Parapseudoconnus

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2013, Taxonomy of ' Euconnus complex'. Part II. Revision of Archiconnus Franz, Parapseudoconnus Franz and Mexiconnus gen. nov. (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), Zootaxa 3666 (4), pp. 523-543 : 536-538

Subgenus Parapseudoconnus s. str.

The two subgenera were separated by Franz (1980) solely on the basis of differences in genital structures. However, all males of Parapseudoconnus in the Franz Coll. have the aedeagi distorted or damaged to some extent (probably also illustrations in Franz's papers show such distorted or incomplete preparations), and only the internal armature seems intact. In the present study some other characters were found to be different between the type species of Parapseudoconnus s. str. and the subgenus Neuraphomimus . Parapseudoconnus s. str. can be identified on the basis of the prothoracic hypomeral ridges obliterated in their anterior parts; indistinctly marked anterior margins of mesocoxal cavities; mesocoxal sockets located on meso-ventral surface of mesocoxal projections and therefore largely visible in ventral view; presence of small but distinct posterior lobes of mesocoxal projections; and the internal armature of the aedeagus without long and slender flagellum projecting distally beyond the median lobe.

Parapseudoconnus (Parapseudoconnus) aberrans Franz ( Figs. 19–20 , 22 , 26–31 )

Pseudoconnus (Parapseudoconnus) aberrans Franz, 1980: 218 , Fig. 206.

Material studied. Holotype: 3: four labels ( Fig. 22 ): "Umg. Manau / Amazongebiet / Brasil,lg.L.Beck" with "45" on the reverse side [white, printed; reverse handwritten], " Parapseudocon- / nus aberrans / m. / det. H. Franz" [white, handwritten and printed], "3" [white, printed], " Typus " [red, handwritten] (NHMW). Paratypes (6 exx.: 2 33, 4 ƤƤ): same data as for the holotype, one female laballed "Allotypus" [red, handwritten] (NHMW).

Diagnosis. Vertex in males and females with distinct postero-median impression; aedeagus with three elongate and curved sclerites.

Redescription. Body of male ( Fig. 19 ) strongly convex and moderately elongate, with moderately long appendages, BL 0.84–0.86 mm (mean 0.85 mm); glossy, uniformly light brown with slightly lighter appendages; vestiture slightly lighter than cuticle.

Head ( Fig. 19 ) approximately pentagonal and not elongate, broadest at eyes, HL 0.16–0.18 mm (mean 0.17 mm), HW 0.18–0.20 mm (mean 0.19 mm); occipital constriction much broader than half HW; tempora slightly shorter than eyes, rounded and gradually convergent caudad; vertex not projected dorso-caudad; broader than long, convex except for shallow postero-median impression; frons subtriangular and confluent with vertex; supraantennal tubercles weakly developed; eyes large and strongly convex, moderately coarsely faceted, kidneyshaped with deep posterior emargination, nearly transverse in relation to the long axis of head. Punctures on head dorsum fine and sparse, inconspicuous; setae long, sparse, suberect to erect, those on vertex mostly directed caudad, thick bristles absent. Antennae ( Fig. 19 ) slender, with distinctly delimited club composed of antennomeres IX–XI, AnL 0.30 mm; antennomeres I–II elongate, III–VII each about as broad as long; VIII–X each strongly transverse; XI 1.4x as long as broad, slightly asymmetrical, with subconical, blunt apex.

Pronotum ( Fig. 19 ) in dorsal view sub-oval, broadest between middle and posterior third; PL 0.23 mm, PW 0.23–0.25 mm (mean 0.24 mm); anterior margin weakly arcuate; front angles rounded and indistinct; sides broadly rounded; hind angles well-marked and obtuse; posterior margin weakly arcuate; base of pronotum with shallow and small but distinct pair of external lateral pits, each adjacent to short longitudinal sub-lateral carina. Punctures on pronotal disc fine and inconspicuous; setae long, moderately dense and suberect, sides of pronotum with dense thick and long bristles, especially in posterior half.

