Thinobius paraminor, Makranczy & H-, 2014

Makranczy, György, 2014, The Far Eastern species of Thinobius Kiesenwetter, 1844 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae) lacking female modified genital appendage, Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (3), pp. 319-347 : 330-332

Thinobius paraminor sp. nov. Figs 2, 18-19, 25, 32, 53, 55-57, 78

TYPE MATERIAL: HNHM, holotype (3); “S-KOREA, Gangwon-do , Injae-gun district, 2 km E Inje, Naerincheon river, sand at W end of bridge, 200 m, gravel/sand border at water, flotation (2B), 38°03'59"N, 128°11'27"E; 08.IX.2010; [leg.] Makranczy & al.”. PARATYPE: MHNG, 13, Same data as holotype .

DESCRIPTION: Habitus as in Fig. 20. Measurements (n=2): HW = 0.20 (0.195- 0.20); TW = 0.20 (0.195-0.205); PW = 0.21 (0.21-0.215); SW = 0.22 (0.21-0.22); AW = 0.26 (0.25-0.26); HL = 0.19 (0.18-0.19); EL = 0.07 (0.07-0.07); TL = 0.06 (0.06- 0.06); PL = 0.17 (0.16-0.17); SL = 0.30 (0.29-0.305); SC = 0.27 (0.265-0.27); FB = 0.64 (0.63–0.64); BL = 1.22 (1.21–1.23) mm. BODY very slightly bicoloured. Head and pronotum reddish medium to dark brown, abdomen dark brown, apically more blackish; elytra medium brown, slightly darker at shoulders and scutellum. Legs light brown, mouthparts and antennae medium brown, basal antennomeres slightly lighter. Fine and dense punctation of body parts intermixed with (and thereby obscured by) microsculpture, but still well observable on forebody, body appearing weakly lustrous. Coriaceous or at places rather imbricate microsculpture covering all body parts (strongest on abdomen), but neck conspicuously smooth and shiny, transversally substrigulate. Compared to preceding plates, tergite VII notably shinier towards apex, as also tergite VIII (but barely exposed). Pubescence on forebody fine, very short and depressed, dust-like; on abdomen medium dense short setae and on apical edges of tergites a row of conspicuously long setae. Abdominal sides and apex with a few darker, medium long, stronger bristles. Strong dark bristle on outer side of supraantennal prominence at anterior border of eye and on posterior edge of vertex adjacent to temples, similar ones right behind anterior pronotal corner and on side at 3/5 length. Direction of setation on head and pronotum almost exclusively anterior, except posterior part of vertex where mixed. Elytra and abdomen with posteriorly directed setae. Antennae, legs and mouthparts with very short, not conspicuous setation, except for the stiff, darker bristle slightly distad from middle of each tibia and ones near apices of femora. Sides of elytra with three stiffer setae equally distributed on side (anterior one little behind shoulder, posterior little before outer corner).

Head (Fig. 25) 1.25x wider than long, temples (Fig. 18) usually straight, with a gentle curve (if any) anteriorly, rather broadly rounded posteriorly. Vertex rather flat, supraantennal prominences weakly developed. Anterior border of neck not marked with groove, only by change of microsculpture. Frontoclypeal suture appearing as fine, often shinier groove and dark line connecting supraantennal tubercles, similarly darker spots situated at both sides on middle of vertex. ANTENNAE with antennomeres 4 and 6 appearing smaller and much more transverse than adjacent (more or less as long as broad) ones (Fig. 53), articles 9-10 somewhat longer than broad.

Pronotum (Fig. 19) slightly transverse, 1.33x wider than long, just a little wider than head, anterior margin gently arched, with even a slight concavity before anterior corners, latter narrowly rounded. Sides and posterior marging form an almost perfect

FIGS 25-31

arch of circle, posterior corners inconspicuous. pronotum with traces of impressions on middle of disc and around middle of sides. Pronotal marginal bead visible on posterior margin as a thin line. Scutellum large, setose and dull. ELYTRA (Fig. 32) long, one elytron more than twice as long as broad, gently curved in cross-section and parallelsided (very little dilation posteriorly). Shoulders moderately developed. Along suture without marginal bead, sutural corners broadly rounded. LEGS of medium length, tarsal lobes thin and appear quite short, tibiae strongly fusiform, appear a lot wider in middle than at ends.

Abdomen very weakly fusiform, sides more or less straight and parallel; widest in the middle, very slightly less wide than elytra at broadest point. Posterior margin of tergite VII with thin palisade fringe.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SEXUAL FEATURES: Posterior corners of tergite VIII (similar in both sexes) gently protruding, posterior edge otherwise straight. Male sternite VIII as in Fig. 55, tergite IX as in Fig. 56, sternite IX as in Fig. 57. Aedeagus as in Fig. 78.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet refers to the confusing external similarity to

Thinobius minor .

REMARKS: This taxon before the dissection appeared remarkably similar to T. minor Mulsant & Rey, 1870 . However, based on the genital structures, it is closest to T. ligeris Pyot, 1874 .

DISTRIBUTION: The species is known only from the type locality (Figs 3-4).

BIONOMICS: Collected with T. injae , at a lower river, open, sunny gravelbank.