Neosclerus

Assing, Volker, 2011, A revision of the genus Neosclerus C (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 6 (1), pp. 89-148 : 139-143

Key to the species of Neosclerus

1. Posterior margin of abdominal tergite VII without palisade fringe. Elytra short, at most approximately 0.75 times as long as pronotum. Hind wings completely reduced. Species from southern China and Taiwan. ................................................................................ B

- Posterior margin of abdominal tergite VII with palisade fringe. Elytra at least approximately 0.85 times as long as pronotum. Hind wings not completely reduced, but sometimes of reduced length. .......................................................................................................... 11

2. Species from Taiwan. .................................................................................................... C

- Species from southern China. ...................................................................................... I

3. Elytra approximately 0.75 times as long as pronotum ( Fig.G4). Head with denser punctation ( Fig. 74). : sternite VIII posteriorly without distinct cluster of modified setae ( Fig. 75); sternite VIII anteriorly without spinose process ( Figs 76-77); aedeagus as in Figs 78-79. Hsinchu Hsien. ............................................................................... N. inarmatus sp. n.

- Elytra shorter, approximately 0.60-0.65 times as long as pronotum. Head with less dense punctation. : sternite VII posteriorly with distinct cluster of modified setae; sternite VIII anteriorly with spinose process (best visible in lateral view); aedeagus of different morphology. ................................................................................................................. D

4. : aedeagus long and slender (length> 0.83 mm), ventral process slender and with median carina in ventral view, internal sac with long and massive dark structures in apical portion ( Figs 141-142); sternite VIII shaped as in Figs 128-129, anteriorly with broad and long carina ( Fig. 140). Pingtung Hsien. .................................................... N. carinatuscarinatus sp. n.

- : aedeagus shorter (<0.74 mm) and less slender, ventral process of completely different shape and without apical carina, internal sac with the usual basal pair of sclerotized structures, but without large dark structures in apical portion; sternite VII of different shape and anteriorly with narrower carina. ............................................................................ E

5. : aedeagus with apex of ventral process in lateral view slender, shaped as in Figs 133- 134. .............................................................................................................................F

- : aedeagus with ventral process of different shape. ..................................................... G

6. : sternite VIII with anterior carina very slender, longer, and more strongly extended posteriorly (FigsA20-121); posterior excision of sternite VIII deeper, its depth approximately 1/4 the length of sternite ( Fig. 119); aedeagus with ventral process apically more slender in lateral view ( Figs 122-124, 134). Kaohsiung Hsien. .............................. N. bifidus sp. n.

- : sternite VIII with anterior carina broader, shorter, and less strongly extended posteriorly ( Figs 129-130); posterior excision of sternite VIII less deep, its depth approximately 1/5 the length of sternite ( Fig.A28); aedeagus with ventral process apically less slender in lateral view ( Figs 131-133). Nantou Hsien. ............................................... N. atsushii SHIBATA

7. : ventral process of aedeagus apically broader in lateral view (FigsI8-100); posterior margin of sternite VII distinctly concave in the middle ( Fig. 94); sternite VIII as in Figs 95-97. Nantou and Taoyuan Hsien. ............................................................. N. configens sp. n.

- : ventral process of aedeagus apically more slender in lateral view; posterior margin of sternite VII weakly concave in the middle. ...................................................................H

8. : ventral process apically more slender in lateral view and less abruptly narrowed in ventral view ( Figs 107-108); sternite VIII anteriorly with longer process ( Figs 104-106). Yilan Hsien. ............................................................................................... N. smetanai sp. n.

- : ventral process apically less slender in lateral view and more abruptly narrowed in ventral view ( Figs 114-115); sternite VIII anteriorly with shorter and less erect process ( Figs 112-113). Hsinchu Hsien. ......................................................... N. armatus sp. n.

9. Punctation of head distinctly sparser in posterior than in anterior portion of dorsal surface; postocular region moderately short, approximately as long as width of antennomere I ( Fig.H1). : aedeagus with ventral process subapically notched and acutely dentate ( Figs 89-90); sternite VIII anteriorly with median carina posteriorly extending into a bifid process ( Figs 86-88). Wuyi Shan (Fujian and Jiangxi provinces). .......... N. hlavaci sp. n.

