Lathrobium kastcheevi, Assing, 2009

Assing, V., 2009, New species and additional records of Lathrobium and Tetartopeus from the Palaearctic region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1269-1283 : 1276-1278

Lathrobium kastcheevi nov.sp. ( Figs 9-12 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " Kazakhstan, Bajankol riv, near Karatogan vil.,

11.09.1988, V. Kastcheev / Holotypus 3 Lathrobium kastcheevi sp.n., det. V. Assing 2009 "

(cAss).

A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l: Kazakhstan: 1♀ [identification doubtful], Ile Alatau, Zhynishke riv., 17.VI.1988, leg. Kastcheev (cAss).

C o m m e n t: The above female from Ile Alatau is similar to the holotype. However, in view of the fact that numerous other species are of similar morphology, too, and that most Lathrobium species are difficult to identify based on external characters alone, it is only tentatively attributed to this species and not designated as a paratype.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 8.7 mm. Coloration: head, pronotum, and abdomen blackish; elytra reddish, anterior third distinctly infuscate; legs and antennae reddish.

Head 1.05 times as wide as long; punctation coarse and rather dense, slightly sparser in in median dorsal area; microsculpture shallow and fine, but distinct. Eyes approximately 1/3 the length of postocular region in dorsal view.

Pronotum 1.23 times as long as wide and approximately as wide as head; punctation similar to that of head; interstices without microsculpture and shiny.

Elytra 0.92 times as long as pronotum; punctation dense, shallower and less defined than that of pronotum; interstices without distinct microsculpture.

Abdomen as wide as elytra; punctation fine and dense; interstices with distinct fine microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

3: sternite VII with weakly concave posterior margin, pubescence unmodified; sternite VIII with cluster of black modified setae in posterior median portion ( Fig. 12 ), posterior margin weakly concave; aedeagus large, 2.8 mm long, with weakly asymmetric ventral process of distinctive shape ( Figs 9-11 ).

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Based on the similar external morphology, as well as on the similar male primary and secondary sexual characters, particularly the shape of the aedeagus, L. kastcheevi is the sister species of L. lackneri ASSING 2007 from southern Kyrgyzstan. Both species are distinguished only by the shape of the aedeagus: in L. lackneri the ventral process is longer, less strongly curved, and the apex is of different shape. For illustrations of L. lackneri see ASSING (2007b).

E t y m o l o g y: This species is dedicated to Vitaly Kastcheev, Almaty, who collected the holotype, also in appreciation of his merits in the study of the staphylinid fauna of Kazakhstan.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: Thetypelocalityissituatedinsouthern Kazakhstan, in the region to the northwest of Dzambul. The female listed as additional material was collected in the Ile Alatau in southeastern Kazakhstan. Bionomic data are not available.

Figures

Figs 9-19: Lathrobium kastcheevi nov.sp. (9-12) and L. dimidiatipenne BERNHAUER (13-19): (9, 13-14) aedeagus in lateral view; (10, 16) apical portion of aedeagus in lateral view; (11) apical portion of aedeagus in ventral view; (12) posterior median portion of male sternite VIII; (15) aedeagus in ventral view; (17) male sternite VII; (18) male sternite VIII; (19) female sternite VIII. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.