Pseudolathra sumatrensis, Rougemont, 2015

Rougemont, Guillaume de, 2015, New Oriental and Papuan Pseudolathra (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (2), pp. 1785-1799 : 1788-1789

Pseudolathra sumatrensis nov.sp.

( Figs 5 fb, 5al, 5av)

Material examined: Holotype: SUMATRA: Aceh, Mt. Leuser NP , 300-500 m, Ketambe , 23-30.XI.1989, Löbl, Agosti, Burckhardt [ MHNG].

Description: Length: 8.2 mm; length of fore-body: 4.4 mm. Head black, pronotum pitchy black, elytra dark brown with reddish markings in anterior half, abdominal tergites brown with posterior margins of each segment reddish; mouthparts and antennae reddish-brown, legs testaceous. Fore-body: Fig. 5 fb. Head transverse (1 x 1.2) with large eyes longer than temples; anterior margin with a pair of large foveate punctures next to antennal tubercles; two small punctures on inner margin of eyes, a group of three punctures adjacent to the anterior ocular punctures, three punctures in postero-lateral area, and a transverse series of small punctures along posterior margin; surface with sparse scattered micropunctures, especially posteriorly. Pronotum as long as broad (1.4 mm), with discal series of 5 and lateral’ slightly arcuate series of 4 punctures. Elytra as long as broad (1.7 mm), with 3 series of punctures, the punctures of juxtasutural series smaller than those of discal series, the median series of 8-9 punctures and lateral series of 11-12 punctures; interstriae with moroe or less longitudinally arranged micropunctures. Abdominal tergites III-V with relatively dense simple puncturation, the interstices on tergite III equal to or narrower than the diameter of punctures, those of tergites IV-V a little larger than punctures, the puncturation becoming sparser and slightly aspirate only on tergites VI-VIII.

Male: sternite VII with a very shallow, almost imperceptible median emargination, without combs of clusters of black setae; emargination of sternite VIII extending to less than half the length of sternite; aedoeagus: Figs 5 al, 5av.

This species belongs to the Nigerrima group. The combination of large size and bicolorous body make it comparable to P. lucabosmontis nov.sp. described below, P. transversiceps Assing from Thailand, P. separandus Assing from India, and P. borneensis Rougemont , the aedoeagi of which show that they are all closely related. P. lucabosmontis is easily distinguished from P. sumatrensis and the other three species by the presence of a secondary puncturation of numerous small but very distinct punctures on the fore-body; the other species also have a secondary puncturation, but this consists of very fine micropunctures. The Indian and Thai species are larger than P. sumatrensis , and have very characteristic male sternites VII; P. borneensis has a scarcely emarginate sternite VII similar to that of P. borneensis , but is a little smaller, particularly the pronotum and elytra, and the broader aedoeagus is different (cf. fig. 1a Rougemont 2014).

Figures

Figs 5-6: Fore-body (fb), aedoeagus in lateral view (al), aedoeagus in ventral view (av), male sternite VII (s7), male sternite VIII of: 5: P. sumatrensis; 6: P. lucabosmontis