Apecholinus imitator Smetana & Hu, 2019

Hu, Fang-Shuo, 2020, New distributional records of Staphylinina in Taiwan, including a new species of Miobdelus Sharp (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini), Zootaxa 4768 (3), pp. 334-360 : 337

Apecholinus imitator Smetana & Hu, 2019

( Figs. 5–6 )

Material examined. TAIWAN: Pingtung County: 1 spec., Tahanshan (± ÀƜ), 25.IV.2017. leg. B.-X. Guo ( TARI) ; 1 female, Chun-jih, Ta-han shan, ± ÀƜ, 1350m , 2019,V-13 (Night), Y.- T . Chung Leg. CCCC (FSHc) ; 1 female, Majia Forest Trail (ṞxIJǎ), Majia To., 28-VI-2017, leg. R . H. Liu (FSHc); 1 spec., CCCC , Tahanshan (± ÀƜ), 15.IV.2019. leg. Y.- T . Chung ( TARI) .

Description. For male description see Smetana & Hu (2019).

Female. Genital segment. Tergite 10 ( Fig. 6 ) obviously different from male tergite 10. Apical portion of female tergite 10 markedly narrow and elongated, with narrow acute apical portion; setae are relatively concentrated on the apex.

Diagnosis. Apecholinus imitator can be distinguished from all other species of Apecholinus in Taiwan by the golden-yellow tomentose setae on the body. An undescribed species of Apecholinus in Taiwan is similar to this species but it currently known only from a single female, so I refrain from describing it until male specimens are found. The patches of golden-yellow tomentose pubescence on the elytra of Ap. imitator are much larger than that of the undescribed species.

Bionomics. Based on an import of locality name into Google Earth from collection data ( Smetana & Hu 2019 and this study), the species occurs from 800–1700 m. One specimen of Ap. imitator was collected by pitfall trap but nothing known about the habitat the traps were set in; some specimens of Ap. imitator were attracted to an LED flashlight in the evening on a forest trail ( Smetana & Hu 2019).

Distribution. Apecholinus imitator is at present known from central and southern Taiwan including Nantou County, Taitung County and Pingtung County ( Smetana & Hu 2019, this study).

Remarks. Up to the present, the morphology of females in Apecholinus is poorly known. So far, only females of Ap. fraternus (see Smetana 2018), Ap. liui ( He & Zhou, 2017) (see He & Zhou 2017) and Ap. kaiseri Bernhauer, 1933 (see Smetana 2003) had been described and female tergite 10 of these species is similar to that of the male. However, the apical portion of tergite 10 of Ap. imitator is much narrower and more elongate in females than in males.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. 1. Creophilus flavipennis: female. 2. Creophilus maxillosus maxillosus: male. 3. Agelosus auricomus: male. 4.