Lithocharodes ashei, Irmler, 2021

Irmler, Ulrich, 2021, The Neotropical species of the genus Lithocharodes SHARP, 1876 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Xantholinini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 71 (1), pp. 29-85 : 34

Lithocharodes ashei spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3464349F-B225-4FFB-A2DA-A9F5F286E872

Figs 30 a, b, d , 44 B , 47 I

Type material: male, holotype: Panama, Cerro Campana ( Capira ) (8°44'N, 79°57'W), flight intercept trap, 790 m elev., 1.6.1995, leg. J.S. Ashe, R. Brooks, #091 ( KNHM) . Paratypes: Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Wilson Botanical Garden ( Las Cruces Biol. Stn. ), flight intercept trap, 1200 m elev., 8 males, 7 females, 27.5.1993, J.S. & K.A. Ashe, #64 (13 KNHM, 2 UIC) ; Corcovado National Park, Sirena Stn., Corcovado Trail (83°34'39"W, 8°29'7"N), 150 m elev., flight intercept trap, 3 male, 7 females, 28.6.- 1.7.2000, leg. Z.H. Falin, #CR1ABF00 059 (8 KNHM, 2 UIC)) ; same location and collector but Upper Ollas Trail (83°34'39"W, 8°29'7"N), 140 m elev., flight intercept trap, female, 24.- 28.6.2000, #CR1ABF00 036 ( KNHM) ; Rincon de Osa (83°31'1.17"W, 8°41'1.41"N); 150 m elev., flight intercept trap, female, 23.- 26.6.2001, leg. S&J. Peck, #CR1P01 006 ( KNHM) ; Las Cruces Bio. Stn. (82°57'58"W, 8°47'14"N), 1330 m elev. flight intercept trap, 4 males, 8 females, 28.-30.2004, leg. J.S. Ashe, Z. Falin, I. Hinojosa, #CR1AFH04059 (10 KNHM, 2 UIC) ; Alajuela, Peña Blancas , 880 m elev, flight intercept trap, female, 19.5.1989, leg. J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Leschen, #270 ( KNHM) ; Alajuela, San Ramon , 5 km W., 1200 m elev. 2 females, 1.- 31.12.1997, 1.- 28.2.1997, leg. P. Hanson, #CR1HAN92-97 12 and 14 ( KNHM) ; 27 km N & 8 km W San Ramon (84°35'46"W, 10°13'4"N), 810 m elev., flight intercept trap, 1 male, 5 females, 8.7.2000, leg. J. Ashe, R. Brooks, Z. Falin, #CR1ABF00 084 ( KNHM) ; Peñas Blancas , 800 m elev., flight intercept trap, 3 females, 19.5.1989, leg. J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Leschen, #265 ( KNHM) ; Guanacaste, Maritza Biol. Stn. , 550 m elev., flight intercept trap, female, 22.5.1993, leg. J. & A. Ashe, #036 ( KNHM) ; same location and collectors but streamside litter, male, 22.5.1993, #041 ( KNHM) ; Patilla Biological Station (85°25'33"W, 10°59'22"N), 610 m elev., flight intercept trap, female, 13.- 15.7.2000, leg. J. Ashe, R. Brooks, Z. Falin #CR1ABF00 135 ( KNHM) ; Panama, San Blas, Nusagandi Reserve (9°21'N, 78°59'W), Atta nest, 350 m elev., female, 28.5.1995, leg. A. Gillogly ( KNHM) ; Cerro Campana ( Capira ) (79°57'W, 8°44'N), 790 m elev. flight intercept trap, 5.6.1995, leg. J. Ashe, R. Brooks, #129 ( KNHM) .

Diagnosis: Lithocharodes ashei is one of the larger species with more than 6.0 mm size and, in combination with its dark colouration, similar to L. triangula . Females of both species can hardly be identified. However, males are clearly separated by the shape of the central incision of tergite VII, which is broadly triangular in L. triangula and small and narrow in L. ashei . In addition, males of L. ashei may be easily identified by the specific shape of the paramere, which is totally different from all other Lithocharodes species.

Description: Length: 6.3 mm. Colouration: black, legs and antennae dark brown.

Head: 1.12 mm long, 0.95 mm wide; eyes moderately large; postocular space 2.5 times as long as eyes; sides slightly divergent posteriad; posterior angles widely rounded; posterior margin straight only in short middle part; interantennal furrows deep; nearly reaching posterior edge of eyes; setiferous punctation dense and deep except for moderately wide impunctate midline; space between interantennal furrows impunctate; anterior punctation slightly denser than close to neck; on anterior vertex, half as wide as diameter of punctures; on posterior vertex slightly shorter than diameter of punctures; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Antennae with first antennomere approximately half as long as head; second and third antennomere each longer than wide; conical; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; fourth antennomere 1.5 times as wide as long; tenth antennomere twice as wide as long. Pronotum: 1.18 mm long, 1.03 mm wide; widest in anterior third; convergently narrowed toward neck; slightly narrowed toward posterior margin in concave curve; in front of posterior angles nearly parallel; posterior margin slightly convex; setiferous punctation moderately dense and deep; less dense than on anterior vertex; with wide impunctate midline; adjacent to midline with irregular line of 19-20 punctures; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Elytra: 0.88 mm long, 0.77 mm wide; sides nearly parallel; humeral angles sub-rectangular; posterior angles nearly rectangular; posterior margin approximately straight; setiferous punctation dense and deep; on average, interstices less than half as wide as diameter of punctures; interstices without microsculpture; surface due to dense punctation less shiny than pronotum. Abdomen with dense setiferous punctation; surface without microsculpture except at base of anterior segments with dense isodiametric microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII of male with weak triangular emargination and deep medial incision. Meso- and metatibia with 3 subapical ctenidia each. Aedeagus oval with parallel anterior half; anterior angles widely rounded but nearly rectangular; endophallus with two strings covered by large teeth at anterior and posterior end; paramere thick; at apex bilobed with thick outer lobe and hook-like inner lobe; at apical margin with few setae; at inner face with row of apical setae and two patches with dense setation.

Etymology: The species name honours J.S. Ashe who collected and worked on Neotropical species extensively.

Figures

Fig. 25–30: L.-??-group: Lithocharodes nigrita (25), L. aculeata (26), L. ecuadoriensis (27), L. lescheni (28), L. armata (29), L. ashei (30); aedeagus (a), paramere (b), sternite VII of male (c), tergite VII of male (d); scale bare: A–D: 0.2 mm; B: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 44: Head of L. triangula (A), L. ashei (B), L. elongata (C) L. lescheni (D), L. pampana (E), L. peruana (F), L. nigrita (G), L. ecuadoriensis (H), L. boliviana (I), L. katharinae (J), L. karinae (K), L. nigerrima (L), L. denticulata (M), L. fusciventris (N), L. bicornis (O), L. sordida (P); scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Fig. 47: Fore-body of: Lithocharodes spinigera (A), L. aculeata (B), L. verhaagi (C), L. fuscula (D), L. silvicola (E), L. brooksi (F), L. obscura (G), L. triangula (H), L. ashei (I), L. elongata (J); scale bare: 0.5 mm.