Anthobium kleebergi, Shavrin, 2025

Shavrin, Alexey V., 2025, A revision of eastern Palaearctic Anthobium Leach, 1819 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini). IX. Thirteen new species and records from China and the Himalayan Region, Zootaxa 5728 (1), pp. 47-78 : 67-69

Anthobium kleebergi sp. nov.

( Figs 31–34 , 37 )

Type material. Holotype ♂: NEPAL: ‘NEPAL Manang | Distr. For[est]. W Bagar- | chhap 2200m 21. IX. | 83 Smetana & Löbl’ <printed>, ‘ HOLOTYPE | Anthobium | kleebergi sp. nov. | Shavrin A.V. des. 2025’ <red, printed> ( CNC).

Paratypes: 2 ♂♂ (dissected), 3 ♀♀: same data as the holotype ( 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀: CNC; 1 ♂, 1 ♀: cSh); 1 ♀: ‘ NEPAL P: Seti /D: Bajhang | 42km NE Chainpur, | Kalapani Khola | 23.VI.2009 leg. D. Mattern’ <printed> ( NME); 1 ♂ (dissected): ‘Nepal-Himalaya, Annapurna Mts. | Khudi Khola Einzug, 3500-4000 m | Umgeb. Rambrong Danda, | 23.05.1993, leg. J. Schmidt’ <printed> (cK); 1 ♂: ‘Ost-Nepal | Rolwaling Himal’ <printed>, ‘Rolwaling Tal, Umg. Nyimare | 3300 m, 18.05.2000 | Spritzmoos, leg. A. Kleeberg’ <printed> (cK); 1 ♀: ‘ NEPAL Nuwakot Di[strict]. | betw. Ghopte and | Thare Pati 3200m | 26. IV. 85 A. Smetana’ <printed> ( NMW); 1 ♂: ‘ NEPAL (Prov. Bagmati) | Malemchi, 2800 m | 18.IV.81 | Löbl & Smetana’ <printed> ( NMW); 1 ♂: ‘ NEPAL (Prov. Bagmati) | below Tarke Ghyang [Tarkeyghyang] | 2600 m, 25.IV.81 | Löbl & Smetana 45A [handwritten]’ <printed> ( CNC). All paratypes with additional red printed label: ‘ PARATYPE | Anthobium | kleebergi sp. nov. | Shavrin A.V. des. 2025’.

Description. Measurements (n=12): HL: 0.45–0.52; HW: 0.67–0.72; AL: 1.97 ( holotype); OL: 0.22–0.25; LT: 0.05; PL: 0.65–0.70; PW: 0.95–1.05; ESL: 1.51–1.57; EW: 1.30–1.40; AW: 1.02–1.10; MTbL: 0.95 ( holotype); MTrL ( holotype): 0.44 (MTrL 1–4: 0.27; MTrL 5: 0.17); AedL: 0.60–0.65; BL: 2.90–4.10 ( holotype: 2.95).

Habitus as in Figs 33, 34 . Body reddish-brown, with distinctly paler lateral and basal portions of pronotum; antennomeres 3–11 brown; mouthparts, antennomeres 1–2 and legs yellowish. Forebody without microsculpture; abdominal tergites with fine transverse or isodiametric microreticulation, indistinct on tergites VII–VIII in some paratypes. Middle part of head with irregular and fine punctation, denser and larger on infraorbital portions; neck with sparse and fine punctation; punctation of pronotum denser, larger and deeper than that on pronotum, slightly denser and deeper in medioapical part, sparser in lateral, and sparser and finer in mediobasal portions, some paratypes with impunctate mediobasal part; scutellum with several fine punctures; punctation of elytra somewhat denser, larger and deeper than that on pronotum, finer and denser around scutellum, finer and sparser along suture, each elytron forming vague five to six longitudinal rows of punctures; abdominal tergites with indistinct and sparse fine punctation.

