Paraploderus Herman, 1970: 400

Makranczy, György, 2016, Review Of The Genus Paraploderus Herman, 1970 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 62 (1), pp. 59-116 : 61-67

Paraploderus Herman, 1970: 400

Typespecies: Aploderusspeculiventris Fauvel (byoriginaldesignation).

Diagnosis – Paraploderus canberecognizedbyitsrathershinyandsparselysetosebodywithweaksclerotization, abdomenandlegssomewhattranslucentbutoftenalsopartsofforebody. Mostspecieshavevaryingdegreeof punctationatleastontheforebody, butpuncturesarewithindefiniteedges, mostlycontributingtobodysurfaceperceivedasuneven. Headisrathershort, broadandtrapezoid, allspecieshavebulgingtemples, evenlycurved, though eye/templeratiovariesasalsowhetherheadisbroadestateyeortemples. Neckisdelimitedbyadistincttransversalgroove (occipitalgroove). Abdomenisfusiform, sterniteIXabsent, abdominaldefensiveglandopenings (in the form of a slot) are in unique position in tergites IX along the sides of tergite X. ThepeculiarformoftergiteXmakestheabdominalapexreminiscentofa horizontalfish-tail (slightlyincisedanddepressedinmiddle).

Description – Smalltomediumsized (1.8–4.0 mm). Bodyrathershiny andoftenslightlytranslucent. Forebodysparsely, ratherfinelypubescent, mostsetaeshort, onlyfewdarkerandslightlylongerinthefollowingpositions: atinneredgeofsupraantennalprominences, upperanterioredgeof eye, innermarginofeye, dorsalsideoftemplebehindeye, middleofimpressionsonpronotaldisc, pairofsetaeinproximityatandslightlybehindante- riorpronotalcornerandoneslightlybeforeposteriorcorner (oftenashorter onebehindmiddleofside); darkersetaeonouterelytraledgesoshortthat almostinvisibleindorsalview, fromlateralviewmoreapparentforbeing moreerect.

Head. Clypeus (Fig. 1) ratherlarge (longandbroad), rectangular, mostlyshinyandslightlyconvex, delimitedbyadistinct, impressedepistomal suture, lessmarkedonsides; anteriormarginofclypeustruncatewiththin marginalbeadanteriorlyandlaterally. Dorsumofheadusuallywithstrong, butindistinct-borderedandscattered (unevenlydistributed) punctures, rest ofsurfaceshiny. Supraantennalprominenceswelldevelopedbutmoderately elevatedfromplaneofvertex; latterdelimitedfromthembyapairoflongitudinalimpressionsstartingfromoccipitalgrooveandmoreorlessvanishinganteriorly. Compoundeyesvarylessinsizethaninotherrelatedgenera, alwaysbulging, mediumroughlyfacetedonalmostentiresurface, however withashinyrimsurroundingitposteriorlyandformingasteplikeridgebeforetemples. Gularsuturesconfluentanteriorly; suturesnarrowlyseparate atanteriorneck, sharplydivergentfrommiddletoposteriorneck. Genalarea (temples) moresculptured, graduallycondensingpuncturesoftenturntoa ruggedsurfaceonthelateralparts. Baseofheadverystronglyconstrictedto formawelldefinedneck, delimitedbystronglyimpressedoccipitalgroove; latterwithsidepartsturningontouppersurfaceofheadinslightlyanterior direction, middlepartsometimesslightlyseparated. Antennaslightlyincrassateapically, firstthreesegmentsquiteelongate (articles 2 and 3 similarin length, togetherslightlyshorterthanscape), furtherarticleswithbasaldish, sculpturedandunlikerestofbodystronglysetose. Labrum (Fig. 2) divided inlongitudinalmidline, anterioredgerathertruncate, lateralportionsbearing membranouslobeswithmesialmarginfimbriate. Mandible (Fig. 4) denticulate, apexbifurcate, afurther, smallertoothbetweenapexandaknob-like tooth (anteriorlydemarcatedbyincision) atapical 1/3; prosthecaextending frominneredge, almostaslongashalfthelengthofentiremandible, composedofratherlongandslenderprocesses. Maxilla (Fig. 9) withcardosemi- triangular, stipeslikeperfectright-angledtriangle, laciniawithslenderlobe, galealarger, bothwithdensesetationatapex. Maxillarypalpuswithfirstseg- mentverysmallandring- like, secondlargeandapicallyincrassate, thirdeven larger (andalittlelonger), moreoval, aboutaswideatbaseasatapex, fourth almostaslongassecondbutstronglynarrowingtowardsmiddleandapically

