Lithocharodes surinamensis, 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 : 59-60

Lithocharodes surinamensis spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AF3EE982-3573-4991-9AEF-A34345F2BA88

Figs 15 a-d, 45 K, 50 D

Type material: male, holotype: Suriname, Brokopondo, Brownsberg Nature Preserve (55°10'53"W, 4°56'55"N), ca. 440 m elev., flight intercept trap, 22.- 25.6.1999, leg. Z.H. Falin #SUR1F99 121 ( KNHM) . Paratypes: Suriname, 1 male with same data as holotype ( UIC) ; same region but Witi Creek Trail (55°10'53"W, 4°56'55"N), flight intercept trap, 2 females, 23.- 25.6.1999, leg. Z.H. Falin, A. Gangadin, H. Hiwat, #SUR1F99 117 ( KNHM) Saramacca, West Suriname Road , 139 km WSW Zanderij Airport (56°4'W, 5°9'N), ca. 40-50 m elev., flight intercept trap, female, 10.- 14.6.1999, leg. Z.H. Falin, B. DeDijn, #SUR1F99 075 ( KNHM) ; Marowinje, Perica, 70 km E Paramaribo, on East-West Road (54°36'31"W, 5°40'28"N), 5 m elev., flight intercept trap, 3 females, 31.5.- 5.6.1999, leg. Z.H. Falin, B. DeDijn, #SUR1F99 034 ( KNHM) ; Marowijne, Palumeu (55°26'18"W, 3°20'56"W), ca. 160 m elev., flight intercept trap, 7.- 8.7.1999, leg. Z.H. Falin, #SUR1F99 183 ( KNHM) .

Diagnosis: Lithocharodes surinamensis belongs to the group of medium-sized species with dark brown to nearly blackish colouration, which are difficult to distinguish. The species is mainly separated from the other species by the endophallus of the aedeagus that bears large triangular teeth in the apical part and only minute denticules in the posterior part. The aedeagus of L. dubiosa has a twisted endophallus without large teeth. Lithocharodes surinamensis is slightly lighter than L. elegans and the head is more elongate. However, the aedeagus is totally different from that of L. elegans .

Description: Length: 4.7 mm. Colouration: Dark brown; legs and antennae slightly lighter brown.

Head: 0.79 mm long, 0.65 mm wide; eyes moderately large; slightly prominent; postocular sides approximately 2.5 times as long as eyes; interantennal furrows weak; reaching anterior third of eyes; setiferous punctation weak and sparse; on average, on anterior vertex, interstices at least as wide as diameter of punctures; on posterior vertex, slightly wider; moderately wide midline impunctate; surface with weak isodiametric microsculpture; moderately shiny. Antennae with first antennomere slightly longer than half-length of head; second and third antennomere conical; approximately as long as their apical width; subsequent antennomeres wider than long, increasing in width; fourth antennomere twice as wide as long; tenth antennomere 2.5 times as wide as long; fourth to eleventh antennomeres pubescent. Pronotum: 0.89 mm long, 0.58 mm wide; widest in anterior third; shortly narrowed toward neck in convex curve; narrowed in middle third; parallel in posterior third; posterior margin slightly convex; setiferous punctation moderately sparse and deep; on average, interstices between punctures one to two times as wide as diameter of punctures; wide midline impunctate; surface with weak microsculpture; moderately shiny. Elytra: 0.87 mm long, 0.73 mm wide; humeral angles sub-rectangular; sides slightly divergent posteriad; posterior angles rounded; posterior margin triangularly retreated to suture; setiferous punctation denser than on pronotum; on average, interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures; surface with isodiametric microsculpture; moderately shiny. Abdomen more sparsely punctate than elytra; surface with weak transverse microsculpture; surface moderately shiny; posterior margin of sternite VII and tergite VII of male slightly convex. Meso- and metatibia with two subapical ctenidia each. Aedeagus long-oval with sub-rectangular anterior part; endophallus forming wide transparent band covered by numerous teeth; teeth anteriorly slightly larger than posteriorly; laterally with six large teeth on each side; paramere slender; curved in anterior third; at inner face with numerous long setae.

Etymology: The species is named after the country, where it was collected.

Figures

Fig. 13–18: L.-simillima-group:Lithocharodes triangula (13), L. simillima(14), L. surinamensis (15), L. brooksi(16), L. germana (17), L. denticulata (18); 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.