Neosclerus glaber, 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 : 128-129

Neosclerus glaber sp. n. ( Figs 143-150)

Type material:

Holotype : " China, Fujian prov., Wuyi Shan Nat. Res., Sangan env. (900 m), 30.v.-12.vi.2001, Hlaváč & Cooter lgt. / Holotypus  Neosclerus glaberglaber sp. n. det. V. Assing 2009" (cAss). Paratypes: 9 exs.: same data as holotype (cAss, cShi); 1 : " China, Fujian prov., Wuyi Shan Nat. Res., Gadun hill, (900-1300 m), 1.-2.vi.2001, Hlaváč & Cooter lgt." (cAss); 3 exs.: " China: Fujian Province, Wuyi Shan, ca. 820 m, 27°75'N [sic], 117°66'E [sic] / ca. 2 km NE Tongmu village, 30.v.2001, Mixed forest litter, leg. J. Cooter & P. Hlaváč" (cRou, cAss); 1 ex.: " China: Fujian Province, Wuyi Shan. 1200 m, 27°75'N [sic], 117°64'E [sic] / Quiliquao-Guadun road, 1.vi.2001, Mixed forest litter, Leg. J. Cooter + P. Hlaváč" (cRou); 3 exs.: " China: Fujian Province, Wuyi Shan, ca. 800 m, 27°75'N [sic], 117°68'E [sic], ca. 2 km NE Tongmu village, 8.vi.2001, Leg. J. Cooter + P. Hlaváč, Sieved Taxus/Phyllostachys pubescens (bamboo) litter" (cRou, cAss); 7 exs.: " China: Yunnan, Dali Bai Aut. Pref., 36 km N Dali, ruderal pasture with pines and shrubs, 26°01'20''N, 100°08'14''E, 2158 m, litter sifted under pines and shrubs, 24.VIII.2009, leg. M. Schülke [CH09-04]" (cSch, cAss); 1 : " China: Yunnan, Baoshan Pref., 10 km SE Kambaiti pass, 45 km NW Tengchong, 1700-1800 m, 25°21'13-29''N, 98°13'39-54''E, primary forest, litter and mushrooms sifted, 29.VIII.2009, leg. M. Schülke [CH09-15]" (cSch); 1 : " China (Yunnan), Nujiang Lisu Aut. Pref., Salween side valley 5 km S Fugong, road SS 228 km 223 (creek bank, litter sifted), 8.VI.2007, D.W. Wrase [25]" (cSch); 1 : "Honkong, N.T., Kadoori Farm, 570 m, 6.IX.1999, J.R. Fellows" (cRou); 2  [macropterous]: "N-Thailand, Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep, 1580 m NN, Laubstreu, 13.11.1995, P. Wunderle (cWun, cAss); 1 , 1 : " Malaysia, 19.-23.iii.2008, P.M. Hammond / Pahang, Cameron Hlds., Tanah Rata / rotten log / BMNH {E} 2008-42, P.M. Hammond" ( BMNH, cAss).

Description:

Body length 3.0- 3.6 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 143. Coloration: body usually almost uniformly blackish, elytra rarely brown with yellowish margins; legs yellowish; antennae usually yellowish with antennomere I weakly infuscate, rarely darker.

Head across eyes 1.15-1.20 times as wide as long; postocular region very short or obsolete; punctation coarse and of variable density, moderately dense to very dense, in posterior portion of dorsal surface sparser ( Figs 144-145); interstices without microsculpture and glossy; antenna 0.9- 1.0 mm long.

Pronotum approximately as long as wide and 0.8-0.9 times as wide as head ( Figs 144-145); punctation coarse and moderately dense; impunctate midline ill-defined or indistinct.

Elytra of very variable length and width, 0.85-1.10 times as long and 1.05-1.20 times as wide as pronotum (morph with long and broad elytra much rarer than morph with short and narrow elytra); humeral angles marked ( Figs 144-145); punctation moderately fine and very dense; interstices without microsculpture. Hind wings present, but possibly dimorphic and of reduced length in specimens with short elytra.

Abdomen slightly to distinctly narrower than elytra; punctation fine and moderately dense, somewhat sparser on tergite VII than on anterior tergites; interstices usually with very shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

: sternite VII with weakly convex posterior margin, posteriorly without modified setae ( Fig. 146); sternite VIII with almost V-shaped posterior excision, its depth approximately 1/5 the length of sternite, in anterior half unmodified ( Fig. 147); aedeagus of distinctive morphology, ventral process very slender in lateral view, subapically without a tooth in lateral view; internal sac with two slender sclerotized structures in apical portion ( Figs 148-150).

Etymology:

The name (Latin, adjective: glabrous) refers to the glossy appearance of this species.

Comparative notes:

This species is best distinguished from other macropterous congeners by the morphology of the aedeagus, from most species also by the unmodified male sternite VII and the shape and chaetotaxy of the male sternite VIII.

Distribution and bionomics:

Neosclerus glaber is known from Fujian and Yunnan provinces (southern China), Hongkong, Thailand, and Malaysia, suggesting that it is widespread in the Oriental and the southern East Palaearctic regions. The type specimens from Fujian were collected at altitudes of 900-1300 m in March, June, August, and September, partly together with N .. hlavaci ; those from Yunnan were sifted from leaf litter under shrubs, in a forest, and on a stream bank at altitudes of 1700- 2160 m. The material from Malaysia was found in a rotten log, the female from Hongkong at an altitude of 570 m. The specimens from Thailand were sifted from leaf litter at an altitude of 1580 m in November .