Tmesiphorus crassicornis Sharp, 1883

Inoue, Shota, Maruyama, Munetoshi & Nomura, Shûhei, 2019, Revision of the genus Tmesiphorus LeConte, 1849 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from Japan, Zootaxa 4646 (1), pp. 67-86 : 72-75

Tmesiphorus crassicornis Sharp, 1883

[Japanese name: Higekata-arizukamushi]

( Figs 4–6 )

Tmesiphorus crassicornis Sharp, 1883: 299 (original description); Raffray, 1908: 374 (catalogue); Raffray, 1911: 157 (catalogue); Jeannel, 1958: 118 (diagnosis); Nomura, 2001: 158 (catalogue); Löbl and Besuchet, 2004: 327 (catalogue); Terayama and Maruyama, 2007: 6 (catalogue); Shibata et al., 2013: 97 (catalogue); Maruyama et al., 2013: 32 (illustration, diagnosis).

Type locality. Japan, Kyûshû , Nagasaki-ken , Nagasaki-shi, Suwa-temple [Suwa-jinja] .

Type material. Syntype: 1♂, “ Tmesiphorus crassicornis , Type D. S. / Suwa Temple. Japan / 31 7 71 G. Lewis (on glue board) // Sharp Coll. / 1905-313.// Type / H. T. (red-bordered disc) // Syn-type (blue-bordered disc) // Tmesiphorus / crassicornis / Sharp / det. Löbl 1976” ( NHM) .

Material examined. (15♂, 20♀). Japan: [Hokkaidô] : 3♂, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido University , 20 VI 1997, M. Ôhara & K. Mizota leg. ( LDN) ( KUM) ; 1♂, 1♀, Ebetsu-shi, Nopporo, Tomambetsu , 29 V 2002, M. Maruyama leg. ( LDN) ( KUM) ; 1♂, Shakotan-gun, Raikishi-chô , 7 IX 1996, M. Ôhara leg. ( LDN) ( KUM) ; 1♂, Date-shi, Ôtakiku , 24 VIII 2001, M. Maruyama leg. ( KUM); [Honshû] : 1♂, 2♀, Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi, Aobayama , 22 IX 2001, M. Maruyama leg. ( LDM) ( KUM) ; 3♂, Yamanashi-ken, Nirasaki-shi, Hosaka-machi , Kamiimai , 6 VI 2004, M. Maruyama leg. ( LDN) ( KUM) ; 2♀, Gifu-ken, Kamioka-chô, Morimo , 27 VII 2003, K. Kinomura leg. ( LDN, LDO) ( KUM) ; 1♂, 2♀, Gifu-ken, Kuguno-chô, Bijo-kôgen , 5 VIII 2003, K. Kinomura leg. ( LDN) ( KUM) ; 1♂, Gifu-ken, Neo-mura, Imamura , 31 VIII 2003, K. Kinomura leg. ( LDS) ( KUM) ; 1♂, 1♀, Gifu-ken, Takayama-shi, Nakao , 4 VIII 2003, K. Kinomura leg. ( LDM) ( KUM); [Shikoku] : 2♂, 9♀, Kagawa-ken, Kotohira-chô, Atago-yama , 1 VI 2001, M. Maruyama leg. ( LDS) ( KUM); [Kyûshû] : 3♀, Fukuoka-ken, Tagawa-gun, Soeda-chô , Mt. Hiko-san , 11 VIII 2018, S. Inoue leg. (cIN).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to T. princeps and T. kinomurai sp. nov. in general appearance, but is distinguished from them by the combination of broader frons, thicker antennae, strongly produced antennomere XI, sparser setae on body surface, and longitudinal carinae on tergite V extend to posterior third.

Redescription. Male ( Fig. 4-A ). Body length 2.90–3.16 mm. Body almost uniformly reddish-brown.

