Lomechusoides mongolicus Wasmann, 1897

Jászay, Tomáš, Hlaváč, Peter & Baňař, Petr, 2023, A taxonomic revision of the myrmecophilous genus Lomechusoides Tottenham, 1939 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). Part II. The revision of the strumosus species group, Zootaxa 5343 (6), pp. 539-593 : 554-556

Lomechusoides mongolicus Wasmann, 1897

Figs 34–42

Lomechusa mongolica Wasmann, 1897: 248 .

Lomechusa mongolica Wasmann : Schilow 1981: 221.

Lomechusoides mongolicus Wasmann, 1897 : Assing 2015: 259 , Schülke & Smetana 2015: 663. Type data. northern Mongolia: Changai (=Shangai, error of Wasmann, 1896: 248).

(=Хангайн нуруу)

Type material studied. LECTOTYPE, ♀, here designated: MONGOLIA: (p) Nordl. Mongolei, Changai, Leder / (h) v. mongolica Wasm. Type / red ink (p) HOLOTYPUS black ink (h) 1986, Lomechusa mongolica Wasmann / (h) Lomechusa mongolica Wasmann (p) Det. K. Sawada / red label (h) LECTOTYPE ♀ Lomechusoides mongolicus (Wasmann, 1897) , des. Jászay & Hlaváč, 2020 ( HNHM). Other material studied. China: 2♁♁: (h) Бл. Донкыра пер. ДЖюссо до 17.V.90 Гр. ГpЖимайлo / green label (p) Inst St. Petersbrg [=near Donkyr (=Gumbum; China: Inner Mongolia) pass (?) Dzhyusso, before 17.V.90 Gr. Grzhimailo] ( ZIN). 1♀: (h) 8/VII/83 Ховсгол БаЯнгол.[in map: Bayan Gol (or Bayan Nur?) =Dengkou, Inner Mongolia] Хеер Чулуут кол (illigible text) / (p) Mongolia Tumencogt [Tumentsogt = ТумƐнцогт] K. Ulikpan lgt. ( JBC). Mongolia: 1♁: МонголиЯ, Вост.- Гоб. Аймак, 25 км С Чойра [=Mongolia, Govisümber Aimag (=Province), 25km northern from Choyr (=Sümber)] КерЖнер 11.VI.971 / green label (p) Inst St. Petersbrg ( ZIN). Russia: 1♁: yellow label (p) Shebalino vill. Altai Mts. S. Siberia, Russia 24.VII.1996 (correct: Shebalino, =Шебалино, Республика Алтай, РоссиЯ) ( PCPB). 1♀: ДауриЯ [Chita area], оЗ. Барун-Торей, протока Утыча на (illegible letters) О. Корсун leg., 1.06.2000 ( ASC). 1♀: (p) East Siberia Irkutsk Terr., Usť—Orda, Kuda River (=Усть-Ордынский, р. Куда), D. Fominykh, 30.05.2007 ( ASHC). 1♀: Russia Buryatia Rep., Selenga R. 8 km N Tarbagataj, A. Anistschenko, 28.05.2002 ( ASC). 1♀: Верхнеудинск [=Улан-УдƐ] 17.VII.33 / (h) mongolica (p) W. Schilov det. 19 / green label (p) Inst St. Petersburg ( ZIN 2♀♀: (h) Приморье, Пограничный р-н 7.IV.1971 [=Primorye, Pogranchniy rayon] ( ZIN).). 1♁: (p) Primorskij kraj, Nat. Res. Kedrovaja Padj [=государственный природный Заповедник КедроваЯ падь], 6–8.VIII.1991 /(p) ca 40 km WSW v. Vladiwostok, leg. F. Hieke ( ZMHB).

Description. Body light reddish-brown ( Fig. 34 ) except head light reddish and pronotum, anterior margin of visible tergites II–V, larger part of anterior margin of visible tergites VI–VII, posterior margin of visible sternite V and larger part of anterior margin of visible sternites VI–VII brown.

Head rectangular, dull, slightly longer than wide HW/HL: ♀ 0.96, with deep, broad, round frontal median impression which is microsculptured and with large deep punctures, dull; disc of head microsculptured with large shallow punctures; length of eyes ♀ 0.22x, ♁ 0.26x of length of head; eyes not protuberant, temples behind eyes straight and subparallel posteriad.

Antennae shorter and robust, scape ♀ 1.61, ♁ 1.60x as long as wide and ♀ 2.62x, ♁ 2.45x as long as pedicel, pedicel ♀ 0.89x, ♁ 0.90x, antennomere III: ♀ 1.20x, ♁ 1.40x, IV: barrel shaped, ♀ 1.08x, ♁ 1.04x as long as wide, antennomeres V–X oval elongate, terminal antennomere slender and acute, ♀ 1.42x, ♁ 1.08x as long as scape, relative length of antennomeres from base to apex: ♀: 21: 8: 12: 13: 14: 14: 14: 14: 13: 13: 30; ♁: 24: 9: 14: 13: 15: 14: 14: 13: 13: 12: 26.

