Bledius

Castro, Jessica Cristina De, Caron, Edilson & Rosa, Leonardo Cruz Da, 2016, Update on the Brazilian coastal species of Bledius Leach (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 4111 (2), pp. 145-157 : 146

Key to the species of coastal Bledius from Brazil (adapted from Caron & Ribeiro-Costa 2007)

1. Head with supraantennal ridge extended anteriorly into a broad horn (male longer than female); pronotum with an abrupt con- striction near the base.................................. ( bonariensis group) B. bonariensis Bernhauer, 1912 ( Fig. 1 )

- Head with supraantennal ridge not extended anteriorly; pronotum without abrupt constriction near the base............. 2

2. Procoxal fissure closed, protrochantin concealed..................................... ( punctatissimus group, part) 3

- Procoxal fissure open, protrochantin exposed................................................................ 4

3. Elytra with a sclerotized median tip on posterior margin ( Fig. 7 , arrow); tergite VIII with posterior margin truncate...................................................................................... B. borzonei , sp. nov. ( Fig. 3 )

- Elytra without sclerotized median tip on posterior margin; tergite VIII with posterior margin emarginated...................................................................................... B. fernandezi Bernhauer, 1939 ( Fig. 2 )

4. Gular sutures fused anteriorly; tergite VIII with posterior margin emarginate ( Fig. 17 )......................................................................................... ( emarginatus group) B. externus Lynch, 1884 ( Fig. 4 )

- Gular sutures not fused anteriorly; tergite VIII with posterior margin truncate ( Figs. 23, 24 ).. ( punctatissimus group, part) 5

5. Elytra pale yellow with basal and usually subapical median brownish spots; body size 1.76–1.84 mm ................................................................................ B. hermani Caron & Ribeiro-Costa, 2007 ( Fig. 5 )

- Elytra entirely dark brown to black; body size 1.7–2.55 mm ........................... B. depressus , sp. nov. ( Fig. 6 )

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Habitus. 1, Bledius bonariensis; 2, B. fernandezi; 3, B. borzonei, sp. nov.; 4, B. externus; 5, B. hermani; 6, B. depressus, sp. nov..

FIGURES 7 – 11. Bledius borzonei, sp. nov.. 7, elytra (detail of posterior pit); 8, aedeagus, lateral view; 9, spermatheca; 10, tergite VIII (detail of anterior folds); 11, tergite VIII magnified (detail of the anterior folds and pores). Scale = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 16 – 21. Bledius externus. 16, tergite VII; 17, tergite VIII; 18, sternite VIII; 19 – 20, aedeagus, ventral and lateral view; 21, spermatheca. Scale = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 22 – 31. Bledius caribbeanus and B. hermani. 22. Antenna, B. caribbeanus. 23 – 24. Tergite VIII. 23, B. caribbeanus (detail of median emargination); 24, B. hermani (detail of sublateral emarginations). 25 – 26. Sternite VIII. 25, B. caribbeanus; 26, B. hermani (detail of weakly sclerotized posterior border). 27. Antenna, B. hermani. 28 – 29. Tergite X. 28, B. caribbeanus (detail of rounded basal angles); 29, B. hermani (detail of less rounded basal angles). 30. Aedeagus, B. hermani, lateral view. 31. Spermatheca, B. hermani. Scale = 0.1 mm.