Head ( Figs. 5-A, B ) about as long as wide, HL 0.54–0.59 mm, HW 0.54–0.60 mm, almost ovoid in dorsal view, densely punctate with short setae; frons broad, with longitudinal groove including fovea narrowed posteriorly to vertex; vertex with two foveae, with short longitudinal carina between vertexal foveae, shallowly depressed around vertexal foveae; eyes large, prominent; occiput broad, with angular projection behind eyes, with tufts of short yellow setae; antennae ( Figs. 4-C, D ) thick, with antennomeres I thick, elongate, each 2.5 times longer than II; II as long as wide; III each slightly wider than long, thickened apically; IV–VIII each wider than long; II–VIII successively broadened towards apices; IX–XI significantly enlarged to form club, strongly curved inward in outer margin; IX each wider than long, oval, two times wider than VIII, depressed with dense setae on ventral surface, with a depression on ventral surface broadened apically from base, as wide as segmental width on apical margin; X each longer than wide, with basal margin 1.2 times wider than apical margin, narrowed apically, with glabrous area with sparse setae on ventral surface; XI each thickest at middle, significantly narrowed at base, strongly produced outward, narrowed apically from middle, depressed with sparse setae on ventral surface, with a depression on ventral surface broadened apically from base to middle, nearly circular; maxillary palpi asymmetrical; segments II and III each with penicillate spine on lateral margin, segment IV thick, with rounded lobe on lateral margin, apical portion conical.

Pronotum ( Fig. 5-C ) slightly wider than long, PL 0.56–0.62 mm, PW 0.60–0.66 mm; dorsum broadly rounded, widest anterior to middle, narrowed posteriorly, covered with short setiferous setae, with distinct median and lateral foveae at base; elytra ( Fig. 5-D ) much wider than long, EL 0.76–0.84 mm, EW 1.08–1.21 mm, sparsely covered with short, thin setae and weakly punctate; each elytron with basal median and inner foveae pubescent, weakly sulcate from median fovea to posterior 2/3 of elytra; posterior margin with thick brush-like yellow setae; profemora thickest, with white setae on anterior face; mesofemora as thick as metafemora; protibiae thickest, arcuate and thickened at middle, as long as mesotibiae; metatibiae longer than other tibiae; tibiae all with dense yellow setae at apices; tarsi ( Fig. 5-F ) elongate; tarsomeres II 2 /3 as long as III; protarsal claws asymmetrical, anterior claws each thicker than posterior one.

Abdomen ( Fig. 5-E ) large, bulbous, wider than long, AL 0.98–1.14 mm, AW 1.18–1.28 mm; tergite IV as long as VI; tergite V longest; tergite VII small; tergite VIII smallest and semicircular; tergites IV and V each with lateral longitudinal carinae; those of tergite IV extending from anterior margin to posterior margin; those of tergite V extending from anterior margin to posterior 1/3; tergite IV with thick brush-like yellow setae along posterior margin.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 6 ) 0.50 mm in length, well-sclerotized, oval; parameres symmetric, projecting ventrally; each paramere with four setae at apex; median lobe asymmetric, right part longer than left in ventral view, projecting ventrally; basal bulb broad, weakly narrowed apically; secondary gonopore large; endophallus elongate and bifurcate at base, its right projection longer than left.

Female ( Fig. 4-B ). BL 2.82–3.18 mm; HL 0.54–0.58 mm; HW 0.54–0.62 mm; PL 0.54–0.64 mm; PW 0.60– 0.70 mm; EL 0.76–0.84 mm; EW 1.13–1.24 mm; AL 0.98–1.14 mm; AW 1.22–1.38 mm. Antennae moniliform; antennomeres II–VIII longer than in male, successively wider towards apices; antennomeres IX–XI not modified, smaller than in male, antennal club indistinct.

Distribution. Japan: Hokkaidô, Honshû, Shikoku, Kyûshû.

Biology. This species has been collected from around nest entrances and trails of Lasius (Dendrolasius) spp. ( Maruyama et al. 2013). Sharp (1883) stated that this species was collected with a "black ant." This probably indicates Lasius (Dendrolasius) spp. of which all are dark brown in color.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A, B: Habitus of Tmesiphorus crassicornis, C, D: left antenna. A, male; B, female; C, antenna in dorsal view; D, antennal club in ventral view by SEM.

FIGURE 5. Tmesiphorus crassicornis, male. A, head; B, head in dorsal view; C, pronotum; D, elytra; E, abdomen; F, left protarsus.

FIGURE 6. Male genitalia of Tmesiphorus crassicornis. A, ventral view; B, lateral view; C, dorsal view.