Pseudolathra, Casey, 1905

Assing, V., 2012, The Pseudolathra species of the East Palaearctic and the Oriental regions (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 62, pp. 299-330 : 303-305

Key to species

1 Coloration of pronotum blackish-brown to blackish, occasionally with the posterior and anterior margin diffusely dark-reddish. ......................................................................... 2

- Coloration of pronotum reddish-yellow to reddish-brown. Species that can reliably be identified only based on the morphology of the aedeagus. ............................................ 5

2 Head oblong ( Fig. 65 ). Pronotum slender, at least approximately 1.2 times as long as broad ( Fig. 65 ). Eyes smaller, much shorter than postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 65 ). Punctation of abdomen very dense and fine ( Fig. 64 ); interstices with distinct microsculpture. Length of forebody 3.2-3.9 mm. ♂: posterior margin of sternite VIII with shallow and broad posterior excision ( Fig. 66 ); aedeagus shaped as in Figs 67-70 . Japan, China ( Map 2 ). .... ........................................................................................................ P. regularis (Sharp)

- Head distinctly transverse ( Fig. 46 , 52 , 60 ). Pronotum much broader and relatively shorter, at most very weakly oblong ( Fig. 46 , 52 , 60 ). Eyes very large at least approximately three times as long as postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 46 , 52 , 60 ). Punctation of abdomen at least on posterior tergites rather sparse; microsculpture absent or indistinct. ♂: posterior margin of sternite VIII with narrow and deep posterior incision ( Figs 48 , 58 , 63 ); aedeagus of different morphology. Distribution different. ........................................................... 3

3 Conspicuously large species; body length 9.0- 10.5 mm; length of forebody at least 4.5 mm. Elytra reddish to reddish-brown, posteriorly often diffusely infuscate. All abdominal tergites with reddish lateral and posterior margins. Pronotum usually weakly transverse ( Fig. 52 ). ♂: sternites VII with broadly concave posterior margin, in median posterior portion without setae ( Fig. 57 ); sternite VIII as in Fig. 58 ; aedeagus large, 1.4-1.5 mm long, shaped as in Figs 53-56 . N-India, Thailand ( Map 3 ). ..................................... P. transversicollis sp. n.

- Smaller species; length of forebody <4.5 mm. Elytra and abdomen black. Pronotum at most approximately as broad as long. ♂: sternite VII of different shape and chaetotaxy; aedeagus smaller and of different shape. ....................................................................... 4

4 Larger species; body length 7.0- 9.5 mm; length of forebody 4.0- 4.4 mm. Legs at least yellowish-brown. Anterior abdominal tergites with finer punctation. ♂: sternite VII of distinctive shape and chaetotaxy ( Fig. 47 ); sternite VIII as in Fig. 48 ; aedeagus broad in ventral view, shaped as in Figs 49-51 ; ventral process apically not bifid. Southern Himalaya (N-India, Nepal) ( Map 2 ). ...................................................... P. nigerrima (Cameron)

- Smaller species; body length 6.5-7.5 mm; length of forebody 3.5-4.0 mm. Legs yellowish. Anterior abdominal tergites with coarse and dense punctation. ♂: sternites VII without distinct modifications; sternite VIII as in Fig. 63 ; aedeagus slender, with apically bifid ventral process and with arrow-shaped apex of the dorsal plate ( Figs 61-62 . Thailand. .... ............................................................................................................ P. sagittata sp. n.

5 Slightly larger species; length of forebody> 3.0 mm. Head mostly blackish, distinctly contrasting with the reddish pronotum. ....................................................................... 6

- Slightly smaller species; length of forebody <3.1 mm. Head usually reddish or brown, more rarely blackish. ............................................................................................................. 7

6 Dorsal surface of head less sparsely punctate; punctate portion near posterior margin not confined to very narrow transverse band near neck. Antennae longer (2.0- 2.4 mm) and more massive. ♂: sternite VIII as in Fig. 39 ; aedeagus as in Figs 33-34 . Widespread in the southern East-Palaearctic and Oriental regions ( Map 3 ). ............... P. pulchella (Kraatz)

- Dorsal surface with practically impunctate median portion; punctate portion near posterior margin confined to very narrow transverse band near neck. Antennae approximately 2.0 mm long and fine. ♂: sternite VIII as in Fig. 40 ; aedeagus compicuously large in relation to body size, with dagger-shaped (lateral view), apically bifid (ventral view) ventral process, and with conspicuous pair of apical structures of clawlike shape ( Figs 41-44 ). N-India: Uttaranchal ( Map 3 ). ........................................................................... P. vellicans sp. n.

