Photinopygus chryselytros Chatzimanolis, 2023

Chatzimanolis, Stylianos, 2023, A revision of the genus Photinopygus Chatzimanolis (Staphylinidae: Xanthopygina), Zootaxa 5292 (1), pp. 1-100 : 30-31

Photinopygus chryselytros Chatzimanolis , new species

( Figs. 56–63 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:68C060E3-C83A-4086-86FB-29BC5B7C3C81

Type material. Holotype, here designated, male, with labels: “ S. America Brazil ” / “ Sharp coll. 1905-313” / “[label unintelligible]” / “Holotype Photinopygus chryselytros Chatzimanolis , des. Chatzimanolis 2022 ”. In the collection of NHMUK.

Paratypes, five, here designated: “S. America” / “ Sharp coll. 1905-313” (1 ♁ NHMUK) ; “S. America Colombia ” / “ Sharp coll. 1905-313” / “ Staphylinus calidus Er. p361 Colombia ” (1 ♁ NHMUK) ; “Nov. Gran. [ Nova Granada]” / “coll. Kraatz ” / “ Xanthopygus sp. det A. Brunke 2013” / “DEI Münchenberg Col - 11463” / “indet” (1 ♁ SDEI) ; “ Colombia Pargudairi [second word not clear]” (1 ♁ MHNG) ; “flavicornis Guerin Columbia Buguet” (1 ♀ MHNG) . All paratypes with label: “Paratype Photinopygus chryselytros Chatzimanolis , des. Chatzimanolis 2022 ”.

Diagnosis. Photinopygus chryselytros belongs in the concave pronotum species group. Photinopygus chryselytros can be easily distinguished from all other species of Photinopygus based on the golden-green coloration of the elytra.

Description. Forebody ( Fig. 56 ) length 6.7–6.9 mm. Color of head, pronotum and mesoscutellum dark brown to black; antennae dark orange; legs dark brown to black; elytra golden-green; abdomen dark brown to black except segments 7–8 orange. Antenna ( Fig. 60 ) with antennomere 3 without tomentose pubescence; antennomere 4 with tomentose pubescence; antennomeres 4–7 longer than wide; antennomeres 8–10 subquadrate. Head transverse; HW/HL ratio = 1.33–1.40. Left mandible with bicuspid tooth. Posterior margin of head slightly extended posteriad on each side of neck. Head with medium-sized punctures, distance between punctures as wide as 0.5–1 punctures. Pronotum ( Fig. 59 ) subquadrate; PW/PL ratio = 0.95–1.00. Lateral margins of pronotum in dorsal view posteriad of midpoint slightly concave, appearing almost parallel to each other; pronotum with 7–8 sparse rows of punctures on each half beside median impunctate line; distance between punctures as wide as 1–1.5 punctures but with areas of pronotum without punctures. EL/PL ratio = 1.41–1.52. Elytra with dense punctation; distance between punctures as wide as 0–0.5 punctures. Metepisternum covered with punctures (impunctate area less than 1/3). Abdomen with tergite 3 having setose punctures only on posterior margin; tergite 4 setose; tergites 3–5 with curved carina (arch-like). In males, sternite 7 without porose structure, sternite 7 with shallow and broad emargination posteriorly; sternite 8 with small U-shaped emargination posteriorly ( Fig. 57 ). Aedeagus as in Figs. 61–63 ; in dorsal view paramere converging to rounded apex; paramere shorter and as wide as median lobe; in lateral view paramere becoming narrower near tip; paramere with peg setae as in Fig. 63 , peg setae absent on the tip. Median lobe in dorsal view converging to narrow pointed tip; in lateral view median lobe becoming narrower; median lobe with large subapical tooth.

Distribution. Known from Brazil and Colombia but without any details on precise localities.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek word χρυσός (golden) and elytron and refers to the coloration of the elytra.

Habitat. Unknown.

Remarks. All specimens used in the description of this species were from historical collections. On one hand, it is remarkable that I get to describe a new species with specimens from David Sharp’s collection. On the other hand, one might wonder if this species is extremely rare or even extinct, since no recent specimens are known for this species.

Figures

FIGURES 56–60. Photinopygus chryselytros Chatzimanolis. 56. Habitus. 57. Sternite 7. 58. Sternite 8. 59. Pronotum. 60. Antenna. Not to scale.

FIGURES 61–63. Aedeagus of Photinopygus chryselytros Chatzimanolis. 61. Lateral view. 62. Dorsal view. 63. Detail of paramere, ventral view.