Seeversiella sulcicollis Gusarov

Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2003, A revision of the genus Seeversiella Ashe, 1986 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 142, pp. 1-102 : 79-83

23. Seeversiella sulcicollis Gusarov , sp. n. ( Figs. 321­330 )

Type material. Holotype ,, COSTA RICA: San Jose/Cartago: Cerro Buenavista, km 89, Int. Amer. Hwy., 9°33'00"N 83°45'30"W, 3300 m, forest litter (R.Anderson), 8.vi.1997 ( KSEM).

Paratypes: COSTA RICA: Cartago:, same data as the holotype ( KSEM). Diagnosis. Seeversiella sulcicollis can be distinguished from other species of Seeversiella by having reddish brown body; temples 1.8­2.3 times as long as eyes; elytra much shorter than pronotum; reduced wings (shorter than elytra); by having small medial emargination delimited by two short and blunt projections at the posterior margin of the male tergum 8 ( Fig. 330 ); tergum 8 with four pairs of macrosetae; and the distinct shape of aedeagus ( Figs. 321­328 ).

SLD – sclerite of lateral diverticulum of internal sac.

Seeversiella sulcicollis differs from S. impressicollis in having larger body; in males pronotum with medial furrow, lateral portions of posterior margin of tergum 3 extending as short and obtuse projections (as in Fig. 19 ), tergum 7 with short medial carina; posterior margin of tergum 8 with two medial denticles ( Fig. 330 ); apex of median lobe with two divergent carinae (in parameral view) ( Figs. 321­322 ); copulatory piece of internal sac longer ( Figs. 326, 328 ; 317); sclerites of lateral diverticula of internal sac more robust ( Figs. 326 ; 318).

Seeversiella sulcicollis differs from S. microphthalma in having more asperate pronotal punctation; in males pronotum with medial furrow, posterior angles of tergum 3 not projecting as spines, posterior margin of tergum 8 with two medial denticles ( Fig. 330 ); and the apex of median lobe with two divergent carinae (in parameral view) ( Figs. 321­ 322 ).

Description. Length 3.0 mm. Body reddish brown.

Head surface glossy, with fine and weak isodiametric microsculpture, with fine and asperate punctation, distance between punctures equals 1­2 times their diameter. Temples 1.8­2.3 times as long as eyes. Antennal article 2 as long as 3, articles 4­6 subquadrate, 7­ 10 slightly transverse.

Pronotum slightly transverse, 1.3 times as wide as head, width 0.66­0.67 mm, length 0.59­0.60 mm, width to length ratio 1.1, surface glossy, with fine isodiametric microsculpture, with fine and asperate punctation, distance between punctures equals 1­1.5 times their diameter. Elytra wider and much shorter (measured from humeral angle) than pronotum (pronotal length to elytral length ratio 1.4), 1.8 times wider than long, glossy, with fine and weak isodiametric microsculpture, with fine and asperate punctation, distance between punctures equals 1­2 times their diameter, punctures stronger than on pronotum. Wings reduced to short vestiges, shorter than elytra.

Abdominal terga glossy, terga 3­5 with microsculpture consisting of transverse meshes, and with fine punctation, distance between punctures equals 1­4 times their diameter; tergum 7 with microsculpture consisting of isodiametric or slightly transverse meshes and with fine and sparse punctation, distance between punctures equals 3­6 times their diameter. Apical margin of tergum 7 without white palisade fringe. Tergum 8 with four pairs of macrosetae ( Fig. 330 ).

In males pronotum with medial furrow; lateral portions of posterior margin of tergum 3 extending as short and blunt projections up to 1/8 as long as tergum (measured medially) (as in Fig. 19 ); tergum 7 in front of posterior margin with medial carina, up to 1/4 as long as the tergum; posterior margin of tergum 8 with small medial emargination delimited by two short and blunt projections ( Fig. 330 ).

Aedeagus as in Figs. 321­328 . Apex of paramere narrow, proximal seta approximately as long as the other three setae ( Fig. 325 ).

Female unknown.

Distribution. Known from Cerro de la Muerte, Costa Rica ( Fig. 389 ).

Natural History. Seeversiella sulcicollis was collected in forest litter at altitude of 3300 m.

Figures

FIGURE 389. Geographical distribution of eleven species of Seeversiella (with very short elytra) in the high mountains of Costa Rica. Isohypses 1000 m, 2000 m and 3000 m are shown. Areas above 2000 m are grey and those above 3000 m are solid black.

FIGURES 321 ­ 324. Aedeagus of Seeversiella sulcicollis Gusarov, sp. n. (holotype). 321 – median lobe, parameral view; 322 – apex of median lobe, parameral view; 323 – median lobe, lateral view; 324 – apex of median lobe, lateral view. Scale bar 0.2 mm (321, 323), 0.1 mm (322, 324).

FIGURES 325 ­ 330. Abdominal segment 8 and aedeagus of Seeversiella sulcicollis Gusarov, sp. n. (325, 327 ­ 330, holotype; 326, paratype from Cerro Buenavista, Costa Rica). 325 – apex of left paramere; 326 – everted internal sac, parameral view; 327 – details of internal sac retracted into median lobe, abparameral view; 328 – details of internal sac retracted into median lobe, lateral view; 329 – male sternum 8; 330 – male tergum 8. Scale bar 0.1 mm (325), 0.2 mm (326 ­ 328), 0.4 mm (329 ­ 330).

FIGURES 17 ­ 19. Body outline of Seeversiella globicollis (Bernhauer) (17, Volcán Tacana, Mexico), S. micralymma Gusarov, sp. n. (18, paratype from Cerro de la Muerte, Costa Rica) and S. flavida Gusarov, sp. n. (19, paratype from Cerro de la Muerte, Costa Rica). Scale bar 1 mm.