Philonthus lynchi Bernhauer and Schubert, 1914

Chani-Posse, Mariana, 2010, Revision of the southern South American species of Philonthus Stephens (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) 2595, Zootaxa 2595, pp. 1-70 : 38-39

Philonthus lynchi Bernhauer and Schubert, 1914

(Figs. 11, 92–96, 147)

Philonthus affinis Lynch-Arribálzaga, 1884: 160 (preoccupied, not Roth 1851); Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914: 345 (syn. of lynchi ).

Philonthus lynchi Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914: 345 (new name for affinis Lynch-Arribálzaga, 1884 ); Bruch, 1915: 445 (catalog); Blackwelder, 1944: 134 (list); Herman, 2001b: 2872 (catalog); Chani-Posse, 2004: 231 (list).

Diagnosis. Philonthus lynchi may be identified by the eyes distinctly longer than temples and the antennal segment 10 quadrate. It differs from other southern South American species of Philonthus by the pronotum parallel-sided, the first segment of hind tarsus shorter than segments 2 and 3 combined, and the styli of tergum 9 strongly stout.

Redescription. Length of the body 4.5–5.5 mm. Coloration. Head testaceo brunneous to black; thorax testaceo brunneous to castaneous-piceous; elytra testaceo brunneous to brunneous at base, disc of elytron castaneous brunneous to castaneous piceous with medial and apical margins testaceo brunneus to brunneus; abdominal segments castaneous piceous with apical margins castaneous brunneous; antennae, palpi and legs testaceo brunneous to brunneous.

Head slightly wider than long (HW/HL= 1.12–1.1) and at basal third about as wide as at distal third, as wide as pronotum (HW/PW= 1.0); dorsal surface coarsely and moderately punctate, with more than three postocular punctures, three to five epicranial punctures and slight fossa between interocular punctures; distance separating medial interocular punctures on frons as large as distance separating medial punctures from lateral punctures; infraorbital ridge present, not extending beyond postgenal ridge. Eyes distinctly longer temples (EL/TL= 1.60–1.33) seen from above (Fig. 11). Antennae with segment 1 distinctly shorter than segments 2 and 3 combined, segments 2 and 3 subequal in length, 4 and 5 elongate, 8–10 quadrate (Fig. 11) Labial palpus with last segment about twice as long as preceding segment. Maxillary palpus with last segment about 1.5 times longer than segment 3 (Fig. 11). Submentum 1.5 times as long as mentum. Neck no more than 0.6 times as wide as head at widest point (NW/HW= 0.6–0.5).

Pronotum slightly longer than wide (PW/PL= 0.9), parallel-sided; dorsal surface of pronotum with two rows of punctures, each with six to seven punctures (Fig. 11). Hypomeron visible in lateral view. Basisternum with medial longitudinal carina moderately developed, bulbous. Metasternum with circum-mesocoxal ridge broadly rounded medially. Elytra at sides distinctly longer than pronotum at midline (EtL/PL=1.6–1.5), about 1.5 times as long as elytra along suture (EtL/Etl= 1.7), and longer than wide at base of elytra (EtL/EtW=1.2– 1.1); transverse distance between punctures about as large as diameters of punctures. Front tarsi shorter than front tibiae; middle tarsi as long as middle tibiae; first segment of hind tarsus shorter than segments 2 and 3 combined, and shorter than last segment (S1/S5= 0.57). Abdominal terga coarsely punctuate at basal area, distance separating punctures distinctly smaller than diameters of punctures; terga 2 and 3 with elevated area between basal lines punctuate, posterior basal line straight medially. Male sternum 7 with apical margin slightly notched at middle. Tergum 8 in both sexes with posterior margin truncate. Styli of tergum 9 simple, strongly stout ( Fig. 92).

Male genitalia. Sternum 8 deeply emarginate medio-apically. Tergum 10 acute medio-apically ( Fig. 93), with two long subapical macrosetae and 2–6 apical setae. Sternum 9 moderately emarginate apically with two long subapical macrosetae and two apical setae at each side. Aedeagus with median lobe gradually narrowed from base of paramere and angulate (in lateral view); apex of median lobe subacute (in dorsal view); paramere elongate, divided into two branches along most of its length and distant to each other, reaching two thirds of median lobe length, each with two sensory peg setae medio-apically ( Fig. 94, 95). Internal sac with distinctly sclerotized structures ( Fig. 94, 95).