- Punctation of head posteriorly as dense as, or only slightly less dense than that of anterior portion of dorsal surface; postocular region indistinct, almost obsolete. : aedeagus with ventral process of different shape; sternite VIII anteriorly without carina and without process. ...................................................................................................................... 10

10. Head with indistinct microreticulation in anterior portion of dorsal surface. Impunctate midline of pronotum not sulcate ( Fig. 61). : sternite VII strongly transverse and with weakly concave posterior margin ( Fig. 62); sternite VIII with very narrow posterior excision and without anterior elevation ( Figs 63-64); aedeagus shaped as in Fig. 65. Guangxi province. ............................................................................................... N. incisus sp. n.

- Head with distinct microreticulation everywhere and matt. Midline of pronotum narrowly sulcate ( Fig.E5). : sternite VII weakly transverse ( Fig.E9); sternite VIII anteriorly elevated and posteriorly with V-shaped excision (FigsE6-57); aedeagus shaped as in Fig.E8. Guangxi province. ............................................................................................. N. rimatus sp. n.

11. Pronotum and elytra reddish. ..................................................................................... 12

- At least the pronotum darker, dark-brown to blackish. ............................................... 13

12. Whole body of uniformly reddish coloration. Head with extremely dense punctation and matt, interstices reduced to narrow ridges and with microreticulation ( Fig. 22). : sternite VII with posterior margin broadly and very weakly concave, with row of long submarginal setae, otherwise unmodified ( Fig. 23); sternite VIII slender, with dense pubescence and broadly V-shaped posterior excision, otherwise unmodified ( Fig. 24); aedeagus of characteristic morphology ( Figs 25-26). Borneo: Sabah. ........................... N. erubescenserubescens sp. n.

- Head blackish, distinctly contrasting with the reddish pronotum. Head with very dense and coarse punctation, but interstices without microsculpture ( Fig. 165). : unknown. NE-India. ............................................................................. N. assamensis (CAMERON)

13. Punctation of pronotum fine, dense, and somewhat granulose, much finer than that of head ( Fig. 167). Head with very dense and coarse punctation ( Fig. 168). : sexual characters unknown. N-India, Nepal. .................................................... N. granulicollis CAMERON

- Punctation of pronotum coarse and not granulose, at most slightly finer than that of head. .......................................................................................................................... 14

14. Species known only from Java. Head with postocular region obsolete. ............................ ............................................................................................... N. javanus (BERNHAUER))

- Unknown from Java. Head often with short, but noticeable postocular region. .......... 15

15. : ventral process of aedeagus dorso-ventrally somewhat flattened, curved and subapically not dentate in lateral view, apically abruptly narrowed and acute in ventral view; internal sac with pair of slender and long sclerotized structures in apical portion. ................... 16

- : ventral process of aedeagus dorso-ventrally in most species not flattened, usually straight and subapically or apically dentate in lateral view, apically gradually narrowed in ventral view; internal structures of different shape and in different position. .......................... 17

16. Elytra (almost) uniformly blackish-brown to blackish. : sternite VII unmodified ( Fig.A46); sternite VIII anteriorly unmodified ( Fig. 147); aedeagus shaped as in Figs 148-150. Widespread: S-China, Hongkong, Thailand, Malaysia. .................................. N. glaber sp. n.

- Elytra dark-brown, with the humeral angles and the posterior margins broadly reddish. : sternite VII posteriorly with pair of tooth-like processes ( Fig. 153); sternite VIII anteriorly with pair of carinae ( Fig. 154); aedeagus shaped as in Figs 155-156. Vietnam. ................ ....................................................................................................... N. bicarinatusbicarinatus sp. n.

17. : sternite VII unmodified, pubescence sparse ( Fig. 158); sternite VIII unmodified, except for the posterior excision ( Fig. 159); aedeagus of distinctive shape ( Figs 160-161). Sri Lanka. ............................................................................ N. nigerrimus (KRAATZ)

- : sternite VII with pubescence denser and posteriorly modified; aedeagus of completely different morphology. Unknown from Sri Lanka. ....................................................... 18

18. Largest species of the genus of broad habitus ( Fig. 66), body length 3.4-4.0 mm. Head and pronotum with conspicuously dense and areolate punctation, head matt ( Fig. 67). : sternite VII posteriorly very indistinctly concave in the middle ( Fig. 68); sternite VIII anteriorly with elevation, in posterior median portion depressed and without pubescence, and with deep V-shaped posterior excision ( Figs 69-70); aedeagus shaped as in Figs 71-72. S-China: Yunnan. ......................................................................... N. schuelkei sp. n.