Pronotum ( Fig. 35 ) trapezoidal, ratio PW/PL: ♀ 1.57, ♁ 1.64 with slightly concave anterior margin, anterior corners obtuse, lateral sides in anterior two third broadly rounded, in posterior third concave, posterior corners acute, bearing deep lateral microsculptured and punctate impressions, pronotal disc unevenly microsculptured, with sparse, uneven puncturation, tubercles well-defined; median line well-defined; in lateral view lateral margins in anterior half thick, in posterior half gradually narrowed and curved posteriad, lacking visible sharp edge; maximal pronotum width at posterior corners, here slightly narrower than elytra at humeri; pronotum with macrosetae, anterior margin with about four, lateral margins with about five macrosetae.

Anterior and lateral margins of metaventral process ( Fig. 39 ) concave with lateral lines divergent anteriad, anterior margin with transversal groove and low carinate elevation, saddle-shaped anteriad, posterior part in median line with small lentil-like impression, metaventral process microsculptured and punctate; disc of metaventrite on sides of median line with broadly shallow impressions, metaventrite microsculptured and unevenly punctate, discal setae long, setae exceeding margin of adjacent puncture.

Elytra with dense, large and shallow punctures ( Fig. 36 ), ♀ 0.87x, ♁ 1.05x as long as pronotum, ratio EW/EL: ♀ 2.00, ♁ 1.95, with seven–eight macrosetae in anterior part, humeral part with one macroseta, distance between punctures on disc about as long as or shorter than diameter of puncture.

Abdomen with visible tergite II unevenly, densely punctate and setaceous, visible tergites III–V densely punctate on posterior margin, anterior part sparsely puntured, visible tergites VI–VII with larger punctures on whole surface, puncturation on lateral parts denser, visible tergites II, VI–VII unevenly microsculptured, visible tergites III–V lacking microsculptures.

Aedeagus ( Figs 37–38 ) with robust median lobe, apical lobe tube-like, apical lobe distinctly shorter then basal bulb, apex of apical part short and plump, with dense pseudopores, from lateral view ventral side slightly convex, lateral sides of apical lobe in ventral view slightly concave, narrowest in middle. Apical lobe of parameres parallel ( Fig. 40 ), not hook-shaped, bent backwards, apex with about 5 setae with scarce pseudopores on apex.

Spermatheca ( Figs 41–42 ) with apical part 1.24x as long as basal part and 1.21x broader than basal extended part and 3.10x as long as wide, apical part cylindrical-shaped, apically subparallel, apex acute.

Measurements. (♀, Lectotype): TL 5.85 mm; FB 2.80 mm; HL 0.95 mm; HW 0.80 mm; antennal length 2.75 mm; PL 1.15 mm; PW 1.75 mm; EL 1.00 mm; EW 2.00 mm; FTL 1.20 mm; MTL 1.49 mm; HTL 1.75 mm. (♁, locality: Donkyra): TL 6.25 mm; FB 2.95 mm; HL 0.90 mm; HW 0.80 mm; antennal length 2.75 mm; PL 1.10 mm; PW 1.80 mm; EL 1.05 mm; EW 2.05 mm; FTL 1.25 mm; MTL 1.60 mm; HTL 2.00 mm.

Note. One male specimen from the locality Mongolia: Choyr (=Sümber) differs from other L. mongolicus by lateral sides of the pronotum in the anterior half more rounded, anterior margin of the pronotum shorter and more concave, tibiae more robust, mesotibiae extended in middle, but it has an identical aedeagus.

Differential diagnosis. L. mongolicus differs from L. przewalskyi by the robust and shorter barrel-shaped antennomere IV, by shorter antennomeres III and IV, by the unevenly microsculptured pronotal disc, by the denser puncturation on elytra, by the distinctly extended basal part of the tibiae and by a denser punctation on basal and lateral parts of visible tergites VI–VII.

Host ant. Formica sanguinea Latreille, 1798 .

Distribution. China (Inner Mongolia), Mongolia, Russia (East Siberia, Far East).

Figures

FIGURES 34–42. Lomechusoides mongolicus Wasmann, 1897. 34, female lectotype, dorsal habitus; 35, female lectotype, pronotum in dorsal view (L: 1.15 mm, W: 1.75 mm); 36, male, microstructure of elytra with setation, (locality: Primorsky territory, about 40 km WSW from Vladiwostok); 37, male, aedeagus, lateral view; 38, male, aedeagus, ventral view; 39, male, metaventral process; 40, male, apex of paramere [Figs. 37–40 (locality: China: Inner Mongolia: Donkyra, pass Djusso)]; 41, female lectotype, spermatheca, (locality: Mongolia: Changai); 42, female, spermatheca, (locality: East Siberia: Irkutsk area). Scale bars in mm.