Lithocharis erythroptera GEMMINGER & HAROLD, 1868

Assing, Volker, 2015, A revison of the Lithocharis species of the Palaearctic, Oriental and Australian regions (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Medonina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (2), pp. 1133-1178 : 1147-1150

Lithocharis erythroptera GEMMINGER & HAROLD, 1868 , revalidated ( Figs 34-41 )

Lithocharis fuscipennis KRAATZ, 1859: 138 f.; preoccupied.

Lithocharis erythroptera GEMMINGER & HAROLD, 1868: 621 ; replacement name.

Lithocharis penicillata CAMERON, 1928: 244 ; nov.syn.

Type material examined L. fuscipennis : Lectotype ♂, present designation: "92 / Ceylon / Lithochar. fuscipennis / Coll. Kraatz / Syntypus / coll. DEI Eberswalde / DEI Müncheberg Col - 04261 / Lectotypus ♂ Lithocharis fuscipennis Kraatz desig. V. Assing 2014 / Lithocharis erythroptera Gemm. & Harold , det. V. Assing 2014" (SDEI) . Paralectotypes: 2♂♂, 6♀♀: " Ceylon / Syntypus / Coll. Kraatz / coll. DEI Eberswalde / DEI Müncheberg Col - 04262-04269" (SDEI).

L. penicillata : Lectotype ♂, present designation: "Keppel Harb, Singapore / L. penicillata Cam Type / Type / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147. / Lectotypus ♂ Lithocharis penicillata Cameron desig. V. Assing 2015 / Lithocharis erythroptera Gemm. & Harold , det. V. Assing 2015 " (BMNH) . Paralectotypes: 1♂: "Dung / Singapore / Syntype / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955- 147" (BMNH) ; 1♂, 1♀: "Dehra Dun, Dr. Cameron. 22-10-1921. / penicillata / Syntype / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147." (BMNH) ; 1♂: "Raub, Pahang, F.M.S., Dr. Cameron. / Syntype / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147." (BMNH) ; 1♂: "Sheung Shui, S. China [today in Hong Kong], Dr. Cameron / Syntype / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147." (BMNH).

Comment: The original description of L. fuscipennis is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from "insula Ceylan " ( KRAATZ 1859). Nine syntypes, three males and six females, were located in the Kraatz collection at the SDEI. One of the males is designated as the lectotype.

Lithocharis fuscipennis KRAATZ, 1859 is a junior primary homonym of Lithocharis fuscipennis MOTSCHULSKY, 1858 , which again is a junior synonym of Sunius melanocephalus (FABRICIUS, 1792) , and was replaced with the nomen novum L. erythroptera by GEMMINGER & HAROLD (1868). Interestingly enough, BERNHAUER & SCHUBERT (1912) cited L. erythroptera as a synonym of L. vilis and L. fuscipennis as a valid species. So did CAMERON (1931), who, however, misinterpreted the species, as can be inferred from the illustration of the male secondary sexual characters. Lithocharis fuscipennis was eventually synonymized with L. vilis by BLACKWELDER (1973). An examination of the type material of L. fuscipennis KRAATZ revealed, however, that it is not conspecific with L. vilis , but represents a distinct species. Hence, L. erythroptera GEMMINGER & HAROLD, 1868 is revalidated.

The original description of L. penicillata is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from " India: Dehra Dun. Malay Peninsula: Phang, Sinagpore. South China: Sheung Shui" ( CAMERON 1928). Six syntypes were located in the Cameron collection at the BMNH. The male labelled by Cameron as the type is designated as the lectotype. All the type specimens are conspecific with L. erythroptera , hence the synonymy proposed above.

Additional material examined: India: 7 exs., Karnataka, Bandipur National Park [ca. 11°42'N, 76°34'E], 1000 m, in elephant dung, 21.XII.92, leg. Cuccodoro ( MHNG, cAss) ; 1♂, " Bengal. Sarda ", leg. Champion ( BMNH). China: 1♂, Guizhou, 30 km S Guilin, 22.IX.1980, leg. Hammond ( cAss). Taiwan: 1♂, Chiayi Hsien, Dalin ["Taihorin"], leg. Sauter ( BMNH). Hong Kong: 1♂, 1 ex., leg. Walker ( BMNH). Laos: 2♂♂, 240 km N Vientiane, 10 km N Luang Prabang, Mekong river , XI.1992, leg. Somsy ( cSch, cAss). Malaysia: 1♂, Borneo, Sarawak , Pusa ( BMNH) .

Redescription: In size and coloration similar to L. vilis .

Head approximately as long as broad, lateral margins slightly converging posteriorly; punctation extremely fine and dense; interstices with microsculpture. Eyes large, approximately twice as long as postocular portion in dorsal view. Antennae 1.5-1.6 mm long; preapical antennomeres weakly oblong.

Pronotum approximately as wide as long and about 1.05 times as broad as head; posterior angles rounded, weakly marked; punctation very dense and fine; midline with narrow impunctate band; interstices without microsculpture.

Elytra approximately 1.05 times as long as pronotum; punctation very dense and fine; interstices without microsculpture. Hind wings fully developed. Protarsomeres I-IV weakly dilated in both sexes. Metatarsomere I approximately as long as the combined length of II and III.

Abdomen narrower than elytra; punctation extremely fine and dense; interstices with distinct microreticulation; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

♂: sternite VII ( Figs 34-35 ) strongly transverse, posterior margin weakly convex in the middle and with a weakly bisinuate comb of approximately 20 moderately long palisade setae, on either side of this comb without long setae; sternite VIII ( Fig. 36 ) transverse, median portion without pubescence, posterior excision broadly and deeply V-shaped, lateral margins of this excision each with a conspicuous tuft of long yellowish setae; aedeagus ( Figs 37-41 ) large, approximately 0.85 mm long (total length 0.87-0.90 mm), ventral process lamellate, thin and semi-transparent, and distinctly separated from remainder of aedeagus; dorso-lateral apophyses composed of a stout, sclerotized, and moderately long basal portion, and of a rather large, lamellate, semitransparent apical portion.

Comparative notes: This species is characterized by the distinctive shapes and chaetotaxy of the male sternites VII and VIII, as well as by the morphology of the aedeagus. It additionally differs from the externally similar L. vilis by the narrower head, the denser punctation and distinct microsculpture of the head, the slightly longer antennae, and the weakly dilated protarsomeres I-IV.

Distribution and natural history: Confirmedmale-basedrecords of this species are known from North and South India, Sri Lanka, South China (Guizhou), Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia (Pahang, Sarawak). CAMERON (1931) reports it (as L. fuscipennis ) also from Sumatra, but his interpretation of this species is clearly erroneous. The additional material from South India was collected from elephant dung at an altitude of 1000 m, together with L. sororcula .

Figures

Figs 34-41: Lithocharis erythroptera GEMMINGER & HAROLD (34-35, 38, 40: lectotype of L. penicillata CAMERON): (34) male sternite VII; (35) postero-median portion of male sternite VII; (36) male sternite VIII; (37-40) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (41) basal portion of dorsolateral apophysis in lateral view. Scale bars: 34, 36-41: 0.2 mm; 35: 0.1 mm.