Pseudolathra armigera, Assing, 2018

Assing, Volker, 2018, A revision of Palaearctic and Oriental Pseudolathra. V. Two new species from Cambodia and Thailand, and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (2), pp. 1005-1014 : 1008-1011

Pseudolathra armigera nov.sp. ( Figs 1-6 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype ♂: " CAMBODIA - Kampong Chhnang prov., Kampong Chhnang env., Toul Ompel , 12°14'14''N, 104°41'15''E, light trap, 19+ 21.V.2018, leg. Bernardi, Kong & Rossi / Holotypus ♂ Pseudolathra armigera sp. n., det. V. Assing 2018" (cAss). Paratypes: 2♂♂: same data as holotype (cAss).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective: armed) alludes to the conspicuous spine- and hook-shaped processes of the apex of the aedeagus.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 5.0- 5.8 mm; length of forebody 2.8-2.9 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Coloration: head brown to blackish; pronotum reddish or brown with reddish margins; elytra reddish-brown to blackish-brown with the anterior and posterior margins and the suture paler brown; abdomen reddish to reddish-brown; legs yellow; antennae reddish.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) approximately as long as broad or weakly oblong, broadest across eyes, and tapering behind eyes; dorsal surface with some coarse punctures near margin of eyes, on frons, and near posterior margin, otherwise impunctate; integument without microsculpture and glossy. Eyes large, approximately as long as postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna approximately 1.9 mm long; all antennomeres oblong.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) 1.14 times as long as broad and approximately 1.1 times as broad as head; on either side of the broadly impunctate midline with a series of 12-14 punctures, laterally with rather sparse coarse punctures; integument without microsculpture.

Elytra ( Fig. 2 ) 0.95-0.98 times as long as pronotum; punctation seriate; interstices without microsculpture. Hind wings fully developed.

Abdomen slightly narrower than elytra; punctation very fine and dense; interstices with fine microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe; posterior margin of tergite VIII strongly convex.

♂: sternite VII ( Fig. 3 ) strongly modified, along the middle impressed and without pubescence, posterior margin in the middle strongly excised, laterally with very dense and short dark setae; sternite VIII ( Fig. 4 ) weakly oblong, posterior incision nearly 0.6 times as deep as length of sternite; aedeagus ( Figs 5-6 ) approximately 1.1 mm long and with distinctive apical processes.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Based on the external and male sexual characters, P. armigera belongs to the P. unicolor group. It is readily distinguished from other species of this group particularly by the strongly modified male sternite VII and by the distinctive shape of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: The type locality is situated near Kampong Chhnang in the estuary of the effluent of Tonle Sap lake, Cambodia. For a habitat photo see ASSING (2018: figure 9). The specimens were collected with a light trap, together with P. pulchella , P. unicolor , and P. fundata .

Figures

Figs 1-8: Pseudolathra armigera nov.sp. (1-6) and P. fissa ASSING (7-8): (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) male sternite VII; (4) male sternite VIII; (5-8) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 1-2: 1.0 mm; 3-4: 0.5 mm; 5-8: 0.2 mm.