Nepalota guangdongensis PACE, 2004: 508 Nepalota rougemonti PACE, 2011: 171 Nepalota ruficollis PACE, 2011: 170 On the Nepalota fauna of China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Athetini) Assing, Volker Linzer biologische Beiträge 2015 2015-07-31 47 1 207 248 46X4S PACE, 2004 PACE 2004 [178,576,371,393] Insecta Staphylinidae Nepalota Animalia Coleoptera 25 232 Arthropoda species guangdongensis  ( Figs 86-95, Map 2)      Nepalota guangdongensis PACE, 2004: 508ff.     Nepalota rougemonti PACE, 2011: 171; nov.syn.     Nepalota ruficollis PACE, 2011: 170f.; nov.syn.  Type material examined:  Holotype ♀: " CHINA GuangdongPr., Ding Hu Shan Biosphere R.,  6 V.1998 J. Fellowes/ Rougemont Collection/ Holotypus  Nepalota guangdongensism., det. R. Pace1998 / Nepalota guangdongensis sp. n., det. R. Pace 1998/ Nepalota guangdongensis Pace, det. V. Assing 2015" ( IRSNB). Additional material examined  ChinaYunnan 2♂♂, 3♀♀, NNE Pingbian, 23°01'N, 103°42'E,  1500 m, subtropical broad-leaved forest, litter sifted,  26.VIII.2014, leg. Assing& Schülke(cAss,cSch). Jiangxi:1♂, 1♀, 1 ex., Jinggang Shan, Shuangxikou, 26°31'N, 114°11'E,  410 m, river valley, moist litter in a sparse forest near a river sifted,  24.IV.2011, leg. Fikáčeket al. ( NMP, cAss); 1♂, 1 ex., Jinggang Shan, Xiping, 26°34'N, 114°12'E,  915 m, sparse tree-bamboo bush, moist leaf litter accumulated above bank of a stream sifted,  24.IV.2011, leg. Fikáčeketal.( NMP,cAss). Guangdong:2♂♂, 1♀, 11 exs., W Qixing, Heishiding nature reserve, 23°28'N, 111°54'E,  190-260 m, primary lowland forest, moist leaf litter near streams sifted,  1.-3.V.2011, leg. Fikáček& Hájek(MNHNP, cAss).  Comment:  Nepalota guangdongensiswas described from a single female from " China, Guandong Pr., Ding Hu Shan, Biosphere R." ( PACE 2004). The spermatheca of the holotypeis somewhat deformed. However, based on the general spermathecal and the identical external characters, there is no doubt that the above material is conspecific with the holotype. The original description of  N. rougemontiis based on a single male collected in " Guangxi, Diding", that of  N. ruficollison two malesand one femalefrom two localities in Guangxi( PACE 2011). The whereabouts of the typematerial of  N. rougemontiand  N. ruficollisis currently unknown. According to PACE (2011), it is deposited in the IRSNB, where it was looked for, but not found by the curator in charge (GÉRARD, e-mail 3 Feb., 2015). In the section on  N. rougemonti, PACE (2011)states that the species is distinguished from  N. ruficollisonly by the shape of the aedeagus; the colour photographs ( PACE 2011: figures 18 and 19) do not show any external differences. An examination of the above material revealed that the median lobe of the aedeagus resembles the illustration provided by PACE (2011: figures 80-81) for the aedeagus of  N. rougemonti. There are, however, slight differences in the shape of the ventral process (lateral view) and in the shapes of the internal structures. Similar differences were observed also in the above material from Guangdong, undoubtedly an artefact resulting from the killing and/or preservation method(s) used. The same evidently applies to the aedeagus of the typematerial of  N. ruficollis(see PACE 2011: figures 77-78). The spermatheca of the above material is identical to that of  N. ruficollis( PACE 2011: figure 79) and, as mentioned, to that of  N. guangdongensis. As can be inferred from the above records,  N. guangdongensisis widespread and not uncommon across South China. It appears most unlikely that three externally identical species of highly distinctive coloration should occur sympatrically in this region. Therefore, it is concluded that the condition of the median lobe of the aedeagus as illustrated by PACE (2011)for  N. ruficollisrepresents an artefact and that the typematerial of  N. guangdongensis,  N. ruficollisand  N. rougemontiis conspecific. Hence the synonymies proposed above. In view of the misleading illustrations of the aedeagus and the incomplete description of external and secondary sexual characters in PACE (2004, 2011), a redescription and new illustrations are provided.  