Philothalpus boreios Chatzimanolis, 2020

Chatzimanolis, Stylianos, 2020, Even more new species, additional records, and a revised key for Philothalpus Kraatz (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Zootaxa 4742 (1), pp. 129-138 : 132-133

Philothalpus boreios Chatzimanolis , new species

( Figs. 2 , 5 , 8–11 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:62C36DDB-542B-4131-94DF-F3FEB2B26044

Type material. Holotype, here designated, male, with labels: “ GUATEMALA: Retalhuleu, Finca los Chicharros , SW of Zunil, 1270m, 14.69460 -91.53792, 3.vi.2015. R. Anderson, ex: sifted mixed hardwood litter, GUAT1A15 102” / “[barcode label] SEMC1538104 ” / “ HOLOTYPE Philothalpus boreios Chatzimanolis , des. Chatzimanolis 2018”. In the collection of SEMC.

Paratypes. Four; “ El. Sal., Los Chorros, 4 km S. Santa Tecla, 10.v.1971, S. Peck ” / “Ber. 200 ravine leaf & fis litter” (1 ♀ FMNH); “Est. La Pailas, 800 m, P. N. Rincón de la Vieja, Prov. Guanacaste, Costa Rica, 27 jul [July]— 15 ago [August] 1992, D. Garcia, L-N 306300 388600” / “[barcode label] INBIO CRI000842173” (1 ♀ MNCR- A); “ Costa Rica, Prov. San Jose, Platanares, Vista de Mar, Finca Bosque W. Villalobas, 1100 m, 16 Jul [July]—2 ago [August] 2001, R. González, Malaise, L_S 348200_499690 #64209” / “[barcode label] INB0003356842” (1 ♀ MNCR-A); “Boruca (Caudau de Osa), i. 1943, (S. Dengo), Costa Rica ” / “Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 1966, A. Bierig Colln, Acc. Z-13812” (1 ♀ FMNH). All paratypes with label “ PARATYPE Philothalpus boreios Chatzimanolis , des. Chatzimanolis 2019 ” .

Diagnosis. Among Philothalpus species with glossy integument of head and pronotum, P. boreios is more similar to P. chloropennis , P. fabiolae , P. fervidus , and P. rufus . Philothalpus boreios can be easily distinguished from these species based on the coloration of head and pronotum that is dark metallic purple-green.

Description. Forebody length 5.3-6.2 mm. Coloration of head, pronotum and elytra dark metallic purple-green; mouthparts, legs and antennomere 1 reddish brown, antennomeres 2–11 brown; mesoscutellum dark brown to black; abdominal segments 3–4 reddish brown to brown; segments 5–8 reddish brown.

Head with 1–2 rows of large punctures on each side of impunctate middle epicranium; head with 2–3 irregular rows of small punctures posteriorly; punctures not contiguous; impunctate area on middle of epicranium much larger than punctuate areas in lateral regions; head appearing glossy due to lack of closely spaced micropunctures and microsculpture. Head transverse, width/length ratio = 1.5; antennomeres 1–4 longer than wide; antennomeres 5–6 subquadrate; antennomeres 7–10 transverse. Neck with 2–3 irregular rows of small punctures. Pronotum longer than wide, width/length ratio = 0.9; with less numerous punctures; punctures not contiguous, separated by width of 0.5–1 punctures; with impunctate midline having width of 4–5 punctures; punctures round, not longitudinally elongate; pronotum without polygon-shaped microsculpture on anterolateral corners. Pronotum weakly concave posteriorly. Pronotum/elytra length ratio = 0.95; elytra with large punctures. Abdominal tergites with medium-sized punctures; sternites with denser larger punctures.

Males with small, round porose structure present positioned anteriorly on sternite 7; sternite 8 with broad shallow emargination; females with no secondary sexual structures.

Aedeagus as in Figs. 8–10 ; paramere in dorsal view gradually converging to narrowly rounded apex; in lateral view paramere converging to pointed apex; paramere with peg setae as in Fig. 10 ; paramere shorter and narrower than median lobe; median lobe in dorsal view converging to subacute apex; in lateral view median lobe becoming narrower from middle to apex; with small dorsal subapical tooth.

Distribution. Known from the department of La Libertad in El Salvador, the department of Retalhuleu in Guatemala and the provinces of Guanacaste, San Jose and Puntarenas in Costa Rica.

Habitat. The holotype was sifted from hardwood litter at mid-elevation in a cloud forest fragment on the Pacific slope of Guatemala (Robert Anderson per. comm.) and most paratypes were also collected at mid-elevation in cloud forest.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek word βóρειος (northern) and refers to this being the northern most species of Philothalpus known to date.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Habitus photographs of species of Philothalpus Kraatz. 1. The holotype of P. anapodos Chatzimanolis. 2. The holotype of P. boreios Chatzimanolis. Not to scale.

FIGURES 3–5. Head and pronota of Philothalpus. 3. Head of P. anapodos Chatzimanolis. 4. Pronotum of P. anapodos Chatzimanolis. 5. Head and pronotum of P. boreios Chatzimanolis. Not to scale.

FIGURES 8–10. Aedeagus of P. boreios Chatzimanolis. 8. Lateral view. 9. Dorsal view. 10. Detail of paramere, ventral view.

FIGURE 11. Distribution map of P. anapodos and P. boreios Chatzimanolis: P. anapodos Chatzimanolis (squares); P. boreios Chatzimanolis (circles).