Lithocharodes aculeata, Irmler, 2021

Irmler, Ulrich, 2021, The Neotropical species of the genus Lithocharodes SHARP, 1876 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Xantholinini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 71 (1), pp. 29-85 : 32-33

Lithocharodes aculeata spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A18023B2-0E8E-4094-A5ED-3DCF051C0185

Figs 26 a-d, 43 K,47 B

Type material: male, holotype: Ecuador, Pichincha, Quito , 27 km NW Campamento Pichan (above Nono) (78°33'56"W, 0°7'31"S), cloud forest litter, 3350 m elev., 22.10.1999, leg. R. Anderson, #ECU1A99 202E ( KNHM). Paratype: Ecuador: Napo, Lago Papallacta (78°10'23"W, 0°20'29"S), elfin forest litter, 3400 m elev., male, 6.11.1999, leg. R. Anderson, #ECU1A99 230B ( KNHM) .

Diagnosis: This species can be easily identified by several characters. It is actually the largest species of the genus and, additionally, the extremely short eyes are unique within the genus. Males can be distinguished from other species of the genus by the bidentate sternite in combination with the nearly circular emarginate posterior margin of tergite VII.

Description: Length: 7.2 mm. Colouration: Totally black, legs and antennae slightly lighter.

Head: 1.33 mm long, 1.01 mm wide; eyes extremely reduced; postocular sides more than ten times as long as eyes; approximately parallel; posterior angles shortly rounded; posterior margin straight; interantennal furrows short; reaching anterior edge of eyes; setiferous punctation deep and moderately dense; on average, interstices between punctures twice as wide as diameter of punctures; microsculpture distinct; isodiametric; surface matt. Antennae with first antennomere as long as half-length of head; second antennomere slightly longer than wide and nearly conical; third conical and nearly quadrate; antennomeres 4-10 wider than long and increasing in width; fifth antennomere 1.5 times as wide as long; tenth antennomere twice as wide as long; all antennomeres with dense pubescence. Pronotum: 1.37 mm long, 0.92 mm wide; widest in anterior third; anteriad, conically narrowed toward neck; posteriad distinctly narrowed in middle third and nearly parallel in posterior third; setiferous punctation deep and moderately dense; on average, as dense as on head; with wide impunctate midline; microsculpture as dense and deep as on head; isodiametric; surface matt. Elytra: 0.88 mm long, 0.91 mm wide; humeral angles nearly absent; posteriad, sides slightly divergent; posterior angles shortly rounded; nearly rectangular; posterior margin straight; setiferous punctation deep and dense; partly coriaceous; microsculpture still denser and deeper than on pronotum; partly isodiametric, partly irregularly striate; surface matt. Abdomen with dense setiferous punctation; punctures finer than on fore-body; deep microsculpture at base of segments transversely striate, at apex of segments more isodiametric; sternite VII of male with pair of triangular prominences at apical margin separated by semi-circular emargination; posterior margin of tergite VII of male semi-circular and with medial oval emargination. Mesotibia with three, metatibia with two subapical ctenidia. Aedeagus oval with rectangular apical half; endophallus with large lobes; in retracted endophallus, apical lobes much smaller than basal lobes; paramere with two lobes; one large plate and one long slender appendage; long appendage slightly wider at apex than at middle and with wide base; inner face of appendage with long setae; setae at base denser than at apex.

Etymology: The species name is derived from the same Latin word meaning “spiked” and refers to the shape of tergite VII of male.

Figures

Fig. 25–30: L.-??-group: Lithocharodes nigrita (25), L. aculeata (26), L. ecuadoriensis (27), L. lescheni (28), L. armata (29), L. ashei (30); aedeagus (a), paramere (b), sternite VII of male (c), tergite VII of male (d); scale bare: A–D: 0.2 mm; B: 0.1 mm.