Cordalia spoliata, Assing & J, 2009

Assing, V. & J, Cordalia, 2009, New species and additional records of Palaearctic Falagriini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (1), pp. 471-480 : 477-479

Cordalia spoliata nov.sp. ( Figs 20-26 )

Holotype 3: " India, Arunachal Pradesh, Miri hills / Road from Ziro to Daporijo , 27.v.2006, G. de Rougemont leg. / Holotypus 3 Cordalia spoliata sp.n. det. V. Assing 2008 (cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: 3.0 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 20 . Coloration: head and pronotum dark-brown; elytra and abdomen reddish-brown, with abdominal segment VI and adjacent parts of segments V and VII somewhat infuscate; legs dark yellowish; antennae dark-brown.

Head apparently with sexual dimorphism, transverse, approximately 1.15 times as wide as long; punctation extremely fine, barely noticeable; microsculpture absent; pubescence dense (especially in lateral parts), pale, suberect to erect. Eyes conspicuously large, approximately twice as long as postocular region ( Fig. 21 ). Antennae gradually and weakly incrassate apically; antennomeres IV and V approximately as wide as long; X moderately transverse, approximately 1.5 times as wide as long.

Pronotum with sexual dimorphism, approximately 1.1 times as wide as long and approximately as wide as head; midline with complete, narrow, and sharply impressed furrow; posteriorly with some puncture-like grooves ( Fig. 21 ); pubescence similar to that of head; punctation slightly more distinct than that of head; microsculpture absent.

Elytra approximately 1.5 times as wide and at suture about as long as pronotum ( Fig. 21 ); pubescence somewhat shorter than that of pronotum; punctation extremely fine. Hind wings fully developed. Metatarsomere I longer than the combined length of II and III. Abdomen 0.80-0.85 times as wide as elytra, widest at segment V; basal impressions of tergites III-V with transverse row of very coarse punctures separated by narrow ridges, the remaining tergal surfaces with rather fine and moderately dense punctation ( Fig. 22 ); posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe; tergite VIII posteriorly with broadly concave margin and without fringe of dense setae ( Fig. 23 ).

3: head weakly and extensively impressed dorsally ( Fig. 21 ); pronotum in the middle impressed ( Fig. 21 ); sternite VIII transverse and with broadly convex posterior margin ( Fig. 24 ); median lobe of aedeagus with remarkably short and narrow (ventral view) ventral process ( Figs 25-26 ).

♀: unknown.

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Latin, adjective: robbed) refers to the absence of a fringe of dense setae at the posterior margin of tergite VIII.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: From all its congeners, C. spoliata is readily distinguished by the shape of the median lobe of the aedeagus and by the shape and chaetotaxy of the abdominal tergite VIII. In all other Cordalia species known to me, the posterior margin of tergite VIII is furnished with a fringe of dense setae. From most of its congeners, C. spoliata is additionally separated by the conspicuously large eyes.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: Thetypelocalityisidenticaltothatof C. mirica nov.sp. Additional bionomic data are not available.

Figures

Figs 20-26: Cordalia spoliata nov.sp.: (20) habitus; (21) forebody; (22) abdominal segments III- VII; (23) male tergite VIII; (24) posterior portion of male sternite VIII; (25) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (26) ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 20: 1.0 mm; 21-22: 0.5 mm; 23-24: 0.2 mm; 25-26: 0.1 mm.