Redescription: Body length 3.7-4.1 mm; length of forebody 1.5-1.7 mm. Coloration: head blackish; pronotum yellowish-red; elytra reddish-yellow with a more or less extensive darkish spot reaching lateral margins, but not suture and posterior margins; abdomen reddish, with segment VI sometimes somewhat infuscate; legs pale-yellowish; antennae dark-reddish, apically and basally more or less extensively paler. Head ( Fig. 86) transverse; dorsal surface with shallow microreticulation and with very fine and moderately dense punctation. Eyes moderately large, slightly longer than postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna ( Fig. 87) slender, approximately 1.2 mmlong; preapical antennomeres weakly transverse; antennomere XI longer than the combined length of IX and X, but shorter than the combined length of VIII-X. Pronotum ( Fig. 86) 1.30-1.35 times as broad as long and 1.3-1.4 times as broad as head, without sexual dimorphism; disc with shallow microreticulation and with fine and rather dense punctation. Elytra ( Fig. 86) approximately 0.90-0.95 times as long as pronotum; punctation dense and moderately fine; interstices with distinct microreticulation and somewhat subdued shine. Hind wings fully developed. Abdomen with shallow transverse microsculpture; anterior portions of tergites III-VII impunctate; posterior portions of tergites III-V with moderately sparse, those of tergites VI-VII with sparse punctation; pubescence predominantly composed of thin setae; tergites III and VII without sexual dimorphism. ♂: tergite VIII ( Fig. 88) oblong and with distinctly convex posterior margin; sternite VIII ( Fig. 89) oblong, somewhat longer than tergite VIII, and strongly convex posteriorly; median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 90-91) approximately 0.45 mmlong, ventral process apically not deeply incised, acute (ventral view), and of distinctive shape in lateral view; internal sac with long dark structures; paramere ( Fig. 92) slightly longer than median lobe ( 0.48 mm), with slender and rather short apical lobe.  ♀: tergite VIII ( Fig. 93) approximately as long as broad and with distinctly convex posterior margin; sternite VIII ( Fig. 94) weakly transverse and with broadly convex posterior margin, middle of posterior margin weakly concave; spermatheca ( Fig. 95) approximately 0.38 mmlong.  Comparative notes: This species is readily distinguished from other  Nepalotaspecies particularly by the conspicuous coloration and by the shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus, which is bifid only at its apex.  Distribution and natural history:  Nepalota guangdongensisis now known from Yunnan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, and Guangdongprovinces ( Map 2). Thus, the species is evidently widespread across South China. The material from Yunnanwas collected together with  N. fellowesiand  N. crocea. 4416015301 1998-05-06 IRSNB J. Fellowes China R. Pace Ding Hu Shan Biosphere R. 25 232 1 1 Guangdong holotype 3806464336 2011-04-24 2014-08-26 2011-04-24 Assing & Schulke China 1500 26.516666 Pingbian 1241 114.183334 25 232 5 4 3806464311 2011-04-24 2014-08-26 2011-04-24 Fikacek China 1500 26.516666 Pingbian 1241 114.183334 25 232 5 4 3806464328 2011-04-24 2011-05-03 2011-04-24 Fikacek et al. China Heishiding nature reserve 915 23.466667 Jinggang Shan 1255 111.9 Xiping 25 232 13 1 3806464391 2011-04-24 2011-05-03 2011-04-24 Fikacek & Hajek China Heishiding nature reserve 915 23.466667 Jinggang Shan 1255 111.9 Xiping 25 232 13 1