Lithocharis ornatrix, Assing, 2015

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 : 1163-1165

Lithocharis ornatrix nov.sp. ( Figs 85-89 )

Lithocharis fuscipennis: CAMERON (1928, 1931 ); misidentification.

Type material: Holotype ♂: " SAWARAK, 4th Division , Gn. Mulu NP. / Pitfall-trap, fish bait, Alluv. for., ca. 100 m / I. Hanski, iii-v.1978, B.M. 1978-524 / L. fuscipennis / Holotypus ♂ Lithocharis ornatrix sp. n. det. V. Assing 2015 " ( BMNH). Paratypes: 1♀, 1 ex. without abdominal apex, 1 ex. without abdomen: same data as holotype ( BMNH); 1♂: "Rotting Fruit / Bukit Kutu , Selangor, F.M.S., Dr. Cameron. / L. fuscipennis Kr. / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147." ( BMNH) ; 1♂, 1♀: "166 / Celebes / Sharp Coll. 1905-313. / fuscipennis Kr / Celebes Wallace " ( BMNH) ; 1♂, 1♀: " Celeb, Wallace / Sharp Coll. 1905-313. / L. fuscipennis " ( BMNH) ; 1♂: " Celebes, Wallace / Sharp Coll. 1905-313. / L. fuscipennis " ( BMNH); 1♂: " SABAH: 200 ft, R. Karamuak , 7m SSE Telupid , 1-7.ix.1977 / At light / M.E. Bacchus, B.M.1978-48" ( cAss); 1♂: " Malaysia, Sabah, Sandakan , Lokan (L.F), March 97, AYC Chung / FIT 5/3/2 / Pae13 / BMNH {E} 2002-113, A. Y. C. Chung, LF - Logged Forest" ( cAss) .

Comment: As can be inferred from the above material from the Cameron and the Sharp collections, as well as from the descriptions and illustrations provided by CAMERON (1928, 1931), Lithocharis ornatrix is conspecific with Cameron´s (mis-)interpretation of L. fuscipennis KRAATZ , now a junior synonym of L. erythroptera GEMMINGER & HAROLD.

Etymology: The specific epithet (Latin: woman hairdresser) is a noun in apposition. It alludes to the conspicuous comb of palisade setae at the posterior margin of the male sternite VII.

Description: Body size rather variable; body length 3.8-4.5 mm; length of forebody 2.1-2.6 mm. Coloration variable: head brown to blackish; pronotum pale-reddish to dark-brown; elytra yellowish to yellowish-brown; abdomen reddish to brown, with the posterior margins of the segments and the apex (segments VIII-X and posterior portion of segment VII) yellowish; legs yellowish to dark-yellowish; antennae pale-reddish to reddish-brown.

Head ( Fig. 85 ) approximately as long as broad; lateral margins behind eyes subparallel in dorsal view; posterior angles rounded, weakly marked; punctation very dense and fine, but distinct; interstices without microreticulation, glossy. Eyes large, slightly longer than postocular region in dorsal view. Antennae 1.5-1.7 mm long; preapical antennomeres approximately as long as broad.

Pronotum ( Fig. 85 ) approximately as broad as long and as broad as head; lateral margins weakly convex in dorsal view; midline with narrow impunctate band; punctation dense and fine, similar to that of head; interstices without microsculpture.

Elytra ( Fig. 85 ) only slightly longer than pronotum; punctation very dense and fine; interstices without microsculpture. Hind wings present. Protarsomeres I-IV moderately dilated. Metatarsomere I approximately as long as the combined length of II and III.

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

♂: sternite VII ( Fig. 86 ) relatively weakly transverse, posterior margin with pronounced, deep, broad, and bisinuate excision, this excision furnished with a conspicuous comb of long palisade setae; sternite VIII ( Fig. 87 ) moderately transverse, pubescence not distinctly modified, posterior excision relatively deep, but not very broad; aedeagus ( Figs 88-89 ) approximately 0.6 mm long; apical portion strongly bent dorsad in lateral view; dorso-lateral apophyses absent; internal structures of distinctive shapes.

Comparative notes: This species is readily distinguished from its congeners particularly by the conspicuous modifications of the male sternite VII and by the morphology of the aedeagus.

Distribution and natural history: Lithocharis ornatrix is currently known from Sulawesi ( Indonesia), Sarawak, and Sabah ( Malaysia: North Borneo). Some of the specimens were collected at light, with a flight interception trap, and with fish-baited pitfall traps in alluvial and logged forests at low altitudes.

Figures

Figs 85-89: Lithocharis ornatrix nov.sp.: (85) forebody; (86) male sternite VII; (87) male sternite VIII; (88-89) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 85: 0.5 mm; 86-89: 0.2 mm.