Lathrobium pollens SHARP 1889

Assing, V., 2013, On the Lathrobium fauna of Japan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (1), pp. 1615-1641 : 1619-1621

Lathrobium pollens SHARP 1889 ( Figs 1-6 )

Lathrobium pollens SHARP 1889: 254 f.

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d Lectotype 3, present designation: "3 Lathrobium pollens . Type D.S. Miyanoshita. Japan. Lewis [hand-written on mounting label] / Syntype / Holotype / Japan. G. Lewis / Sharp Coll, 1905-313. / Lathrobium pollens Sharp, P.M. Hammond det. 1985, Syntype 3 / Lectotypus 3 Lathrobium pollens Sharp , desig. V. Assing 2013 / Lathrobium pollens Sharp , det. V. Assing 2013" ( BMNH) . Paralectotypes: 13: same data as holotype, but without " Holotype " label and with labels " Lathrobium pollens Sharp, V.I. Gusarov det. 1992 / Paralectotypus 3 Lathrobium pollens Sharp , desig. V. Assing 2013 / Lathrobium pollens Sharp , det. V. Assing 2013" ( BMNH) ; 1♀: "Nikko. / Japan. G. Lewis. 1910-320. / Syntype / Lathrobium pollens Sharp, P.M. Hammond det. 1985, Syntype ♀ / Lathrobium sp. ♀, det. V. Assing 2013" ( BMNH) .

C o m m e n t: The original description is based on "six examples" from " Nagasaki, Nikko, Miyanoshita" ( SHARP 1889). In view of the usually restricted distributions of flightless Lathrobium species, there is little doubt that the type series is composed of at least three species. Three syntypes, two males and a female, were located in the collections of the BMNH. One of the two males from Miyanoshita is designated as the lectotype. The specific identity of the female from Nikko is uncertain ; it possibly belongs to the species described in the following section.

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Species of large size; body length 10.5-11.5 mm; length of forebody 4.8-5.3 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Coloration: forebody brown to dark-brown; abdomen dark-brown to blackish-brown; legs reddish to dark-reddish with paler tarsi; antennae brown.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) large and transverse, 1.12-1.13 times as broad as long, somewhat dilated behind eyes, and with convex lateral margins in dorsal view; punctation relatively fine and dense, somewhat sparser in median dorsal portion and on frons; interstices with fine and rather shallow microreticulation. Eyes weakly convex, composed of> 50 fine ommatidia, and relatively small, approximately one third as long as postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna 2.7-2.8 mm long.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) broad, approximately 1.15 times as long as broad and as broad as head, widest near anterior angles and distinctly tapering posteriad; punctation similar to that of head; interstices without microsculpture; impunctate median band rather narrow.

Elytra ( Fig. 2 ) approximately 0.55 times as long as pronotum; punctation more or less defined, moderately dense, somewhat finer than that of pronotum. Hind wings completely reduced.

Abdomen distinctly broader than elytra; punctation fine and dense, that of tergites VII and VIII slightly less dense than that of anterior tergites; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

3: protarsomeres I-IV strongly dilated; tergite VIII with very weakly concave to nearly truncate posterior margin; sternites III-VI unmodified; sternite VII ( Fig. 4 ) distinctly transverse, posteriorly with distinct median impression, posterior margin with distinct and broad concavity in the middle, lateral margins of this concavity furnished with dense and long dark setae; sternite VIII ( Fig. 3 ) approximately as long as broad, posterior excision of nearly semi-circular shape, margin of this excision furnished with dense dark setae laterally, posterior margin on either side of posterior excision acutely produced; aedeagus ( Figs 5-6 ) 2.6-2.7 mm long and symmetric; ventral process slender, weakly curved in lateral view and apically acute, ventrally with pair of long carinae; dorsal plate very long, slender, lamellate, and apically acute, basal portion distinctly longer than apical portion; internal sac without sclerotized structures.

♀: unknown.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: This species is characterized particularly by the large and broad body, as well as by the male sexual characters, above all the shape of the conspicuously long ventral process of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: The type locality [35°14'N, 139°03'E] is situated in the southwest of Kanagawa Prefecture, Honshu.

Figures

Figs 1-6: Lathrobium pollens SHARP, paralectotype: (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) male sternite VIII; (4) male sternite VII; (5-6) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.