Figs 1–7. Paraploderus wittei sp. n. 1 = head capsule, 2 = labrum, 3 = mentum, 4 = mandibles, 5 = prothorax, 6 = scutellum, 7 = median pterothoracic parts. Scales: 0.04 mm for Fig. 3,

0.045 mm for Fig. 2, 0.06 mm for Figs 4, 6, 0.1 mm for Figs 1, 5, 7.

slender. Inlabium, mentum (Fig. 3) stronglytransversallyrectangular. Hy- popharynx (Fig. 8) withasetofbulboussetaenearapicaledge. Labialpalps three-segmentedsegments 1 and 3 almostofsamelength, segment 1 twiceas thickassegment 3, segment 2 slightlylongerthaneitherofothers, itsthick- nessintermediatebetweenothertwo. Apicalarticlewithgroupofshortsen- sillaeatapex. Plate-likearmatureinhypopharynx – introducedinMAKRANCZY (2006) andappliedinrecentworks ( MAKRANCZY 2014 a, b, c) notonlyasage- nericcharacterbutonediagnosticforspeciesgroupsinlargergenera – fully developed but rather simple.

Thorax. Pronotum (Fig. 5) widestnearapex, lateralmarginsslightlycon- vergentposteriorly, bothanteriorandposteriorcornersrounded, lateralmar- ginsoftenslightlyconcaveanteriadposteriorcorners. Procoxalfissureabsent, protrochantinconcealed. Postprocoxallobeabsent, prohypomeronbroadand stronglydeflexed. Prosternalprocessascurvedkeelontransverserectangular furcasternum, shortlyextendingbetweenprocoxae. Scutellum (Fig. 6) with basallytransverserhomboidshaped, apicallymorearcuateimpression. Impressionanteriorlyconnectedtoproscutumbyamidlongitudinalinternal ridge (externallyasadarkline, ascratch-likeimpressiononsurface). Mesosternalprocess (Fig. 7) spiniform, metendosterniteslender, furcalarmsdeveloped, anteriorarmsbarelydiscernible. – Elytra. Discofelytrawithindistinctly borderedpuncturesarrangedmoreorlessrandomly. Elytralepipleuralridge present, well-markedexceptextremeanterior, slightlyfadingatouterposte- riorcorners. Suturemarkedbyunpunctured, slightlyelevatedmargin. – Legs. Tibiaewithmoderatelydevelopedmid-tibialspurs, distincttibialspinesabsentexceptatapex. Tarsomeres 3–3–3, basalarticlelongerthansecond, being threeformersegmentsfusedasevidentfromtheirapicalringsofsetaestill observable, apicalarticlelong, slender, slightlycurvedandonlywithacouple ofsetae. Formationoftarsallobeoutofapicalsetaeofsecondtarsomereonly evidentinhindleg; thisventralmodificationcharacteristicofmostoxytelines, butstronglyexpressedonlyinthe Carpelimus groupofgenera.