Female genitalia. Tergum 10 similar to that of male. Second gonocoxite with 2–5 strong setae along its outer margin, and stylus with two modified, spine-like setae ( Fig. 96).

Bionomics. Unknown.

Geographical distribution. Until the present study, P. lynchi had been recorded from only one locality (Baradero) and one specimen in Buenos Aires , Argentina. New records are Uruguay (Montevideo), Paraguay (Asunción) ( Fig. 147) and Peru (Lima) .

Type material. Holotype (Fig.), ♀, “Photo Bruch” (pink label), “ Philonthus affinis n. sp. / Baradero XII/ 881” (white label), “ Philonthus affinis Lynch Arribálzaga 1884 Typus”, “ Holotype Philonthus affinis Lynch Arribálzaga, 1884 / Des. Chani-Posse de Maus 2009 ” ( MACN).

Notes. In the original description Lynch-Arribálzaga (1884) stated that he had a unique specimen (female) of P. affinis . The specimen mentioned above agrees with the original description by Lynch-Arribálzaga (1884), being the holotype fixed by monotypy ( ICZN 1999, Article 73.1.2).

Additional material: 89 specimens, including (14 ♂, 17 ♀, 58 unsexed)

ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires: Cnel. Suarez, Villa Arcadia , mar 2003, leg. D. Carpintero, 4 ♂, 5 ♀, 15 specimens ( JEBC) ; Delta, Abra Vieja , 15.II.1926, 2 specimens ( MLPA) ; Lobos , I-1932 / 23.I.1938, 3 specimens ( MLPA) ; Rio Matanza , 1.ii–1.iv.1952, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., 2 specimens ( FMNH) ; Tigre , J. Bosq. Col., Philonthus lynchi Bh. et Sch. , in Bernhauer handwriting " Philonthus lynchi ", 1 specimen ( MACN) . Catamarca: 21.I.1912, C. Bruch, in Bernhauer handwriting " affinis ", det. Bernhauer; Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 1 specimen ( FMNH) ; La Cienaga, Belen , Weiser Wolters leg., in Bernhauer handwriting " lynchi B.& S. Bruch don.", Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 1 ♀ ( FMNH) . Chaco: P.N. Chaco, 50km NW Resistencia , 13–16.XII.1990, S & J. Peck, 1 ♂ ( FMNH) ; C. Bruch , Philonthus affinis Lynch , 1 specimen ( MACN) . Córdoba: ca 15km W Rio Cuarto, Laguna de Hoyo , 12.III.2002, R. Beutel, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., 1 ♂ ( FMNH) . Corrientes: 10km E Corrientes , 11.XII.1990, 1 ♀ ( FMNH) . Entre Rios: Palmar , I.1974, L. E. Peña leg., Field Mus. Nat. Hist., 6 specimens ( FMNH) . Formosa: P.N. Rio Pilcomayo , 50km NW Clorinda, 17.XII.1990, S & J. Peck, 2 ♂, 3 ♀, 1 specimen ( FMNH) . Mendoza: C. Bruch, 1 specimen ( MACN) . Misiones: Richter , 5 specimens ( MLPA) . Salta: La Viña , 24.XI.1983, L. E. Peña leg., Field Mus. Nat. Hist., 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( FMNH) . Sgo. del Estero : 190, C. Bruch, Philonthus lynchi Brnh. & Sch. , in Bernhauer determ.in Bernhauer handwriting " Philonthus lynchi Er. ", 2 specimens ( MACN) , in Bernhauer handwriting " lynchi B.& S. ", det. Bernhauer; Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 1 specimen ( FMNH) ; 190 Wagner , Philonthus lynchi Brnh. & Sch. , in Bernhauer determ.in Bernhauer handwriting " Philonthus lynchi Er. ", 1 specimen ( MLPA) . PARAGUAY: Asuncion, January-March, B. Podtiaguin, 2 ♂, 2 ♀, 5 specimens ( AMNH) . PERU: Lima, IX. 1951, Weyrauch, pavidus Er., excol. Weyrauch, 1 ♂, 2 ♀, ( IMLA) . URUGUAY: Montevideo, 12.III.07, J. Tremoleras, in Bernhauer handwriting " affinis Lynch det. Bernhauer ", 3 specimens ( MLPA) , 2 specimens ( MACN) , Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection , 2 ♂, 3 ♀, 2 specimens ( FMNH) , Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 1966 A. Bierig Collection, Acc. Z. 13812, 4 specimens ( FMNH) .