Mimosticus latens Brunke et Solodovnikov

Brunke, Adam & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2014, Male secondary sexual characters resolve taxonomic uncertainty: five new species and a review of the formerly monotypic rove beetle genus Mimosticus Sharp (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Zootaxa 3893 (1) : -

Mimosticus latens Brunke et Solodovnikov sp.n.

( Fig. 4 F, 5A, 6F, 7F, 9G, 10A (map))

Type material. Holotype [point-mounted, terminalia and aedeagus dissected and attached to the specimen in a plastic genitalia vial with glycerin]: male, “ COLOMBIA: Huila [Province] PNN [national park] Cueva de Los Guácharos [Alto el Mirador], Cabaña Cedros, 2100 m, 1°37' N; 76°6'W, Malaise [trap] 1 28-XI / 02-XII-2001, D. Champos Leg. M. 2537/ [ SEMC barcode label]/ Holotype Mimosticus latens sp. n. Brunke et Solodovnikov des. 2014 [red label]” ( SEMC).

Paratype: 1 female, same data as in the holotype, but 1°38' N; 76°6'W, 1980 m, 2–5.XII.2001 ( SEMC).

Description. Measurements: HL 1.0–1.1; HW 1.1–1.2; PL 1.6–1.7; PW 1.9–2.2; EL 2.3–2.4; EW 2.2–2.4. Total body length 10.5–11.5 mm.

Black, with distinct golden iridescence on head and pronotum; elytra bright, metallic bluish purple; abdomen, strongly iridescent. Last two antennomeres visibly paler: pale brown to brown.

Head in dorsal view with nuchal ridge distinct laterally. Eyes moderately large, in dorsal view 2.2–2.3 times as long as tempora, the latter about as half as long as an eye. Antennae as in Fig. 2 D, with relatively long antennomeres: antennomere 4 about 2.3 times as long as wide.

Pronotum slightly transverse.

Elytra slightly wider and longer than pronotum.

Male: tergite VIII slightly notched at apex ( Fig. 5 A), sternite VIII with broadly rounded apical margin and only indistinct, apical emargination ( Fig. 4 F); sternite IX obtuse basally, gradually widening apicad and not forming a distinct basal stalk ( Fig. 6 F); tergite X without long dark macrosetae, with only smaller setae and with very shallow notch on the apical margin ( Fig. 7 F). Aedeagus with weakly developed small copulatory sclerite in internal sac ( Fig. 9 G) but otherwise very similar to that of M. aeneipennis : paramere dilated apically ( Fig. 8 F), without sensory peg setae-like structures; internal sac with strongly sclerotized, densely packed, spine-like structures that are grouped in fields that differ in their size and degree of sclerotization.

Comparison. Mimosticus latens can be easily distinguished from M. viridipennis and M. tenuiformis by the nuchal ridge that is visible in dorsal view. From M. aeneipennis it can be distinguished externally by the larger eyes, bluish-purple elytra and more slender antennomeres 7–10. Among males of the sharpi species complex, M. latens can be distinguished by the slightly notched apical margin of tergite VIII, the broad basal portion of sternite IX and the extremely weakly developed copulatory sclerite of the internal sac of the aedeagus, the latter of which is difficult to observe in less-than-ideally prepared specimens.

Distribution and bionomics. Mimosticus latens is known only from the type locality in the Andes of Colombia based on two specimens collected by Malaise trap at 2100 m elevation.

Etymology. The name of the new species is a Latin adjective that means “hidden” or “secret”. It refers to the high degree of superficial similarity between this new species and others of the sharpi species complex.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Antennomeres 4 – 11: Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C) and M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D). Ventral forebody of M. tenuiformis (E). Mesotrochanter and mesofemur of M. tenuiformis (F). Hindwing of M. aeneipennis, vein MP 4 fused to CuA (G). Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Male sternite VIII of Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C), M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D), M. pseudosharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (E) and M. latens Brunke and Solodovnikov (F). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 5. Male tergite VIII of M. latens Brunke and Solodovnikov (A). Female tergite X of M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (B). Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Male sternite IX of Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C), M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D), M. pseudosharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (E) and M. latens Brunke and Solodovnikov (F). Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 7. Male tergite X of Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C), M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D), M. pseudosharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (E) and M. latens Brunke and Solodovnikov (F). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 8. Aedeagus of Mimosticus viridipennis Sharp (A – D), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (E) and M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (F). Parameral view (A – B, E – F), lateral view (C – D). Internal sac not everted (A, C, E, F), internal sac everted (B, D). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 9. Abparameral view of median lobe of the aedeagus, showing internal sac in situ: Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C), M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D). Copulatory sclerite of internal sac of M. sharpi (E), M. pseudosharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (F) and M. latens Brunke and Solodovnikov (G). Scale bars = 0.2 mm. a—ventral apex of paramere showing peg setae-like structures, b—copulatory sclerite, arrow—apical margin of copulatory sclerite.