Plochionocerus reticularis Asiain, Márquez & Morrone, 2007

Asiain, Julieta, Márquez, Juan & Morrone, Juan J., 2007, Phylogenetic systematics of the genera Plochionocerus Dejean and Agrodes Nordmann (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Xantholinini), Zootaxa 1584, pp. 1-53 : 27-28

Plochionocerus reticularis Asiain, Márquez & Morrone , sp. nov.

Type material (2 specimens). Holotype, male: “Merida, VENEZUELA / Coll. et. det. A. Fauvel. Sterculia humeralis Sharp. R.I.Sc.N.B. 17.479 / Holotype Plochionocerus reticularis Asiain, Márquez & Morrone, 2007 ” ( IRSNB). Paratype, female: “ idem / Paratype Plochionocerus reticularis Asiain, Márquez & Morrone, 2007 ” ( IRSNB).

Description. Total length 18.5–20.7 mm. Metallic, obscure green blue.

Head. Rectangular, 1.33–1.37 times as long as wide, as wide as pronotum, dorsally and ventrally flat (similar to Fig. 13 ), ventrally with slightly dense, expanded, umbilicate punctures (10–19 in each half of head; similar to Fig. 50 ); first antennomere almost twice as long as antennomeres 2+3 combined (1.88 times), second antennomere 0.73 times as long as third antennomere, antennomeres 4–10 moderately transverse, increasing in size toward antennomere 10, antennomere 9 shorter than antennomere 10 in males (0.86 times its length), apical antennomere in males conspicuously longer than wide (1.62 times) and longer than antennomeres 9+10 combined (1.21 times; Fig. 29 ); mandibles without basal external channel.

Thorax. Pronotum 1.48 times as long as wide; shorter than elytra (0.77–0.80 times their length); with two clearly visible depressed areas in posterior third and with some small and fine, umbilicate punctures combined ( Fig. 57 ). Prosternum moderately transverse (length/width: 0.72–0.79).

Aedeagus. Pear-shaped, length 4.0 mm, with parameres moderately long (0.37 times as long as median lobe), apical area of median lobe 0.33 times as long as the total length of median lobe, and internal sac moderately visible ( Fig. 90 ).

Variation. The apical antennomere in males is slightly longer than in females; the upper line of pronotal hypomeron in males is absent at the level of the procoxae and reappears at the anterior corner, but in the females it is completely developed.

Comparative notes. It can be distinguished from the rest of the species, especially those with a rectangular or subquadrate head, because the apical antennomere in males is longer than antennomeres 9+10 combined, the head is flat dorsally and ventrally, the umbilicate punctures on the ventral surface of head are less dense, and the pronotum has fine punctures combined with some umbilicate punctures.

Geographical distribution. Venezuela.

Etymology. The name of this species refers to the umbilicate punctures on the head, which are deep, with their margins constituting a conspicuous web.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 16. Lateral view of head: 9, Philonthus testaceipennis; 10, Agrodes elegans; 11, Plochionocerus discedens; 12, P. gracilis; 13, P. humeralis; 14, P. m a rq u e z i; 15, P. simplicicollis; 16, Renda flagellicornis.

FIGURES 48 – 53. Cephalic ventral view: 48, Renda flagellicornis; 49, Philonthus testaceipennis; 50, Plochionocerus simplicicollis; 51, P. gracilis; 52, P. h e r m a n i; 53, P. puncticeps.

FIGURES 20 – 31. Antennae: 20, Philonthus testaceipennis; 21, Renda flagellicornis; 22, Agrodes conicicollis; 23, A. elegans; 24, Plochionocerus gracilis; 25, P. humeralis; 26, P. i g n e u s; 27, P. m a rq u e z i; 28, P. puncticeps; 29, P. re t i c u - laris; 30, P. s p l e n d e n s; 31, P. transversalis.

FIGURES 54 – 62. Pronotum: 54, Philonthus testaceipennis; 55, Renda flagellicornis; 56, Plochionocerus simplicicollis; 57, P. reticularis. Elytra: 58, Agrodes spp.; 59, Plochionocerus spp. Midleg: 60, Philonthus testaceipennis; 61, Agrodes spp.; 62, Plochionocerus spp.

FIGURES 88 – 93. Ventral (left) and lateral (right) view of aedeagus: 88, Plochionocerus pronotalis; 89, P. puncticeps; 90, P. reticularis; 91, P. simplicicollis; 92, P. s p l e n d e n s; 93, P. transversalis. Scale bar 1 mm.