Seeversiella minima Gusarov

Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2003, A revision of the genus Seeversiella Ashe, 1986 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 142, pp. 1-102 : 48-50

13. Seeversiella minima Gusarov , sp. n. ( Figs. 175­189 )

Type material. Holotype ,, EL SALVADOR: Santa Ana: Montecristo, 21.7 km NE Metapan, 2100 m, forest litter (R.S.Anderson), 29.viii.1994 ( KSEM).

Paratypes: EL SALVADOR: Santa Ana:, 4, same data as the holotype ( KSEM).

Diagnosis. Seeversiella minima can be distinguished from other species of Seeversiella by having brownish yellow; small eyes (temple length to eye length ratio 4.0­7.0); glossy pronotum with fine and weak microsculpture; elytra much shorter than pronotum; reduced wings; tergum 8 with four pairs of macrosetae; the shape of aedeagus ( Figs. 179­ 183, 185­189 ) and the distinct shape of spermatheca ( Fig. 184 ).

Seeversiella minima can be distinguished from S. flavida and other similar species (24­ 28) with small body and very short elytra by the combination of the following characters: pubescence in lateral portions of pronotum directed towards midline and obliquely posteriorly; tergum 8 with four pairs of macrosetae; proximal seta of the apex of paramere is much longer than the other three setae ( Fig. 183 ); apex of median lobe in parameral view wide ( Figs. 179­180 ); spermatheca J­shaped with bulbous proximal portion and without umbilicus ( Fig. 184 ).

Description. Length 1.6­2.0 mm. Body brownish­yellow with yellow legs, antennae and mouthparts.

Head surface glossy, with fine and weak isodiametric microsculpture, fine and sparse punctation, distance between punctures equals 3­4 times their diameter. Temple length to eye length ratio 4.0­7.0. Antennal article 2 as long as 3, article 4 transverse (ratio 1.5), 5­ 10 strongly transverse (ratio 2.0).

Pronotum slightly transverse, 1.2 times as wide as head, width 0.34­0.40 mm, length 0.31­0.36 mm, width to length ratio 1.1, surface glossy, microsculpture and punctation as on head. Elytra wider and much shorter (measured from humeral angle) than pronotum (pronotal length to elytral length ratio 1.4), 1.9 times wider than long, glossy, with fine and poorly visible isodiametric microsculpture; punctation asperate and stronger than on pronotum, distance between punctures equals 2­3 times their diameter. Wings shorter than elytra or absent.

Abdominal terga glossy, with fine microsculpture consisting of transverse meshes, with fine punctation, distance between punctures equals 2­3 times their diameter on terga 3­5 and 3­6 times on tergum 7. Apical margin of tergum 7 without white palisade fringe. Tergum 8 with four pairs of macrosetae ( Figs. 175, 177 ).

In males posterior angles of tergum 3 not projecting, tergum 7 without medial carina or tubercle, posterior margin of tergum 8 without emargination ( Fig. 175 ).

Aedeagus as in Figs. 179­183, 185­189 . Proximal seta of the apex of paramere is much longer than the other three setae ( Fig. 183 ).

Spermatheca as in Fig. 184 .

Distribution. Known from Cerro Montecristo, El Salvador ( Fig. 387 ).

Natural History. Seeversiella minima was collected in forest litter at altitude of 2100 m.

Figures

FIGURE 387. Geographical distribution of Seeversiella from Mexico to Honduras.

FIGURES 175 ­ 178. Abdominal segment 8 of Seeversiella minima Gusarov, sp. n. (175 ­ 176, holotype; 177 ­ 178, paratype, 21.7 km NE Metapan, El Salvador). 175 – male tergum 8; 176 – male sternum 8; 177 – female tergum 8; 178 – female sternum 8. Scale bar 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 179 ­ 189. Genitalia of Seeversiella minima Gusarov, sp. n. (179 ­ 183, 185 ­ 186, holotype; 184, 187 ­ 189, paratypes, 21.7 km NE Metapan, El Salvador). 179 – median lobe, parameral view; 180 – apex of median lobe, parameral view; 181 – median lobe, lateral view; 182 – apex of median lobe, lateral view; 183 – apex of left paramere; 184 – spermatheca; 185 – details of internal sac retracted into median lobe, lateral view; 186 – details of internal sac retracted into median lobe, abparameral view; 187 – medial lamellae, parameral view; 188 – medial lamellae, lateral view; 189 – copulatory piece, lateral view. Scale bar 0.2 mm (179, 181, 185 ­ 186), 0.1 mm (180, 182 ­ 184, 187 ­ 189).