Abdomen. Intersegmentalmembranewithoutbrickwallpattern, second sternitefullydeveloped, firststernitecompletelyabsent. Abdomenspindleshaped, somewhatflatteneddorsally, twopairsoflateroscleritespresent. Whenabdomenlightcoloured, hindmarginoftergalfold (basalridge) onter- gitesIII–VIIwithadarkerline. Tergalbasolateralridgespresent, alsodarker marked, nolongitudinalmarksinmidline. Fimbriatehindmarginontergite VIIpresent, sterniteVIIwithoutmodifications. TergiteXsimilarinbothsexes, dorsoventrallyflattened, withmedialdepression, slightapicalemargination formingtwopeculiar‘ lobes’atapex; apexfimbriate, butasimilartransversal fimbriatelinerunningparalleltoapexataboutapical 1/4. Secondarysexual differencesslight, confinedtosomewhatdifferentapicalformationofster- nitesVIIIbetweenmalesandfemales. – Maleterminalia. TergiteVIIIwithout

Figs 8–12. 8–9 = Paraploderus wittei sp. n. 8 = labium, 9 = maxilla. 10 = P. notabilis (Cameron, 1950) male tergites IX and X, ventral view. 11 = P. nigronitens (Cameron, 1951) male tergite IX and X, dorsal view (defensive gland opening magnified 2×). 12 = P. grandis sp. n. male sternite IX. Scales: 0.1 mm for Fig. 9, 0.12 mm for Fig. 8, 0.17 mm for Fig. 12, 0.2 mm for Figs 10–11.

peculiarmodification, apextruncate; TergiteIXpaired, withslenderbutnot tooelongate ‚ventralstruts’, platelaterallystronglyfusedtotergiteX (Fig. 11), formingacompactstructure (Fig. 10), defensiveglandopeningslongitudinal, slightlyobliqueintergiteIX, near, butdiscretefromplatefusionline. Ster- niteIXveryweaklydeveloped, entirelylostsetation, desclerotizedandmembranous, absolutelyinconspicuous (itis, however, moreapparent, spindleshaped, slightlyasymmetricanddenselyporousin Paraploderusgrandis, Fig. 12). – Malegenitalia. Aedeagustrilobed, medianlobebulb-like, scleritesand sclerotizedpartsconfinedmostlytoapicalpart: withonepairedblade-like openingprocessesandinbetweenoneunpairedappendage – latterreminiscenttoandperhapsprecursorofapicomedialhookin Oxytelus Gravenhorst, 1802 ( MAKRANCZY 2006, etc.) andmorerecentlydiscoveredwithin Anotylus Thomson, 1859 ( MAKRANCZY 2013). Apicalpartwithavariouslywide, scle- rotized, reverseU-shapedsclerite (lengthofmedianlobeinkeymeasured fromapexofthissclerite), othersmuchlessconspicuous, moremembranous. Parameresextremelysetoseonmuchoflength (usuallyapical 2/3; uniquetrait inthesubfamily). Sizeofaedeagusvaryingoftendisproportionallytodiffer- encesinbodysize. – Femaleterminaliaverysimilartothatofmale, butter- gitesIXmissingelongate‘ventralstrut’. – Femalegenitalia. Spermathecascle- rotized, receptacledividedintoasmall, slendertubularportionandamore bulkybladder- likepartsometimesconstrictednearmiddle. Nosclerotized spermathecalglandobservable, umbilicusabsent.

Diversity – Only 6 nameshavebeenproposedforspeciesthatwerelater includedinortransferredto Paraploderus , twoofthemhavenowfalleninto synonymy; withthecurrentcontributionthecountrisesto 15. Otherspecies may exist but most of them are hard to distinguish due to the rather simple anduniformbodybuiltandgenitaliawithveryfewdiagnostictraits. Itis believedthatthedifferencesbetweenspeciesarerathersubtleandsubjectto considerablevariation.

Distribution – Localitiesoftheexaminedmateriallayinforestedareas acrossalmosttheentireAfrotropicalandOrientalregions, althoughrecords areratherscattered; presenceofmaterialindicatesintensivecollectingactivity usingtheappropriatemethodstofind Paraploderus ratherthanadistribution pattern. Onlyonespeciesisrecognizedtobeboundtohigheraltitudesand havesomewhatreducedwings.