7 ♂: aedeagus with bilobed dorsal plate and with ventral process of distinctive shape ( Bohač 1988: figures 14-15). Tajikistan, Pakistan ( Map 1 ). .................... P. tichomirovae Bohač

- ♂: aedeagus with completely differently shaped dorsal plate and ventral process. ......... 8

8 ♂: dorsal plate of aedeagus broad, apically convex or truncate in ventral view. ............. 9

- ♂: dorsal plate of aedeagus slender and long, sometimes almost circular in cross-section, gently curved in lateral view. ...................................................................................... 11

9 ♂: posterior incision of sternite VIII shorter, approximately one third the length of sternite ( Fig. 21 ); aedeagus small, 0.75 mm long and of distinctive shape ( Figs 22-24 ). Thailand ( Map 1 ). ........................................................................................... P. brevincisa sp. n.

- ♂: posterior incision deeper, almost reaching half the length of sternite; aedeagus larger, at least 1.0 mm long. ..................................................................................................... 10

10 ♂: aedeagus longer, 1.15-1.30 mm long, and with longer dorsal plate ( Figs 1-8 ); sternite VIII as in Fig. 10 . Widespread ( Map 1 ). ......................................... P. unicolor (Kraatz)

- ♂: aedeagus shorter, 1.0- 1.1 mm long, and with shorter, apically more rounded (ventral view) dorsal plate ( Figs 13-14 ); sternite VIII as in Fig. 12 . SW-Himalaya from N-Pakistan to Nepal ( Map 2 ). .......................................................................... P. himalayana sp. n.

11 ♂: aedeagus with dorsal plate apically cordiform in ventral view ( Figs 31-32 ). SE-India ( Map 1 ). ......................................................................................... P. cordiformis sp. n.

- ♂: aedeagus with dorsal plate apically acute in ventral view. ....................................... 12

12 Elytra uniformly reddish. ♂: aedeagus as in Figs 27-28 . Widespread from the Sahara to Pakistan. ..................................................................................... P. villiersi (Cameron)

- Elytra infuscate in postero-lateral portion. ♂: aedeagus as in Figs 18-19 . Japan, E-China ( Map 1 ). .......................................................................................... P. lineata Herman

Figures

Map 1: Distributions of Pseudolathra unicolor (triangles; open triangles: female-based records), P. tichomirovae (open squares), P. lineata (filled squares), P. cordiformis (filled diamond), and P. brevincisa (open circle), based on revised records.

Map 2: Distributions of Pseudolathra himalayana (filled triangles), P. nigerrima (open squares), P. sagittata (open diamond), and P. regularis (filled circles), based on revised records.

Map 3: Distributions of Pseudolathra pulchella (triangles; open triangles: female-based records), P. vellicans (filled circles), P. transversicollis (open squares), based on revised records.

Figs 63-70: Pseudolathra sagittata (63) and P. regularis (64-70), lectotype (64-65, 67-68, 70) and male from China (66, 69): male sternite VIII (63, 66); habitus (64); forebody (65); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (67-69); dorsal plate of aedeagus in dorsal view (70). Scale bars: 64-65: 1.0 mm; 63, 66-70: 0.5 mm.

Figs 45-51: Pseudolathra nigerrima, lectotype: habitus (45); forebody (46); male sternite VII (47); male sternite VIII (48); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (49-50); apical portion of aedeagus in ventral view (51). Scale bars: 45-46: 1.0 mm; 47-51: 0.5 mm.

Figs 52-58: Pseudolathra transversicollis from Thailand (52-54) and northern India (55-58): forebody (52); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (53-56); male sternite VII (57); male sternite VIII (58). Scale bars: 52: 1.0 mm; 53-58: 0.5 mm.

Figs 59-62: Pseudolathra sagittata: habitus (59); forebody (60); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (61-62). Scale bars: 59-60: 1.0 mm; 61-62: 0.5 mm.

Figs 38-44: Pseudolathra pulchella from Malaysia (38-39) and P. vellicans (40-44): male sternite VII (38); male sternite VIII (39-40); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (41-42); ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view (43); apex of ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view (44). Scale bars: 38-43: 0.5 mm; 44: 0.2 mm.

Figs 29-37: Pseudolathra cordiformis (29-30), P. pulchella from Malaysia (33-34), and P. caffra from Kenya (35-37): male sternite VII (29); male sternite VIII (30); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (31-36); ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view (37). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figs 20-28: Pseudolathra brevincisa (20-24) and P. villiersi from Pakistan (25-28): forebody (20); male sternite VIII (21, 26); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (22-23, 27-28); ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view (24); male sternite VII (25). Scale bars: 20: 1.0 mm; 21-28: 0.5 mm.

Figs 1-10: Pseudolathra unicolor; lectotype of P. unicolor (1-2), paratype of P. chujoi (5-6), and males from Assam (3-4) and Yunnan (7-10): aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (1-8); male sternite VII (9); male sternite VIII (10). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figs 11-19: Pseudolathra himalayana (11-14) and P. lineata, lectotype (15-19): male sternite VII (11); male sternite VIII (12, 17); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (13-14, 18-19); habitus (15); forebody (16). Scale bars: 15-16: 1.0 mm; 11-14, 17-19: 0.5 mm.