Lithocharodes pampana, 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 : 53-54

Lithocharodes pampana spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5EFDF07C-A8EE-42CB-B1E8-901599251C83

Figs 3 a-d, 44 E, 48 B

Type material: male, holotype: Peru: Dept. Junin, Pampa Hermosa Lodge, 22 km N San Ramón (75°25'5"W, 10°59'3"S), flight intercept trap, 24.- 27.11.2007, leg. D. Brzoska, #PER1B07 006 ( KNHM) . Paratypes: Peru, 1 male,1 femalewithsamedataasholotype( KNHM) ; Pasco Dept. , Villa Rica Rd. (75°18'54"W, 10°47'6"S), 1475 m elev., flight intercept trap, 2 males, 9 females, 15.- 18.10.1999, leg. R. Brooks, D. Brzoska # PERU 1B99 030C (9 KNHM, 2 UIC) ; Junin Dept. La Merced , 9.5 km NE La Merced- Villa Rica Rd. (75°18'18"W, 10°58'42"S), 880 m elev., flight intercept trap, male, 15.- 21.10.1999, leg. R. Brooks, # PERU 1B99 096 ( KNHM) .

Diagnosis: According to size, dark colouration, and dense punctation of the head, L. pampana is similar to L. peruana and L. lescheni . Distinguishing characters are already mentioned there. The aedeagus highly resembles that of L. verhaaghi and L. silvicola regarding the spiraled endophallus, but L. pampana is distinctly larger than these two species. Moreover, the paramere has a flexed apex and shorter setae at inner face. The endophallus of L. pampana has several spiral torsions such as in L. verhaaghi but it is thicker and more densely covered by teeth.

Description: Length: 4.5 mm. Colouration: Black to dark brown; legs and antennae slightly lighter, brown.

Head: 0.79 mm long, 0.62 mm wide; eyes moderately large; postocular space 2.5 times as long as eyes; sides nearly parallel; interocular furrows moderately deep; reaching posterior third of eyes; setiferous punctation irregularly dense; on anterior and lateral vertex nearly coriaceous; close to neck sparser; interstices between punctures wider than diameter of punctures; wide midline impunctate; space between interantennal furrows impunctate; surface without microsculpture; glossy. Antennae with first antennomere as long as half-length of head; second and third antennomere longer than wide; conical; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; fourth antennomere 1.5 times as wide as long; tenth antennomere twice as long as wide; antennomeres four to eleven densely pubescent. Pronotum: 0.87 mm long, 0.57 mm wide; widest in anterior third; anteriad, conically convergent toward neck; posteriad, slightly convergent to middle; posterior half nearly parallel; posterior angles rounded¸ posterior margin slightly convex; setiferous punctation deep and moderately dense; on average, interstices between punctures as wide as or slightly wider than diameter of punctures; wide midline impunctate; adjacent to midline with irregular row of 17 to 18 punctures; surface without microsculpture; glossy. Elytra: 0.83 mm long, 0.72 mm wide; humeral angles sub-rectangular; sides slightly divergent posteriad; posterior angles sub-rectangular; posterior margin weakly convex; retreated to suture; setiferous punctation dense and moderately deep; surface with weak isodiametric microsculpture; less shiny than pronotum. Abdomen with denser but weaker setiferous punctation than elytra; surface with dense isodiametric microsculpture; even less shiny than elytra; posterior margin of sternite VII of male with triangular central prominence and deep emargination at each side; posterior margin of tergite VII of male nearly straight and longitudinal striae as long as halflength of segment. Mesotibia with three, metatibia with two subapical ctenidia. Aedeagus oval; anteriorly wider than posteriorly; endophallus with four torsions; covered by minute teeth; paramere short and straight; apex flexed; inner face with short setae.

Etymology: The species name is derived from Pampa, a type of ecosystem in high elevations of Peru.

Figures

Fig. 2–7: L.-verhaaghi-group: Lithocharodes verhaaghi (2), L. pampana (3), L. silvicola (4), L. trinitatis (5), L. dubiosa (6), L. peruana (7); aedeagus (a), paramere (b), sternite VII of male (c), tergite VII of male (d); scale bare: A – D: 0.2 mm; B: 0.1 mm.