Cheilocolpus castaneus (Lea, 1925) Lea, 1925

Shaw, Josh Jenkins & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2016, Systematic and biogeographic review of the Staphylinini rove beetles of Lord Howe Island with description of new species and taxonomic changes (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 638, pp. 1-25 : 5-7

Cheilocolpus castaneus (Lea, 1925) comb. n. Figure 2B

Heterothops castaneus Lea, 1925

Material examined.

Type material. Holotype (male) and two paratypes (male and female), all from Lord Howe Island, Australia. All three specimens mounted on the same card (1 pin). Holotype is far right male marked by Lea with letters ‘TY’ written on the card next to the specimen [here dissected with apical abdominal segments and aedeagus placed in the microvial with glycerin pinned under]. 'I. 12691 Heterothops castaneus Lea. Lord Howe I. also slide [ Lea’s handwritten label with the word ‘TYPE’ written in red ink along right margin] / castaneus . Lea, type. Lord Howe [small preprinted label with handwriting] / SAMA database No. 25-036194' / Holotype (male, TY) and 2 Paratypes Heterothops castaneus Lea Jenkins Shaw & Solodovnikov rev. 2016 [red printed label] (SAM)'.

Additional material, all from Mt. Gower summit at 850 m of elevation, Lord Howe Island, Australia. 1 female, 850m, 27.ix.1978, T. Kingston, mossy forest’; 1 male, 9.xi.1979, G. B. Monteith / Q.M. BERLESATE No. 135. Volcanic soil, sieved litter. / Voucher Specimen 81-42 (QM)

Diagnosis.

Head about as wide as pronotum, brown, depigmented; infraorbital ridges short, far not reaching base of mandibles; postmandibular ridges well developed, extending towards gular sutures but not reaching them; postgena with several shallow punctures; eyes about a quarter or the size of the side of the head; antennomeres 1-3 slightly paler than 4-11; antennomeres 1-6 elongate; apical segment of labial and maxillary palpi aciculate. Pronotum brown, concolourous with head, with two punctures in each dorsal series and faint microsculpture, hypomera without post-coxal process; elytra brown, concolourous with head and pronotum; legs brown, concolourous with rest of body. Tergites III to V with anterior and posterior basal carinae; male sternite VIII without apical incision; aedeagus with paramere closely attached to, and apically protruding over, but paramere still distinct as structure separate from median lobe, apex of paramere rounded but more acute than Cheilocolpus kentiae (Figure 2B).

Taxon discussion.

Heterothops castaneus Lea, 1925 was described from Lord Howe Island where specimens were collected from leaf litter. Lea (1925) suggested its resemblance to species of Calodera ( Aleocharinae) but also noted that it may be close to Heterothops xantholinoides MacLeay (1873) (= Heterothops fauveli Bernhauer & Schubert, 1916), a species from Australia which will also be transferred to the genus Cheilocolpus in due time (Jenkins Shaw & Solodovnikov, in prep). Here we transfer Heterothops castaneus to the genus Cheilocolpus for the same reasons as presented in 'Taxon discussion’ for Cheilocolpus kentiae . Cassis et al. (2003) classified Cheilocolpus castaneus (there as Heterothops castaneus ) as 'Threatened Vulnerable’ and ‘Uncommon’.

Note on the type material.

In the original description of Heterothops castaneus , Lea (1925) mentions 6 specimens collected from fallen leaves. He also indicated a specimen with the number 'I. 12691' as the ‘type’. Here we examined three specimens from Lea’s collection in SAM, all mounted on the same card on one pin. Based on the information from the original description, among them a male marked by Lea with the letters ‘TY’ (for details see Material examined) is the holotype. All three specimens mounted on the same pin bear a handwritten label by Lea stating 'I. 12691' which reassures our correct interpretation of a holotype. The other two beetles (male and female) on the same card as the holotype are paratypes.