Bolitogyrus pictus Smetana & Zheng, 2000

Brunke, Adam J., 2017, A revision of the Oriental species of Bolitogyrus Chevrolat (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae), ZooKeys 664, pp. 1-97 : 37-38

Bolitogyrus pictus Smetana & Zheng, 2000 Figs 5G, 14 A–C, 21A (map)

Bolitogyrus pictus Smetana & Zheng, 2000a: 62.

Type locality.

Puwen, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China.

Type material.

Bolitogyrus pictus Smetana & Zheng, 2000.

Holotype (♀, ZIN): “Yun’an’ okr. Puzenya 900m 28-III-1957 D. Panphilov" [translation from Cyrillic as in original description] / "Yunnan near Puwen 900 1957-III-28 D. Bonfilofe" [translation from Chinese as in original description] / HOLOTYPE Bolitogyrus pictus A. Smetana. 1999 [red label] / AJB0000412 [identifier label].

The holotype of this species is a female and this initially caused doubt about the identity of B. pictus and the externally identical and sympatric B. profundus . Yuan et al. (2007) associated male characters with B. pictus based on a single male collected from near the type locality. However, it was unknown at the time that externally identical species of the Pictus Group exist in sympatry, which is rare in Bolitogyrus . To complicate matters further, Cai et al. (2015) described B. profundus based on a single male from the same locality as the single male identified as B. pictus by Yuan et al. (2007). With the dissection of females co-collected with both B. pictus and B. profundus , it became possible to recognize the two taxa based on the apex of female tergite X. Luckily, these taxa are not each other’s closest relatives, as the shape of female tergite X in B. schillhammeri is indistinguishable from B. pictus . Based on these associations, the male characters described by Yuan et al. (2007) happen to be correctly associated with B. pictus and do not refer to yet another species.

Other material.

CHINA: Yunnan: Xishuangbanna, ‘Menla’ [Mengla] county, 600-700 m, 9.VII.2003, Jiao-Yao Hu & Liang Tang, 1 ♂, AJB0000525 (SNUC).

LAOS: Phongsali: Phongsali env. [environs of], approx. 1500 m, 21.68 102.10, 6-17.V.2004, V. Kuban, 1 ♂, AJB0000416 (NHMB); Phongsali env. [environs of], 1300-1500 m, 1-15.V.2004, Lao Collector, 2 ♂, AJB0000527, AJB0000528 (cShi);

Xiangkhouang: Mt. Phou Sane, 30 km NE Phonsavan, 1300-1700 m, 19.630 103.334, 10-30.V.2009, M. Geiser, 1 ♂, AJB0000526 (NHMB); same except, 1420 m, Z. Kraus, 1 ♀, AJB0000582 (NHMB).

Diagnosis.

This species may be recognized by the following: head entirely dark; pronotum widest in posterior third; elytra partly dark, discal markings of elytra extending onto epipleuron, not forming v-shape (Fig. 2B, 5G), medial and lateral markings of different sizes and never entirely fused (Fig. 5G); apex of median lobe hooked in lateral view, broad and short in parameral view (Fig. 14B); paramere with short apical portion and at most slightly longer than median lobe (Fig. 14A).

Redescription.

Measurements ♂ (n = 5): HW/HL 1.40-1.47; PW/PL 1.30-1.36; EW/ EL 1.21-1.28; ESut/PL 0.77-0.84; PW/HW 1.01-1.06; forebody length 3.9-4.4 mm.

Measurements ♀ (n = 2): HW/HL 1.38-1.43; PW/PL 1.29-1.29; EW/EL 1.24-1.30; ESut/PL 0.79-0.81; PW/HW 1.00-1.03; forebody length 4.4-4.5 mm.

Coloration: color dimorphic, dark morph with dark pronotum and dark abdomen; bicolored morph with red pronotum and abdomen with tergites III-V entirely and base of VI reddish. Head entirely dark; elytra with raised median marking oval-shaped and larger than raised lateral marking, markings always connected, pale area extended onto epipleuron, epipleuron varying from pale at midlength to nearly entirely pale; scutellum dark; antennomere 1 yellow with darkened apex, 2-5 reddish, 6-10 dark brown, 11 either dark brown or vaguely paler; palpi yellow with apical segment slightly darker; legs yellow, fore and midfemur with small ventroapical dark marking, hind femur with small apical band.

Head distinctly transverse, dorsal surface with dense, clearly separated asetose punctures, frons with very few scattered punctures and deep, coarse Y-shaped impression. Antennomeres 6-7 quadrate to slightly transverse, 8-10 distinctly transverse and slightly asymmetrical, 10 longer than 9.

Pronotum distinctly transverse, about as wide as head, with a few shallow micropunctures on disc, becoming more distinct on anterior angles. Elytra slightly transverse, suture slightly shorter than pronotum at middle.

Abdomen with disc of tergites III-VI distinctly impunctate medially, some specimens with VI only narrowly impunctate; sternites III-IV with basal line distinctly projected posteriad at middle.

Median lobe in lateral view sinuate, apex pointed and sharply deflexed ventrad, basal teeth appearing at ventral face (Fig. 14B); median lobe in parameral view slightly dilated to wide and short apex, basal teeth appearing at lateral margins (Fig. 14A); paramere as long as or slightly longer than median lobe, entire but with median suture that extends to about widest point, with apical portion deflected slightly dorsad (Fig. 14A); peg setae arranged in marginal and medial groups, marginal group extending to basal third of median suture, medial group as loose row that extends basad of marginal group (Fig. 14C); male sternite VII with slight emargination and broad impunctate area medially; male sternite VIII with distinct emargination and triangular glabrous area medially; male sternite IX moderately expanded at midlength, with distinct emargination.

Female tergite VIII with median emargination deep and elongate; female tergite X shield-shaped, disc with distinct and entirely rounded dorsal expansion in apical half, apex truncate with narrow and rounded median projection.

Distribution.

Figure 21A. Bolitogyrus pictus is known from southern Yunnan, China, and northern Laos. It probably also occurs in northern Thailand.

Bionomics.

This species has been collected in March, May and July, at elevations ranging from 600-1500 m.

Comments.

Bolitogyrus pictus is most similar to allopatric B. schillhammeri (Myanmar) but differs by the broader apex of the paramere and hooked apex of the median lobe in lateral view.