Himalusini Klimaszewski, Pace & Center, 2010

Hashizume, Takuto, Maruyama, Munetoshi, Kishimoto, Toshio & Klimaszewski, Jan, 2025, Taxonomic review of the tribe Himalusini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), with new synonymies, Zootaxa 5701 (1), pp. 54-64 : 55-62

Tribe Himalusini Klimaszewski, Pace & Center, 2010

( Figs. 1–3 )

Himalusini Klimaszewski, Pace & Center in Klimaszewski, Pace, Center & Couture, 2010: 3 (original description; type genus: Himalusa Pace, 2006 ).

Sinanarchusini Pace, 2013: 22 (original description; type genus: Sinanarchusa Pace, 2013 ); Maruyama et al., 2014: 394 (synonymized with Himalusini ).

Diagnosis. Himalusini is distinguished from other aleocharine tribes by the combination of the following character states: paramere distinctive, apical lobe partially or entirely covered with fine scale-like protuberances; lacinia with several large elongate or triangular teeth near apex; labium with extremely broad ligula; labial palpus with two palpomeres; prementum transverse with elongate, delicate and thin lateral lobes of apodeme (component “r” of premental sclerite in Weide et al. (2014)) that converge at their apices; maxillary palpus with a pseudosegment; tarsal formula 4-4-4 or 4-4-5 (modified after Maruyama et al. 2014; most of these features shown in their figures 2–5).

Remarks. Parabrachida decipiens Cameron, 1939 (= Himalusa thailandensis Pace, Klimaszewski & Center, 2010 , syn. nov.) is known to feed on the leaves of sewer vine ( Klimaszewski et al. 2010), and is the only known leaf-feeding species of Aleocharinae, but the feeding habit of other species of this tribe remains unknown.

Key to the genera and species of Himalusini

1. Tarsal formula 4-4-4; apical lobe of paramere of aedeagus thick, cylindrical........ Sinanarchusa Pace. ............................................................................................ Sinanarchusa daxuensis Pace

- Tarsal formula 4-4-5; apical lobe of paramere of aedeagus narrow, styliform....................................... 2

2. Labrum prominent anteriorly; ligula prominent medially; median lobe of aedeagus asymmetrical… Parabrachida Cameron. 3

- Labrum normal, transverse; ligula not prominent medially; median lobe of aedeagus symmetrical… Protinodes Sharp. ..... 4

3. Median lobe of aedeagus moderately slender; flagellum of median lobe of aedeagus long; sclerite located slightly right of flagellum Y-shaped.......................................................... Parabrachida decipiens Cameron

- Median lobe of aedeagus more slender, especially in ventral view; flagellum of median lobe of aedeagus short; sclerite located slightly right of flagellum nearly triangular....................................... Parabrachida persimilis Cameron

4. Body light brown; median lobe of aedeagus moderately stout........................... Protinodes puncticollis Sharp

- Body black; median lobe of aedeagus more slender, especially in ventral view............ Protinodes annapurnensis (Pace)

Figures

FIGURE 1. Protinodes puncticollis Sharp, 1888. A, Habitus; B, male tergite VIII; C, right paramere; D, median lobe of aedeagus, lateral; E, ditto, ventral; F, spermatheca; G, putative syntypes of Protinodes puncticollis (photo by R. Seki, used with permission). Scale bars: 1.0 mm for A; 0.2 mm for B–E; 0.1 mm for F.

FIGURE 2. Lectotype of Parabrachida decipiens Cameron, 1939.A, Habitus (lectotype); B, labels of lectotype; C, male tergite VIII; D, right paramere of aedeagus; E, median lobe of aedeagus, lateral; F, ditto, ventral. Scale bars: 1.0 mm for A; 0.2 mm for C–F.

FIGURE 3. Lectotype of Parabrachida persimilis Cameron, 1944.A, Habitus (lectotype); B, labels of lectotype; C, male tergite VIII; D, left paramere of aedeagus; E, median lobe of aedeagus, lateral; F, ditto, ventral. Scale bars: 1.0 mm for A; 0.2 mm for C–F.