- Body smaller and more slender. Punctation of head and pronotum less dense and not areolate; head not completely matt. : sexual characters different. ............................. 19

19. : internal sac of aedeagus with two long series of small spines; ventral process of aedeagus slender, apically not spear-shaped. .............................................................................. 20

- : internal sac of aedeagus with pair of sclerotized structures, but without long series of small spines; ventral process of aedeagus apically spear-shaped, acute and subapically dentate. .................................................................................................................... 22

20. : aedeagus with apex of ventral process of distinctive shape, not hooked ( Figs 19-20); sternites VII and VIII as in Figs 17-18. Thailand. .............................. N. barbatus sp. n.

- : aedeagus with ventral process apically weakly to distinctly hooked. N-India, Nepal. ................................................................................................................ 21

21. : sternite VII posteriorly with more extensive cluster of long dark setae, posterior margin distinctly concave in the middle ( Fig. 10); sternite VIII with deeper posterior excision, its depth about 1/4 the length of sternite ( Fig. 11); aedeagus with ventral process stouter, apically more distinctly hooked in lateral view and apically less slender in ventral view, internal sac with more massive series of spines ( Figs 12-14). ..................... N. dupleseriatus sp. n.

- : sternite VII posteriorly with less conspicuous cluster of long setae, posterior margin only very indistincty concave in the middle ( Fig. 3); posterior excision of sternite VIII less deep, its depth approximately 1/5 the length of sternite ( Fig. 4); aedeagus with ventral process very slender, apically weakly hooked in lateral view and more slender in ventral view ( Figs 5-6). .................................................................. N. fortepunctatus CAMERON

22. Elytra shorter, 0.85-0.95 times as long as pronotum. : aedeagus with ventral process apically conspicuously slender and acute. ................................................................... 23

- Elytra longer, 1.10-1.15 times as long as prontoum. : aedeagus with ventral process apically less slender and acute. .................................................................................. 25

23. : sternite VIII anteriorly not elevated and without carinae, posterior excision less deep, its depth approximately 1/6 the length of sternite; ventral process of aedeagus apically dorsoventrally compressed, in lateral view extremely slender ( Figs 38-39). S-China: Yunnan; Thailand. ........................................................................................ N. praeacutus sp. n.

- : sternite VIII anteriorly with pair of short carinae, in lateral view elevated, posteriorly depressed and extensively devoid of pubescence (FigsC1, 173), posterior excision deeper, its depth approximately 1/5 the length of sternite; ventral process of aedeagus apically laterally compressed ( Figs 32-33, 178). ................................................................................... 24

24. Elytra usually more or less distinctly paler than head and pronotum, reddish-brown to brown. : sternite VIII longer and more slender, posteriorly more extensively devoid of pubescence ( Figs 30-31, 176); aedeagus with ventral process on ventral side angled and on dorsal side distinctly incised in the middle (lateral view), apex of ventral process more acute (lateral view), apical internal structures longer and more slender ( Figs 32-33, 178). Southern Himalaya region (N-India, Bhutan, Nepal). .......... N. brevipennis (CAMERON)

- Elytra dark-brown, of similar coloration as pronotum; : sternite VIII shorter and less slender, posteriorly less extensively devoid of pubescence ( Figs 172-173); aedeagus with ventral process on ventral side straight and on dorsal side not distinctly incised in the middle (lateral view), apex of ventral process rounded and slightly bent ventrad; apical internal structures shorter and stouter ( Figs 174-175). Myanmar. .......... N. schillhammeri sp. n.

25. Head usually with distinct microsculpture, at least in posterior portion of dorsal surface (Fig.D0). : sternite VII posteriorly with cluster of weakly modified setae ( Fig.D1); sternite VIII more slender, with longer and more extensive depression without pubescence ( Fig.D6); ventral process of aedeagus apically very acute in lateral view and less acute in ventral view ( Figs 43-45). Widespread: Thailand, Myanmar, S-China. ............... N. barbatulusbarbatulus sp. n.

- Head without microsculpture ( Fig.D8). : sternite VII posteriorly with cluster of stout and short black setae ( Fig.D9); sternite VIII less slender and with shorter, less oblong depression without pubescence; ventral process of aedeagus apically much less acute in lateral view and more acute in ventral view ( Figs 52-53). Thailand. .................. N. rougemontirougemonti sp. n.