Neosclerus configens, Assing, 2011

Assing, Volker, 2011, A revision of the genus Neosclerus C (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 6 (1), pp. 89-148 : 119-121

Neosclerus configens sp. n. ( Figs 92-100)

Type material:

Holotype : " Taiwan, Taoyuan Hsien, Takuanshan For, 17.IV.90, 1650 m, A. Smetana [T5] / Holotypus  Neosclerus configensconfigens sp. n. det. V. Assing 2010 " (cSme) . Paratypes: 4 exs.: same data as holotype (cSme, cAss); 1 : " Taiwan, Nantou Hsien, Hwy. 14, Fengnan , 22.IV. 90, 700 m, A. Smetana [T17] (cAss) .

Description:

Body length 3.3-4.0 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 92. Coloration: head blackish; pronotum dark-brown to blackish-brown; elytra brown to dark-brown, with the anterior and posterior margins reddish; abdomen dark-brown to blackish-brown, with the apex reddish to reddish-brown; legs yellowish to yellowish-brown; antennae reddish-yellow.

Head across eyes approximately 1.2 times as wide as long; postocular region approximately as long as width of antennomere I ( Fig. 93); punctation coarse, moderately dense in anterior and sparse in posterior portion of dorsal surface; interstices in anterior and median area with very shallow traces of microsculpture, in posterior area with distinct microreticulation; antenna approximately 1.1 mm long.

Pronotum approximately as long as wide and approximately 0.9 times as wide as head ( Fig. 93); punctation as coarse as that of head or nearly so, and moderately dense; interstices on average distinctly narrower than diameter of punctures; impunctate midline usually moderately broad and well defined.

Elytra short and widened posteriad, approximately 0.65 times as long and at posterior margin about as wide as pronotum; humeral angles weakly marked ( Fig. 93); punctation relatively fine, dense, and rather ill-defined. Hind wings absent.

Abdomen 1.05-1.10 times as wide as elytra; punctation fine, dense on anterior tergites and somewhat less dense on posterior tergites; microsculpture shallow, but distinct; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: sternite VII with posterior margin shallowly concave in the middle, at the margin of this concavity with transverse cluster of moderately dense, short and dark setae ( Fig. 94); sternite VIII in anterior half with pronounced carina posteriorly extending into an acute process with some setae, median portion without pubescence, posterior excision almost U-shaped, its depth approximately 1/5 the length of tergite ( Figs 95-97); aedeagus with ventral process notched and dentate approximately in the middle (lateral view), internal sac with pair of dark basal structures ( Figs 98-100).

Etymology:

The specific epithet is the present participle of the Latin verb configere (to pierce) and refers to the acute process of the male sternite VIII.

Comparative notes:

Based on the male primary and secondary sexual characters (particularly modifications of male sternite VIII, shape of ventral process and of internal structures of aedeagus), as well as on the similar external morphology, N .. configens is closely related to N .. hlavacihlavaci from Fujian. It is best distinguished from this species by the shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus (much more acute in N .. hlavaci ).

Distribution and bionomics:

The adaptive reductions of the elytra, the hind wings, and the palisade fringe at the posterior margin of the abdominal tergite VII suggest that N .. configens is endemic to Taiwan, where it has been recorded from Nantou Hsien (central Taiwan) and from Taoyuan (northwest). The type material was sifted from moist to wet debris and humus among lush vegetation and from dead, slightly mouldy plum twigs in a plum orchard at altitudes of 1650 and 700 m, respectively (SMETANA pers. comm.) .