Nepalota globifera PACE , 1998

Assing, Volker, 2015, On the Nepalota fauna of China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Athetini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (1), pp. 207-248 : 242-243

Nepalota globifera PACE, 1998

( Figs 128-136 , Map 6 )

Nepalota globifera PACE, 1998: 945 .

Nepalota caluoensis PACE, 2011: 173 ; nov.syn.

Nepalota daxuensis PACE, 2011: 174 ; nov.syn.

Type material examined N. globifera : Holotype ♀: " CHINA Yunnan, Ruili, 4.II.1993, G. de Rougemont / Holotypus Nepalota globifera m., det. R. Pace 1995 / Nepalota globifera sp. n., det. R. Pace 1995 / Nepalota globifera Pace , det. V. Assing 2014" ( MHNG).

N. caluoensis : Holotype ♀: " CHINA: W-Sichuan , Ya'an Pref ., Shimian Co., Xiaoxiang Ling, sidevalley ab. Nanya Cun nr. Caluo , 1250 m, 7.VII.1999, leg. A. Pütz / Holotypus Nepalota caluoensis mihi, det. R. Pace 2009 / Nepalota caluoensis n. sp., det. R. Pace 2009 / Nepalota globifera Pace , det. V. Assing 2015 " ( cPüt). Paratype ♀: same data as holotype ( cPüt).

N. daxuensis : Holotype ♀: " CHINA: W-Sichuan, Ya'an Pref., Shimian Co., Daxue Shan , road betw. Anshunchang-Wanba , 12 km W Shimian , 1300 m, 1300 m, 9.VII.1999, leg. A. Pütz / Holotypus Nepalota daxuensis mihi, det. R. Pace 2009 / Nepalota daxuensis n. sp., det. R. Pace 2009 / Nepalota globifera Pace , det. V. Assing 2015 " ( cPüt).

Material examined: China: Yunnan: 13exs., Lincang Pref ., Laobie Shan , WeiBo Shan pass, 24°08'N, 99°43'E, 2375 m, degraded secondary deciduous forest, litter and moss sifted, 8.IX.2009, leg. Schülke ( cSch, cAss) ; 5 exs., Lincang Pref ., 20 km NW Lincang, Bangma Shan, 23°58'N, 99°55'E, 2210 m, degraded forest with fern, litter and fern sifted, 9.IX.2009, leg. Schülke ( cSch, cAss) ; 2 exs., Nujiang Lisu Aut. Pref ., Salween side valley 5 km S Fugong , road SS 228 km 223, litter sifted, 2.VI.2007, leg. Wrase ( cSch, cAss) .

Comment: The original description of N. globifera is based on a single female from " China, Yunnan, Ruili" ( PACE 1998). It was subsequently reported from the Diancang Shan (Yunnan) by PACE (2011), again based on a single female. Based on external characters and the shape of the spermatheca, the additional material listed above is identical to, and most likely conspecific with, the holotype. The species is distinguished from all other congeners reliably recorded from China by the shiny forebody.

In the description of N. caluoensis , which is based on two females collected in Xiaoxiang Ling, Sichuan, PACE (2011) compares the species with - the doubtful - N. pernitida . There is no reference whatsoever to N. globifera . An examination of the type material of N. globifera and N. caluoensis yielded no differences suggesting that they should represent different species.

An examination of the female holotype of N. daxuensis , which was collected near the type locality of N. caluoensis , revealed that both the body and the spermatheca are malformed most likely as a result of improper treatment applied during original dissection. The true shape of the spermatheca is rather different from that illustrated by PACE (2011: figure 92). The specimen is undoubtedly conspecific with the type material of both N. globifera and N. caluoensis . Hence the synonymies proposed above. The question whether or not N. globulifer and N. pernitida really represent different species still requires clarification.

In view of the previous taxonomic confusion of this species and since neither the male sexual characters nor the female secondary sexual characters were known, a redescription is provided:

Redescription: Body length 3.3-4.0 mm; length of forebody 1.6-1.8 mm. Coloration: head, pronotum, and abdomen blackish; elytra dark-brown; legs brown with paler tarsi; antennae blackish-brown to blackish.

Head ( Fig. 128 ) transverse, approximately 1.05 times as broad as long; dorsal surface with extremely fine and sparse punctation and with practically obsolete microsculpture, glossy. Eyes large, longer than postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna moderately slender, approximately 1.2 mm long; antennomere IV weakly oblong; preapical antennomeres weakly transverse; antennomere XI apically acute, longer than the combined length of IX and X.

Pronotum ( Fig. 128 ) approximately 1.25 times as broad as long and 1.4 times as broad as head, without sexual dimorphism; punctation moderately dense and fine, more distinct than that of head; interstices with practically obsolete microsculpture and glossy.

Elytra ( Fig. 128 ) approximately 0.9 times as long as pronotum; punctation very dense and fine; interstices with shallow microreticulation. Hind wings fully developed.

Abdomen without appreciable microsculpture; punctation fine, moderately dense on tergites III-V, very sparse on tergites VI-VIII; tergites III and VII without sexual dimorphism.

♂: tergite VIII ( Fig. 129 ) with truncate or weakly concave posterior margin; sternite VIII ( Fig. 130 ) longer than tergite VIII, posterior margin obtusely pointed in the middle; median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 131-133 ) approximately 0.6 mm long and of highly distinctive shape; ventral process deeply bifid; ventrally with a large and strongly sclerotized asymmetric structure; internal structures of distinctive shapes and rather strongly sclerotized; paramere nearly as long as median lobe and with slender apical lobe.

♀: tergite VIII ( Fig. 134 ) with truncate posterior margin; sternite VIII ( Fig. 135 ) broadly convex posteriorly; spermatheca ( Fig. 136 ) approximately 0.35 mm long.

Comparative notes: This species is distinguished from all other congeners reliably recorded from China by the (nearly) obsolete microsculpture and shiny appearance of the head, pronotum, and abdomen alone. In particular, it is characterized by the derived morphology of the aedeagus, as well as by the shapes of the male and female tergite VIII.

Distribution and natural history: This species is currently known from several localities in Yunnan and Sichuan ( Map 6 ). The examined material was collected by sifting litter in various forest habitats at altitudes of 1250-2375 m.

Figures

Map 6: Distributions of Nepalota globifera PACE (filled circles: examined records; open circle: literature record), N. tuberifera nov.sp. (open stars), N. prominula nov.sp. (open diamond), and N. daweiana nov.sp. (filled triangle) in China.

Figs 128-136: Nepalota globifera PACE: (128) forebody; (129) male tergite VIII; (130) male sternite VIII; (131-133) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (134) female tergite VIII; (135) female sternite VIII; (136) spermatheca. Scale bars: 128: 1.0 mm; 129-131, 134-135: 0.5 mm; 131-133, 136: 0.2 mm.