Naturalhistory – Availableinformationpreservedonspecimenlabels andcollectingeventlistsindicatesthatthesespeciesliveinwet, decaying plantmaterials, primarilyleaflitter. Preferredhabitatsareforested, oftenriv- erbanksorwaterfalls. Mostfrequentlyspecimenswerecollectedbysifting, but many flew to light.

The mature (L 3) larva (of Paraploderus rufescens ) – Length (in mm): 4.20 [ew = 0.50] (Fig. 79) and 3.45 [ew = 0.46] (specimen on Figs 105–116); the third larvalspecimenisinterpretedasLl 2 arva, length 2.83 [ew = 0.48] (Fig. 78). Head. Headcapsule (Fig. 105) dorso-ventrallyflattened, roundedbutslightly transverse, asinglelargestemmaoneachside, supraantennalprominences transverselyelongate. Stemma ( Fig. 115 ) asclearsphericalcalotte, dark (black- ish) pigmentvariouslymovedawayfromthelensinpreservedspecimens (ar- tifactofpreservation). Dorsumofheadwithfrontalsetae (frontaldorsal = fd, frontallateral = fl, frontalmarginal = fm), epicranialsetae (epicranialdorsal = ed, epicraniallateral = el, epicranialmarginal = em) temporal (t) andlateral (l) setaeplustwopairsofposteriorsetae (p). Antenna ( Fig. 114 ) threesegmented, threesensoryappendages (sa) onpenultimate, solenidia (so) onapical. La- brum (Fig. 108) trapeziform, halfaslongaswide, frontalmarginwithapair ofstout, spine-likesetae. Mandible ( Fig. 113 ) bifid, narrowtriangularshaped butthickatbase, graduallynarrowingtowardsbifurcateapex; amorebasal toothondorsalsideofmandibleobservableinonespecimenonly: eitheran aberrationorpossiblyaremnantofthemolarlobeofmoreprimitivestaphyli- noids. Maxilla ( Fig. 112 ) withtriangularcardo, moderatelywidestipes, mala withctenidiumonadoralmarginsomewhatinterruptedinmiddle. Labium (Fig. 109) withmentumsaddle-shaped, prementumquiteelongate, ligula shortandsmall, labialpalpstwosegmented. Thorax. Tergiteswithshortand longsetaearrangedmoreorlessalongtransversallines; prothoraxasinFig. 106, mesothoraxasinFig. 107, metanotumwithsetationidenticaltothatof mesonotum. Pronotaldiscalsetaeinrows (a- e) (terminologyexplainedin StANieC (2003)). Legswithfivearticles. Anteriorleg (Fig. 110) withproximal pairoftibialsetaeuneveninsize (onestout, otherthinandlonger), meso-and metatibiaewithsetaeeveninsizewithinpair. Tarsunguluswithtwosmall setaeinbasalposition, oneoneachside. Abdomen. SegmentsI–VIIIcomposed oftergitesandsternites. Firsttergumwithasmall, island-likesclerite (pleurite) separatedlaterally ( Fig. 116 ), weaklysclerotizedbutmarkedbythree setae, spiraclessituatedbetweenpleuriteandtergite, separatefromboth. Seg- mentsII–VIIIwithspiraclesintergites. AbdominalsegmentsIXandX ( Fig. 111 ) formingtergosternite (dorsalandventralscleritesfused). Urogomphi onearticled, blackanddistallynarrowed, extendedbeyondsegmentX. Anal lobesnotevertedinexaminedspecimensbutwithoutconspicuousstructures.

Figures

Figs 111–116. Larva (L) of Paraploderus rufescens sp. n. 111 = abdominal segments IX–X, 3 112 = maxilla, 113 = mandible, 114 = antenna, 115 = stemma, lateral view, 116 = lateral view of 1st tergite, pleurite and spiracle. Scales: 0.1 mm for Fig. 114, 0.12 mm for Figs 115–116,