Lithocharodes trinitatis BLACKWELDER, 1943

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 : 61

Lithocharodes trinitatis BLACKWELDER, 1943

Figs 5 a-d, 45 D, 49 G

Lithocharodes trinitatis BLACKWELDER, 1943: 500

Type material examined: male, holotype: Trinidad, St. Augustine , 3.8.1935, leg. N.A. Weber ( MCZ). Female paratype: near Maracas Falls, 1.10.1935, leg. N.A. Weber ( MCZ) .

Diagnosis: Regarding the spiral structure of the endophallus, L. trinitatis is certainly related to the L. verhaaghi-group. It is slightly larger than most species of the group. The species also resembles L. fusciventris SHARP, 1885 in size, colouration, and punctation of head and pronotum. It can be distinguished from this and similar species by the denser, nearly coriaceous punctation on the clypeus.

Description: Length: 4.1 mm Colouration: Brown; head darker brown; pronotum lighter brown; legs and antennae yellow brown.

Head: 0.63 mm long, 0.51 mm wide; eyes not prominent; moderately large; postocular sides 2.2 times as long as eyes; slightly divergent to posterior angles; posterior angles nearly rectangular; posterior margin straight; interantennal furrows weak; setiferous punctation moderately dense and deep; on average, interstices between punctures as wide as or wider than diameter of punctures; punctation anteriorly denser than posteriorly; on clypeus partly coriaceous; surface without microsculpture; polished. Antennae thick; first antennomere slightly shorter than half-length of head; second antennomere triangular, as long as apical width; third antennomere slightly wider than long; subsequent antennomeres increasing in width; distinctly wider than long; fourth antennomere 2.2 times as wide as long; tenth antennomere 2.5 times as wide as long; antennomeres four to eleven pubescent; all antennomeres with long setae. Pronotum: 0.65 mm long, 0.49 mm wide; widest in anterior third; anteriad, distinctly convergent toward neck; posteriad, slightly convergent to posterior angles; posterior angles rounded; setiferous punctation moderately dense and deep; irregular line of punctures adjacent to wide impunctate midline with approximately 15 punctures; surface without microsculpture; polished. Elytra: 0.67 mm long, 0.59 mm wide; humeral angles sub-rectangular; sides posteriad nearly parallel; posterior margin widely curved; deeply retreated to suture; setiferous punctation denser and deeper than on head and pronotum; surface with irregular slightly coriaceous ground sculpture; less shiny than head and pronotum. Abdomen with moderately dense setiferous punctation; punctation finer and wider than on forebody; surface with weak microsculpture; slightly shiny; posterior margin of sternite VII of male convex; posterior margin of tergite VII of male straight. Aedeagus long oval; posteriorly more rounded than anteriorly; endophallus in anterior half with three torsions; in posterior half more transparent and with irregular number of torsions; paramere triangular; short; wide at base and strongly narrowed toward apex; at inner side with three setae.

Figures

Fig. 2–7: L.-verhaaghi-group: Lithocharodes verhaaghi (2), L. pampana (3), L. silvicola (4), L. trinitatis (5), L. dubiosa (6), L. peruana (7); 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.