Lithocharodes nigrita, 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 : 52-53

Lithocharodes nigrita spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:51DB16D4-FB55-4338-B12D-AFD4290322C0

Figs 25 a-d, 44 G, 48 E

Type material: male, holotype: Peru, Cusco, Cock of the Rock Lodge, NE Paucartambo (71°32.7'W, 13°03.3'S), 1120 m elev., flight intercept trap, 4.- 9.11.2007, leg. D. Brzoska, #PER1B07 001 ( KNHM) . Paratypes: Peru: 1 female, 1 male with same data as holotype (1 KNHM, 1 UIC) ; Dept. Junin, Pampa Hermosa Lodge , 22 km N San Ramon (75°25.5'W, 10°59.3'S), 1220 m elev., flight intercept trap, male, 24.- 27.11.2007, leg. D. Brzoska ( KNHM) ; Bolivia: Cochabamba, Cochabamba, 117 km E Yungas (Cochabamba – Villa Tunari Rd. ) (65°41'12"W, 17°6'32"S), 1040 m elev., flight intercept trap, 3 males, 2 female, 1.-6./10.- 12.2.1999, leg. R. Hanley, #BOL1H99 073/028 (3 KNHM, 1 UIC)) ; same region but 109 km E (65°42'54"W, 17°8'52"S), flight intercept trap, female, 8.- 12.2.1999, leg. F. Genier #BOL1G99 060 ( KNHM) ; same region but 105 km E Yungas, nr. Rio Carmen Mayu (65°43'50"W, 17°8'51"S), 1750 m elev., flight intercept trap, female, 8.- 12.2.1999, leg. R. Hanley #BOL1H99 071 ( KNHM) ; same region but 124 km E Yungas (65°38'43"W, 17°3'54"S), 730 m elev., flight intercept trap, female, 1.- 6.2.1999, leg. R. Hanley, #BOL1H99 029 ( KNHM) .

Diagnosis: Lithocharodes nigrita is one of the mediumsized dark species with dense punctation of the head. It can be separated from the similar L. ecuadoriensis , L. katharinae and L. boliviana by the long elytra, which are longer than the pronotum, whereas elytra are only as long as the pronotum in the other species. Tergite VII and sternite VII of male are without peculiarities and, thus, are similar to L. katharinae and L. boliviana . The endophallus is totally covered by medium-sized teeth without lobes such as in L. ecuadoriensis and not transparent such as in L. katharinae and L. boliviana .

Description: Length: 5.4 mm. Colouration: Totally black; legs and antennae dark brown.

Head: 0.97 mm long, 0.77 mm wide; eyes large, slightly prominent; postocular sides slightly divergent; 2.4 times as long as eyes; posterior angles widely rounded; posterior margin convex; interantennal furrows indistinct; setiferous punctation extremely dense; on average, interstices between punctures one fourth as wide as diameter of punctures; on anterior vertex partly coriaceous; small midline impunctate; interstices between punctures without microsculpture; surface nearly matt due to dense punctation. Antennae with first antennomere two thirds as long as head length; second and third antennomere conical; longer than wide; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; third antennomere nearly twice as wide as long; tenth antennomere 2.5 times as wide as long; all antennomeres densely pubescent. Pronotum: 1.09 mm long, 0.70 mm wide; widest in anterior third; anteriad, conically narrowed toward neck; in middle third slightly narrowed; in posterior third nearly parallel; setiferous punctation deep and dense; on average, interstices between punctures one fourth to half as wide as diameter of punctures; moderately wide midline impunctate; irregular row of punctures adjacent to midline with 24-25 punctures; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Elytra: 0.76 mm long, 0.70 mm wide; humeral angles sub-rectangular; sides slightly divergent; posterior angles sub-rectangular; posterior margin slightly convex; widely retreated to suture; setiferous punctation dense but less dense than on head and pronotum; on average, interstices as wide as to half as wide as diameter of punctures; surface with weak microsculpture; less shiny than pronotum. Abdomen with dense but weak setiferous punctation; surface with denser and deeper isodiametric microsculpture than on elytra; sternite VII of male simply rounded at apex; tergite VII of male with straight apical margin. Mesotibia with three, metatibia with two subapical ctenidia. Aedeagus oval with triangular prominence at apical orifice; endophallus with two strings; both with slight torsions around each other; one string with larger teeth in several rows; second string with minute teeth; paramere bilobed; both lobes slender; outer lobe half as long as inner lobe; inner lobe slightly curved; at apex with small spot with minute sensillae; apical half without setae; in basal half with numerous long setae at inner face.

Etymology: The species name is derived from the same Latin word (meaning black) and refers to the blackish colouration.

Figures

Fig. 25–30: L.-??-group: Lithocharodes nigrita (25), L. aculeata (26), L. ecuadoriensis (27), L. lescheni (28), L. armata (29), L. ashei (30); 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.