Head with distinctly elevated middle part, 1.3–1.4 times as broad as long; supra-antennal elevations relatively short, but strongly convex; anteriomedian depressions deep and wide, reaching level of anterior third of eyes; anteocellar foveae relatively deep, slightly convergent anteriad and reaching level of middle length of eyes; postocular ridges strong and acute. Ocelli small, located at level of postocular ridges. Antennomere 3 significantly longer than 2, 4–7 indistinctly broader than 3, 8 slightly shorter than 7, 9 distinctly shorter than 8, 10 slightly shorter than 9, apical antennomere 1.3 times as long as 10.

Pronotum with strongly elevated middle portion, usually stronger in medioapical third, 1.4–1.5 times as broad as long, 1.4 times as broad as head, widest slightly above middle, distinctly more narrowed posteriad than anteriad; posterior angles obtuse; laterobasal margins usually subparallel; anterior angles widely rounded, slightly protruded anteriad; anterior margin slightly or strongly rounded; mediobasal part with strong and wide semicircular elevation; medioapical part sometimes with indistinct and shallow longitudinal or oval impression; lateral parts widely impressed and strongly explanate, each with deep oval depression slightly above middle; lateral edges with strong regular crenulation.

Elytra strongly elevated, slightly longer than broad, slightly more than twice as long as pronotum, gradually narrowed toward medioapical parts, with widely rounded hind angles, usually reaching apical margin of abdominal tergite V or VI ( Fig. 33 ), but sometimes longer and reaching tergite VII ( Fig. 34 ); mediobasal surface with fine transverse and subdiagonal elevations between punctures, and mediolateral parts with distinct or indistinct longitudinal elevations between punctures; laterobasal edges with acute crenulation.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–4 slightly broadened. Posterior margins of abdominal tergite VIII and sternite VIII slightly sinuate. Aedeagus with wide basal part, gradually narrowed toward widely truncate apex; parameres exceeding apex of median lobe, with broadened apical lobes, each with two short apical and two preapical setae; internal sac narrow and long, spirally folded in basal portion ( Fig. 31 ). Lateral aspect of the aedeagus as in Fig. 32 .

Female. Protarsomeres 1–4 narrow. Posterior margin of abdominal tergite VIII truncate. Posterior margin of abdominal tergite VIII truncate or rounded.

Comparative notes. Anthobium kleebergi sp. nov. can be distinguished from the remaining species of the Nigrum group by the shape of slightly elongate pronotum with more convex middle portion, distinctly more elongate antennomeres 5–10, the shape of the elytra from mediobasal part gradually narrowed posteriad, more convex longitudinal elevations on the elytra, and details the morphology of the aedeagus with more sclerotized internal sac.

Distribution. Anthobium kleebergi sp. nov. is known from several locations in Gandaki and Bagmati, Nepal ( Fig. 37 ).

Bionomics. Specimens were collected at elevations from 2200 to 4000 m a.s.l. One specimen from Rolvaling Valley was collected in wet mosses. The detailed bionomical data for other specimens are unknown.

Etymology. Patronymic, the species is named to honour my colleague Andreas Kleeberg ( Berlin), one of the collectors of the type material.

Figures

FIGURE 37. Distribution of Anthobium kleebergi (circles), A. lakshmanai (square) and A. curtulum (triangle) in Nepal.

FIGURES 27–32. Aedeagus of Anthobium (Figs 27–28—A. aterrimum (paratype), Figs 29–30—A. flavofasciatum (holotype), 31–32—A. kleebergi (paratype)): 27, 29, 31—aedeagus, parameral view, 28, 30, 32—aedeagus, lateral view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 33–36. Habitus of Anthobium: 33–34—A. kleebergi (Fig. 33: paratype: Nepal, Annapurna Mts., Fig. 34: paratype: Nepal, Nyimare), 35—A. curtulum (holotype), 36—A. sinicum (holotype). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.