20 punctures; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Elytra: 0.57 mm long, 0.53 mm wide; humeral angles sub-rectangular; sides nearly parallel; posterior angles sub-rectangular; posterior margin nearly straight; only weakly restricted to suture; setiferous punctation as dense as on pronotum; surface with extremely weak microsculpture; shiny. Abdomen with still weaker setiferous punctation than on elytra; setae pointing posteriad; surface with extremely weak microsculpture; shiny; tergite VII of male smoothly rounded at posterior margin; sternite VII of male rounded at posterior margin but with short central incision. Aedeagus small and approximately oval; bag-like endophallus densely covered by differently large teeth; teeth in anterior half denser and larger than in posterior half; paramere stout and short; at inner apical half with area covered by parallel lamellae.

Etymology: The name of the species is derived from the Latin word compactus (meaning stout) and refers to the short and stout shape of the paramere, which seems to be unique among the species of the genus.

Figures

Fig. 37–42: L.-??-group: Lithocharodes compacta (37), L. elegans (38), L. elongata (39), L. fuscula (40), L. rufula (41); aedeagus (a),