Lithocharodes silvicola, Irmler, 2021

Irmler, Ulrich, 2021, The Neotropical species of the genus Lithocharodes SHARP, 1876 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Xantholinini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 71 (1), pp. 29-85 : 56-57

Lithocharodes silvicola spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:307A352E-8017-4653-AB6C-530BB6694978

Figs 4 a-d,43 N, 47 E

Type material: male, holotype: Ecuador, Pichincha, R.B. Marquipucuna (78°38'W, 0°07'S), montane evergreen forest litter, 1200 m elev., 27.10.1999, leg. R. Anderson, #208b ( KNHM) . Paratypes: Ecuador: 2 females, with same data as holotype ( KNHM) ; Pichincha, Marquipucuna Biological Station (78°37'37"W, 0°5'34"S), ridgetop montane forest litter, mixed Cecropia cloud forest, 1600 m elev., male, 29.10.1999, leg. R. Anderson, #ECU1A99 214B ( KNHM) .

Diagnosis: Lithocharodes silvicola is similarly small as L. rufula , L. verhaaghi and L. hanagarthi but differs in its darker colour. Regarding size and dark colouration, L. silvicola most closely resembles L. fuscula from Central America. Females of both species can hardly be separate. The impunctate midline on the head in L. silvicola is wider than that in L. fuscula . Unfortunately, males are unknown for L. fuscula . Lithocharodes silvicola belongs to the L. verhaaghi group with a spiraled endophallus. Within this group, L. silvicola can be separated by the lower number of torsions. In L. silvicola only two torsions are present whereas the endophallus of the two other species has at least three torsions.

Description: Length: 3.8 mm. Colouration: Dark brown; legs and antennae slightly lighter brown.

Head: 0.73 mm long, 0.58 mm wide; eyes slightly prominent; postocular sides slightly divergent; approximately twice as long as eyes; interantennal furrows curved; reaching mid-length of eyes; setiferous punctation deep and dense; on average, interstices between punctures half as wide as diameter of punctures; on anterior vertex, interstices slightly shorter than on posterior vertex; moderately wide midline impunctate; surface with extremely weak microsculpture; shiny. Antennae with first antennomere as long as half head-length; second and third antennomere conical; second antennomere nearly twice as long as wide; third antennomere 1.5 times as long as wide; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; fourth antennomere twice as wide as long; tenth antennomere nearly three times as wide as long; all antennomeres densely pubescent. Pronotum: 0.79 mm long, 0.52 mm wide; widest slightly behind anterior third; anteriad, conically narrowed toward neck; distinctly narrowed in middle third; nearly parallel in posterior third; posterior angles widely rounded; posterior margin convex; setiferous punctation deep and dense; on average, interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures; wide midline impunctate; irregular row of punctures adjacent to midline with 15 to 16 punctures; surface with weak microsculpture; less shiny than head. Elytra: 0.67 mm long, 0.62 mm wide; humeral angles obtuse; sides slightly divergent anteriad; posterior angles shortly rounded; posterior margin slightly convex; widely retreated to suture; setiferous punctation dense and deep; partly coriaceous; on average, interstices between punctures half as wide as diameter of punctures; surface with weak microsculpture; as shiny as pronotum. Abdomen with moderately dense and fine setiferous punctation; microsculpture much more distinct than on pronotum and elytra; less shiny; posterior margin of sternite VII and tergite VII of male convex. Meso- and metatibia with two subapical ctenidia each. Aedeagus small; oval; endophallus with two torsions in posterior half and a straight part in anterior half; covered by minute teeth; paramere bilobed; outer lobe thick and nearly semi-circular; inner lobe slender and nearly straight with wide base; inner face with few, thin setae; apex with small spot of minute sensillae.

Etymology: The species name is a combination of the Latin words silva and colare meaning living in the forest and refers to the rainforest habitat, where the species was found.

Figures

Fig. 2–7: L.-verhaaghi-group: Lithocharodes verhaaghi (2), L. pampana (3), L. silvicola (4), L. trinitatis (5), L. dubiosa (6), L. peruana (7); aedeagus (a), paramere (b), sternite VII of male (c), tergite VII of male (d); scale bare: A – D: 0.2 mm; B: 0.1 mm.