Amaurodera meorum PACE, 1992

Assing, Volker, 2016, On some Lomechusini of the Palaearctic and Oriental regions (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 66 (1), pp. 13-111 : 89-90

Amaurodera meorum PACE, 1992

( Figs 140 , 147 , 415–419 )

Type material examined: Holotype ♂: “ Thailand, Doi Suthep , III-1987, Rougemont / Holotypus Amaurodera meorum m., det. R. Pace 1987 / Amaurodera meorum sp. n., det. R. Pace 1987” ( MCSNV).

Comment: The original description is based on two type specimens from Doi Suthep. Although the paratype is a female, the spermatheca was not illustrated by PACE (1992b).

Additional material examined: Thailand: 1 ♂, Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep , 1600 m, 4.XI.1985, leg. Burckhardt & Löbl (cAss) ; 10 exs., Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon , 1080 m, 24.II.1987, leg. Schwendinger ( MHNG, cAss) ; 3 exs., same data, but 1020 m, 17.II.1987 ( MHNG, cAss) ; 4 ♂♂, Doi Inthanon, Mae Pan Waterfall , 18°32'N, 98°27'E, 1090 m, submontane primary forest, litter sifted, 16.I.2014, leg. Ob (cAss) ; 1 ♂, Chiang Rai, 10 km W Wiang Pa Pao, Ban Huay Ya Sai , 780 m, 28.I.1988, leg. Schwendinger (cAss) ; 1 ♀, Chiang Mai, 54 km NE Chiang Mai, Mae Nang Kaeo , 900 m, 3.XI.1985, leg. Burckhardt & Löbl ( MHNG) ; 8 exs., NE Bangkok , Khao Yai National Park , 750–850 m, 26.XI.–3.XII.1985, leg. Burckhardt & Löbl ( MHNG, cAss) ; 39 exs., NE Bangkok , Khao Yai Nat. Park, Khao Khieo , 1150 m, 28.XI.1985, leg. Burckhardt & Löbl, ( MHNG, cAss) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Nakon Rachasima prov., Khao Yai National Park , 1020 m, 24.XII.1992, leg. Schwendinger ( MHNG, cAss) .

Redescription: Body length 4.3–5.0 mm; length of forebody 2.1–2.5 mm. Coloration: forebody reddish to reddish-brown, sometimes with the pronotum slightly paler than head and elytra; abdomen: tergites III–IV pale reddish, with the posterior tergal margins and the posterior portions of the paratergites of segments II and III more or less distinctly infuscate, tergites V–VIII dark-brown to blackish-brown, usually with the anterior margin of tergite V and the posterior margins of tergites V–VIII reddish; legs yellowish with the apical halves of the meso- and metafemora infuscate; antennae dark-yellowish to pale-brown; maxillary palpi yellowish to brown, with the terminal palpomere always yellowish. Head ( Fig. 147 ) oblong, 1.05–1.10 times as long as broad, broadest across eyes, without sexual dimorphism; punctation sparse and extremely fine; interstices with shallow microreticulation. Eyes of moderate size, approximately 0.8 times as long as distance from posterior margin of eye to posterior constriction of head. Antenna ( Fig. 140 ) 2.5–2.8 mm long; antennomere IX twice as long as broad. Pronotum ( Fig. 147 ) 0.88–0.98 mm long, approximately 1.5 times as long as broad, and slightly broader than head, with weakly pronounced sexual dimorphism; usually with two setae on either side anteriorly; dorsal and lateral surface meeting at an angle posteriorly; microreticulation reaching lateral margins only posteriorly; narrow median furrow long, but reaching neither anterior nor posterior margins.

Elytra 0.52–0.54 times as long as pronotum; punctation fine and moderately sparse; interstices with shallow microreticulation; pubescence moderately long and depressed. Hind wings present. Metatarsomere I approximately as long as the combined length of II and III.

Abdomen narrower than elytra; punctation fine and very sparse on all tergites; tergites III–VIII with shallow microreticulation composed of transverse meshes; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe; posterior margin of tergite VIII distinctly serrate.

♂: pronotum mostly shallowly impressed on either side of anterior portion of median sulcus; median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 415–418 ) 0.58–0.64 mm long; ventral process weakly sinuate, nearly straight, in lateral view; crista apicalis of moderate size.

♀: pronotum not, or on average more shallowly, impressed than in male on either side of anterior portion of median sulcus; spermatheca ( Fig. 419 ) 0.33–0.38 mm long, with moderately dilated distal portion and moderately long, but variable proximal portion of the capsule, and with very small apical cuticular invagination.

Intraspecific variation: The specimens from Khao Yai National Park are distinguished from those from other localities by a more strongly bulging ventral process of the aedeagus (lateral view) ( Fig. 415 ), but otherwise no convincing evidence was found suggesting that they should represent a distinct species.

Comparative notes: Amaurodera meorum is distinguished from the similar and sympatric A. fasciata particularly by the smaller aedeagus with a less strongly sinuate ventral process in lateral view, the smaller crista apicalis of the aedeagus, the longer proximal portion and more distinctly dilated distal portion of the spermathecal capsule, and additionally, though less distinctly, by the less oblong head and the usually more distinctly infuscate posterior margins of the abdominal tergites III–IV.

Distribution and natural history: This species is currently known from several localities in northern and central Thailand. The specimens were collected at altitudes between 750 and 1600 m, partly together with other congeners.

Figures

Figs 119–143. Drusilla bifida (119–122), Rabdotodrusilla pectinata (123–125), Amaurodera arunica (126–127, 132), A. gilvios (128, 133), A. reticulata (129, 134), A. dentata (130, 135), A. parvoculata (131, 136), A. thailandensis (137–138), A. fasciata (139), A. meorum(140),A. disparicollis (141), A. spinans (142),andA. varicollis(143):forebody (119, 123, 126, 128–131); head and pronotum (120); antenna (121, 124, 132–143); abdomen (122, 125, 127). Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figs 144–159. Amaurodera thailandensis (144–145), A. fasciata (146), A. meorum (147), A. spinans (148), A. varicollis (149), A. disparicollis, male (150), A. disparicollis, female (151), Tetrabothrus nilgiricus (152–153), T. pubescens, syntype (154–156), T. collucatus (157–158), and T. neoguineensis, holotype (159): forebody (144–152, 154, 157, 159); abdomen (153, 156); antenna (155, 158). Scale bars: 144–154, 156–157, 159: 1.0 mm; 155, 158: 0.5 mm.

Figs 396–419. Amaurodera dentata (396–399), A. parvoculata (400–404), A. thailandensis (405–410), A. fasciata (411–414), and A. meorum (415–419: 415–416, 419:Khao Yai Nat.Park):median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (396–397, 400–402, 405–409, 411–412, 415–418); spermatheca (398–399, 403–404, 410, 413–414, 419). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.