Neosclerus hlavaci, Assing, 2011

Assing, Volker, 2011, A revision of the genus Neosclerus C (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 6 (1), pp. 89-148 : 117-119

Neosclerus hlavaci sp. n. ( Figs 80-91)

Type material:

Holotype : " China, Fujian prov., Wuyi Shan Nat. Res., Masu (1100 m), 6.vi.2001, Hlaváč & Cooter lgt. / Holotypus  Neosclerus hlavacihlavaci sp. n. det. V. Assing 2009" (cAss) . Paratypes: 1 : same data as holotype (cAss); 1 , 2 : " China, Fujian prov., Wuyi Shan Nat. Res., Gadun hill, (900- 1300 m), 1.-2.vi.2001, Hlaváč & Cooter lgt." (cAss); 4 : " China, Fujian prov., Wuyi Shan Nat. Res., Sangan env. (900 m),C0.v.- 12.vi.2001, Hlaváč &Sooter lgt." (cAss);H exs.: " China: Fujian Province, Wuyi Shan, ca. 1300 m, 27°73'N [sic], 117°64'E [sic], ca. 5 km E Guadun / 1.vi.2001, Leg. J. Cooter + P. Hlaváč, Mixed forest litter" (cRou, cAss); 1 ex.: " China: Fujian Province, Wuyi Shan, ca. 820 m, 27°75'N [sic], 117°66'E [sic] / ca. 2 km NE Tongmu village, 30.v.2001, Mixed forest litter, leg. J. Cooter & P. Hlaváč " (cRou); 3 exs.: " China: Fujian Province, Wuyi Shan. 1200 m, 27°75'N [sic], 117°64'E [sic] / Quiliquao-Guadun road, 1.vi.2001, Mixed forest litter, Leg. J. Cooter + P. Hlaváč " (cRou); 3 exs.: " China: Fujian Province, Wuyi Shan. 1150 m, 27°70'N [sic], 117°64'E [sic] / Quiliquao-Guadun road, 1.vi.2001, Mixed forest litter, Leg. J. Cooter + P. Hlaváč " (cRou); 1 ex.: " China: Fujian Province, Wuyi Shan, ca. 800 m, 27°74'N [sic], 117°67'E [sic] / Sangan, 2.vi.2001, Leg. J. Cooter + P. Hlaváč, Sieved mixed forest litter" (cRou); 2 exs.: " China: Fujian Province, Wuyi Shan, ca. 800 m, 27°74'N [sic], 117°67'E [sic] / Sangan, 30.v.2001, Leg. J. Cooter + P. Hlaváč " (cRou); 1 ex.: " China: Fujian Province, Wuyi Shan, 1000 m, 3 km NE Tongmu vill. / 27°75'N [sic], 117°68'E [sic], 7.vi.2001, Mixed litter, Leg. J. Cooter + P. Hlaváč " (cAss); 1 ex.: " China: Jiangxi Province, Wuyi Shan , Huangganshan , 27°83'N [sic], 117°76'E [sic], / ca. 2000 m, 5.vi.2001, Mixed forest litter, Leg. J. Cooter + P. Hlaváč " (cRou) .

Description:

Body length 3.0- 3.6 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 80. Coloration: head and abdomen blackish; pronotum and elytra dark-brown to blackish-brown, usually at least slightly paler than head and abdomen; anterior margin of elytra and scutellum reddish; posterior elytral margin and pronotal margins usually narrowly reddish-brown; legs and antennae yellowish to reddish-yellow.

Head across eyes 1.20-1.25 times as wide as long; postocular region moderately short, approximately as long as width of antennomere I ( Fig. 81); punctation coarse and dense, sparser in posterior median area; interstices with very shallow to pronounced microsculpture (always clearly visible in posterior dorsal portion of head); antenna 1.0- 1.1 mm long. Mouthparts as in Figs 82-84.

Pronotum approximately as wide as long and 0.80-0.85 times as wide as head ( Fig. 81); punctation coarse and dense; midline impunctate; interstices without microsculpture and glossy.

Elytra short, approximately 0.7 times as long and approximately as wide as pronotum; humeral angles weakly pronounced ( Fig. 81); punctation dense and rather fine, surface only with subdued shine. Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen 1.05-1.15 times as wide as elytra; punctation fine and dense; interstices with very shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: posterior margin of sternite VII weakly concave in the middle, near this concavity with cluster of approximately 15 short modified setae, on either side of this cluster with longer setae directed diagonally medio-caudad ( Fig. 85); sternite VIII with almost V-shaped posterior excision, its depth approximately 1/5 the length of sternite, in anterior half with median carina, this carina extended into spinose process posteriorly ( Figs 86-87), apex of spinose process with few setae ( Fig. 88); aedeagus of distinctive morphology, ventral process subapically with pronounced tooth in lateral view ( Figs 89-90).

: sternite VIII posteriorly obtusely angled in the middle ( Fig. 91).

Etymology:

The species is dedicated to my friend and colleague Peter Hlaváč, Košice, who collected the type series, also in gratitude for the generous gift of the NeoclerusNeoclerus material he collected in China .

Comparative notes:

This species is best distinguished from other micropterous congeners by the morphology of the aedeagus. It is readily separated from the sympatric and syntopic N .. glaberglaber additionally by the presence of microsculpture on the head, the less coarse and dense punctation of the head, the distinctly shorter and anteriorly more distinctly reddish elytra, the absence of a palisade fringe at the posterior margin of the abdominal tergite VII, as well as by the shape and chaetotaxy of the male sternites VII and VIII.

Distribution and bionomics:

The known distribution is confined to three localities in Fujian province, southeastern China, where the type specimens were collected at altitudes of 900-1300 m. In two localities, N .. hlavaci was collected together with N .. glaber .