Margarinotus (Paralister) longus ( Bickhardt, 1910 )

Lackner, Tomáš, 2016, Re-description of Margarinotus (Paralister) longus (Bickhardt, 1910) with a key to the species of the subgenus Paralister of the genus Margarinotus from the Balkans (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Histerinae), Zootaxa 4079 (1), pp. 103-118 : 104-108

Margarinotus (Paralister) longus ( Bickhardt, 1910)

Hister longus Bickhardt, 1910: 184

Margarinotus (Paralister) longus: Mazur (1984) : 173; Mazur (1997): 99; Mazur (2004): 83; Lackner et al. (2015): 100.

Type material examined. Hister longus , holotype, ♀, all tarsi except left protarsus missing, glued on triangular mounting card with the following labels: “♀” (printed); followed by: “Kephalonia 1908 / Charakti / legit. M. Hilf / Coll. O. Leonhardt” (printed); followed by: “ Type ” (red label, written); followed by: “ Hister / longus / n.sp. Bickh.” (green label, written); followed by: “ Hister longus / Bickhardt, 1910 / HOLOTYPE / T. Lackner des. 2015” ( ZMHUB).

Diagnosis. A rather large black Margarinotus , with impunctate anterior pronotal angles, sinuate lateral pronotal stria and three complete dorsal elytral striae. Fourth stria shortened on its basal third, fifth and sutural striae present only on their apical fifth. Marginal prosternal stria not attaining suture between prosternal keel and lobe.

Re-description. Body ( Fig. 1 ) PEL: 8.00 mm; APW: 2.50 mm; PPW: 5.00 mm; EW: 5.50 mm; EL: 4.50 mm; convex, oblong-oval, entirely black, legs dark brown to black, antennal funicle (scape and club excluded) castaneous, antennal club dark grey.

Head ( Fig. 1 ): frons + clypeus flat, almost glabrous; frontal stria medially inwardly arcuate, supraorbital stria complete, occipital stria absent. Vertex punctated, punctures almost confluent, separated by less than their diameter. Mandibles rounded, dorsally glabrous, convex, laterally punctated. Labrum large, glabrous, sub-rectangular. Antennal scape long, black, about as long as the following antennomeres (except for club) together; pedicel rather short, slightly longer than third antennomere. Pronotum slightly narrowing anteriorly on basal half, on apical half strongly narrowing, apical angles prominent. Marginal pronotal stria interrupted behind head, present along lateral pronotal margin on its approximate apical half, shortened. Lateral pronotal stria bisinuate behind head, laterally in punctures, slightly sinuate, slightly curved inwardly on its basal end; mesally with a faint row of tiny punctures. Entire pronotal disc otherwise glabrous; a small shallow fovea present on ante-scutellar area; pronotal hypomeron asetose.

Elytral epipleura densely punctate; marginal elytral stria slightly carinate, almost complete; apical elytral stria absent. Elytral humeri slightly convex and prominent; humeral elytral stria short and weakly impressed; outer (=external) subhumeral stria long, slightly shortened on both ends, otherwise almost complete. Dorsal elytral striae 1-3 complete, with tiny punctures within, slightly sinuate, 4th stria abbreviated approximately on its basal fourth; 5th and sutural elytral striae approximately equal in length, present only along apical fifth of elytra.

Propygidium and pygidium very densely punctate, punctures separated by less than their own diameters, interspaces with microsculpture; punctation becomes finer and sparser towards pygidial apex.

Prosternal lobe ( Fig. 2 ) large, medially almost glabrous, laterally punctate, punctures separated by approximately twice to several times their diameter, getting denser towards incomplete and deeply impressed marginal stria, which does not attain suture between prosternal keel and lobe. Prosternal keel medially almost glabrous, not emarginated laterally, carinal prosternal striae absent; lateral prosternal striae carinate, slightly divergent apically.

Mesoventrite ( Fig. 2 ) deeply emarginated medially, disc glabrous, marginal mesoventral stria complete, carinate, surface around it with a faint row of microscopic punctures. Metaventrite glabrous; lateral metaventral stria sinuate, not attaining oblique metaventral stria, stopping short of it. Lateral disc of metaventrite with deep dense punctures of various sizes intermingled with much smaller regular punctures; interspaces with microsculpture.

First visible abdominal ventrite glabrous; all visible ventrites laterally densely punctate. Protibia on outer margin with five widely-spaced low teeth topped by minuscule denticle; protibial spur short, stout, growing out from anterior protibial margin; mesotibia slightly dilated, outer margin with seven low teeth topped by minuscule denticle; mesotibial spur well-developed, stout; metatibia in all aspects similar to mesotibia, but denticles topping teeth on outer metatibial margin slightly longer than those of mesotibia. Male unavailable.

Remarks. Nothing is known of the biology of this species, but it is presumed to be similar to other species of the (sub) genus, most of which are found in dung or on carrion where they prey on larvae of other small arthropods, mostly cyclorrhaphan flies. The holotype was found in the village of Charakti, on the island of Cephalonia, Greece ( Figs. 3 , 4 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Margarinotus (Paralister) longus (Bickhardt, 1910) habitus, dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Margarinotus (Paralister) longus (Bickhardt, 1910) prosternum + mesoventrite.

FIGURE 3. Position of the island of Cephalonia in Greece (other Greek islands omitted for clarity).

FIGURE 4. Known locality of Margarinotus (Paralister) longus (Bickhardt, 1910) on the Greek island of Cephalonia.