Scydmaenilla (Scydmaenilla) thompsoniana Franz

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2013, Revision of subgenera of Stenichnus Thomson, with review of Australo-Pacific species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), Zootaxa 3630 (1), pp. 39-79 : 74

Scydmaenilla (Scydmaenilla) thompsoniana Franz

( Figs. 95 , 101 , 107 )

Stenichnus (Scydmaenilla) thompsonianus Franz, 1975: 139 .

Type material studied. Holotype: Ƥ: three labels ( Fig. 107 ): "Umg. Maipoton / Queensld., Austr. / lg.H.Franz 1970" and "Pa 76" on the reverse side [white, printed, reverse handwritten in blue], " Stenichnus / ( Scydmaenilla ) / thompsoniana [sic!] m. / det.H.Franz" [white, printed and handwritten in blue], " Typus " [red, handwritten in blue] (SAM).

Diagnosis. Body length 1.15 mm; elytra stout, EI 1.47; antennal club with slightly asymmetrical antennomere X; metatibiae with short and slender subapical setal brushes; lateral metaventral carinae absent; short median longitudinal groove on posterior pronotal collar present; lateral marginal pronotal carinae barely discernible. Indistinguishable from S. queenslandica ; see Remarks.

Redescription. The holotype female ( Figs. 95 , 101 ) differs from the holotype male of S. queenslandica only in more lightly pigmented body and slightly different measurements: BL 1.15 mm; HL 0.20 mm, HW 0.23 mm, AnL 0.33 mm; PL 0.33 mm, PW 0.29 mm; EL 0.63 mm, EW 0.43 mm, EI 1.47.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Eastern Australia: southeastern Queensland.

Remarks. Franz (1975) described S. thompsoniana on the basis of a single female, and S. queenslandica on the basis of a single male, both collected in the same locality. In the identification key for Scydmaenilla, Franz (1975; p. 140–141) differentiated these species on the basis of the proportions of the pronotum, body shape and elytral punctation. However, examination of the type specimens revealed that they have nearly identical PL and PW, share a similar body shape, and the difference in the elytral punctation is barely noticeable. The holotype of S. thompsoniana is lighter in color and has slightly narrower head. The observed differences can be attributed to a sexual dimorphism or to inter-individual variation within species. However, I prefer not to synonymize these names until a larger sample has become available and the morphological variability has been better studied.

Figures

FIGURES 93 – 98. Dorsal habitus of Scydmaenilla. Scydmaenilla (s. str.) constricta Lea, paralectotype female (93), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) queenslandica Franz, holotype male (94), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) thompsoniana, holotype female (95), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) brisbanensis, holotype female (96), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) sydneyana, holotype female (97), Scydmaenilla (Scydmaenillunia) adelaidensis Franz, holotype female (98).

FIGURES 99 – 104. Ven t er of Scydmaenilla. Scydmaenilla (s. str.) constricta Lea, paralectotype female (99), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) queenslandica Franz, holotype male (100), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) thompsoniana, holotype female (101), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) brisbanensis, holotype female (102), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) sydneyana, holotype female (103), Scydmaenilla (Scydmaenillunia) adelaidensis Franz, holotype female (104). Abbreviations: ai, asetose impression of mesoventrite; lmtc, lateral metaventral carina; pl, posterior lobe of mesocoxal projection; si, setose impression of mesoventrite.

FIGURES 105 – 110. Original sets of labels. Scydmaenilla (s. str.) constricta Lea, lectotype (105), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) queenslandica Franz, holotype (106), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) thompsoniana, holotype (107), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) brisbanensis, holotype (108), Scydmaenilla (s. str.) sydneyana, holotype (109), Scydmaenilla (Scydmaenillunia) adelaidensis Franz, holotype (110).