Neosclerus rimatus, 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 : 110-112

Neosclerus rimatus sp. n. ( Figs 54-59)

Type material:

Holotype  [teneral]: " China, Guangxi, Cengwanglaoshan , 1300 m, 3.VIII.99, J.R. Fellowes / leaf litter / Holotypus  Neosclerus rimatus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2010 " (cRou) . Paratype  [teneral]: same data as holotype (cAss).

Description:

Body length 3.0- 3.2 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 54. Coloration [note that both type specimens are teneral]: head blackish; pronotum dark-brown; elytra yellowish-brown; abdomen brown; legs and antennae yellowish.

Head strongly transverse, across eyes 1.25-1.30 times as wide as long; eyes large, postocular region extremely short, almost obsolete ( Fig. 55); punctation coarse and dense, in posterior portion of

dorsal surface as dense as in anterior portion, or nearly so; interstices with distinct microreticulation and almost matt; antenna approximately 1.0 mm long.

Pronotum distinctly convex in cross-section, approximately as wide as long, and approximately 0.85 times as wide as head ( Fig. 55); punctation similar to that of head; midline very narrowly impunctate and with fine longitudinal furrow at least in posterior 3/4; interstices without microsculpture and glossy.

Elytra short, approximately 0.65 times as long as, and about as wide as pronotum; humeral angles weakly marked ( Fig. 55); punctation very dense, moderately fine, and rather ill-defined; surface with subdued shine. Hind wings absent.

Abdomen slightly broader than elytra; punctation fine and moderately dense, sparser on tergite VII than on anterior tergites; interstices with shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: sternite VII with posterior margin broadly and shallowly concave in the middle, near this concavity with transverse cluster of approximately 15 rather weakly modified dark setae ( Fig. 59); sternite VIII weakly oblong, anteriorly with elevation (best visible in lateral view) with median cluster of few short setae, median portion depressed and extensively devoid of pubescence, posterior excision V-shaped, its depth approximately 1/5-1/6 the length of sternite ( Figs 56-57); aedeagus with short, relatively stout, laterally compressed, subapically dentate ventral process and with a pair of sclerotized structures in internal sac ( Fig. 58).

Etymology:

The specific epithet is an adjective derived from the noun rima (Latin: scratch) and alludes to the distinctive median furrow on the pronotum.

Comparative notes:

Based on the morphology of the aedeagus (internal structures, shape of the apex of the ventral process), the shape and chaetotaxy of the male sternites VII and VIII, as well as on the punctation and microsculpture of the head, N .. rimatus is closely related to N .. barbatulusbarbatulus and its allies. It is distinguished from all its congeners by the shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus, the shape and chaetotaxy of the male sternite VIII, as well as by the presence of a median furrow on the pronotum. It is separated from many of its congeners also by the short wings and the absence of a palisade fringe at the posterior margin of tergite VII.

Distribution and bionomics:

The type locality is situated in Guangxi province, southern China. Morphological evidence (adaptive reductions of elytral length, hind wings, and palisade fringe at the posterior margin of the abdominal tergite VII) suggests that the distribution this species is restricted. The two teneral specimens were collected from leaf litter at an altitude of 1300 m in August .