Elytra ( Fig. 19 ) oval and only slightly more convex than pronotum, broadest slightly anterior to middle, EL 0.45–0.46 mm (mean 0.45 mm), EW 0.38 mm, EI 1.20–1.23 (mean 1.21); humeral calli distinct, developed as short longitudinal protuberances; basal impressions short but distinct, basal pits well-visible; elytral apices separately rounded. Punctures on elytral disc nearly as fine as those on pronotum; setae short and sparse, suberect. Hind wings well-developed, about twice as long as elytra.

Legs ( Fig. 19 ) moderately long and slender, without modifications.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 30–31 ) elongate, AeL 0.13 mm, thin-walled, in two studied and previously dissected males slightly distorted during previous preparations, oval in shape, with internal armature composed of three elongate and curved sclerites.

Female ( Figs. 20 , 26–29 ). Similar to male but clearly differing in rudimentary eyes, each composed of a single ommatidium. BL 0.86–0.88 mm (mean 0.87 mm); HL 0.18 mm, HW 0.19 mm, AnL 0.28 mm; PL 0.24 mm, PW 0.24–0.25 mm (mean 0.25 mm); EL 0.45–0.46 mm (mean 0.45 mm), EW 0.38–0.39 mm (mean 0.38 mm), EI 1.16– 1.23 (mean 1.18).

Distribution. North-western Brazil, Amazonas State.

Remarks. Two specimens must be excluded from the type series of Parapseudoconnus aberrans due to misidentifications: one female belongs to the same genus but clearly differs in the general body shape and certainly is not conspecific with the holotype male; another specimen has not only a different body shape but also a distinct transverse groove on the pronotal base and belongs either to Euconnus or Protoconnus Franz. Both females were collected in a different site than P. aberrans , as evident from the numbers handwritten on the reverse side of locality labels (45 for P. aberrans and 32 and 38 for the two misidentified females). In the original description Franz (1980) indeed gave further collecting data that confirm this suspicion: the holotype and six paratypes were collected on the road to Pacaás Novas, 9.5 km from Guayara-Mirim, while two remaining specimens come from Reserve Ducke and Lago Janauaca near Manaus.

Figures

FIGURES 19 – 21. Parapseudoconnus (s. str.) aberrans Franz (19 – 20) and Parapseudoconnus (Neuraphomimus) simulator Franz (21). Dorsal habitus of male holotype (19, 21) and female paratype (20).

FIGURES 22 – 25. Original set of labels of holotypes. Parapseudoconnus (s. str.) aberrans Franz (22), Parapseudoconnus (Neuraphomimus) simulator Franz (23), Parapseudoconnus (Neuraphomimus) fraudulentus Franz (24), and Parapseudoconnus (Neuraphomimus) monticola Franz (25).

FIGURES 26 – 31. Morphology of Parapseudoconnus (s. str.) aberrans Franz, paratype female (26 – 29), holotype male (30) and paratype male (31). Head in dorsal (26) and ventral (27) views; prothorax in ventral view (28); pterothorax and abdomen in ventral view (29); aedeagus of holotype (30) and one of paratypes (31) in ventral or dorsal view (see Materials and Methods). Abbreviations: ai, asetose impression; ar, anterior ridge; bs, basisternal part of prosternum; cd, cardo; cp, clypeus; fr, frons; gal, galea; gen, gena; gp, gular plate; gs, gular suture; fo, foramen occipitale; h, hypostoma; hr, hypostomal ridge; hy, hypomeron; hyr, hypomeral ridge; lac, lacinia; lp, labial palp; mcp, mesocoxal projection; md, mandible; mn, mentum; mscc, mesocoxal cavity; mscs, mesocoxal socket; mst, mesostipes; msvp, mesoventral intercoxal process; mtvp, metaventral intercoxal process; mxp, maxillary palp; nr, neck region; nss, pronotosternal suture; occ, occipital constriction; par, projection of anterior ridge; pc, pl, posterior lobe; prosternal intercoxal carina; pcc, procoxal cavity; pcs, procoxal socket; pf, profurca; pff, profurcal fovea; ppf, palpifer; pre, prepectus; ptp, posterior tentorial pit; smn, submentum; tm, temple; vIII, metaventrite; vlf, ventro-lateral fovea; vt, vertex.