Liothorax niger (Illiger, 1798) Illiger, 1798

Dellacasa, Marco, Gordon, Robert D. & Dellacasa, Giovanni, 2007, Systematic review to the genus Liothorax (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Zootaxa 1407, pp. 23-42 : 33-34

Liothorax niger (Illiger, 1798) , new combination

( Figs. 37–41 )

Aphodius niger: Illiger 1798: 24 , Krell et al. 2003: 127, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 2005: 45 Aphodius limnophilus: Motschulsky in Harold 1871: 266 (nomen nudum)

Aphodius (Liothorax) niger: Bedel, 1911: 75

Aphodius (Liothorax) wilsonae: Maté & Angus 2005: 329 , Dellacasa & Dellacasa 2005: 51 (as a synonym of Liothorax niger Illiger, 1798 )

Liothorax muscorum: Ádám 1994: 6 , Dellacasa & Dellacasa 2005: 51 (as a synonym of Liothorax niger Illiger, 1798 )

Type locality: Suec[ia] ( Sweden) (for Liothorax niger ).

Type depository: Humboldt-Universität. Museum für Naturkunde. Berlin (for Liothorax niger ).

Redescription: Length 4.0–5.0 mm, body elongate, subcylindrical, slightly broadened toward apex of elytra, shiny, glabrous. Color black; legs piceous; antennal club black. Head anteriorly at middle gibbose, with fine punctures on disc, punctation more irregular and more coarse distally. Clypeus weakly sinuate medially, rounded laterally; genae obtusely rounded, protruding beyond eyes; frontal suture nearly obsolete. Pronotum convex; with dual, evenly spaced punctures; large punctures, weakly umbilicate, two times larger than small punctures, somewhat irregularly sized; lateral margins with thin border; hind angles obtuse; basal border widely interrupted medially. Scutellum wide, with sparse punctures basally. Elytra oval-elongate; striae well defined, with distinct punctures, crenulate; interstriae flat, with fine, sparse punctures, apically alutaceous. Hind tibiae with superior apical spur as long as first tarsomere; first tarsomere as long as following three combined. Male head with medial gibbosity rather distinct; pronotum on disc with punctures more sparse than in female; metasternal plate concave. Female head with medial gibbosity almost obsolete; metasternal plate flat.

Distribution: Europe, Asia Minor, Central Asia, China (Tibet).

Bionomy: This species is active in late spring and summer and is saprophagous and stenotopic. It is exclusively from open areas mainly at pond margins and in damp soil or under rotting leaves from 1000 to 2000 m in elevation. This species also sometimes causes damage to golf turf (personal observation).

Figures

FIGURES 37 – 41. Liothorax niger (Illiger, 1798) (Appennino Ligure, Monte Penna: Caserma della Forestale, Val d’Aveto; Genova, Italy): 37. habitus of male; 38 – 39. aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view; 40. epipharynx; 41. habitus.