Wowini Jałoszyński, Maruyama & Klimaszewski, 2023

Jałoszyński, Paweł, Maruyama, Munetoshi & Klimaszewski, Jan, 2023, Wow assingi gen. and spec. n., with description of a new tribe of Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), Zootaxa 5357 (4), pp. 573-586 : 574-575

Tribe Wowini Jałoszyński, Maruyama & Klimaszewski , trib. n.

Type genus: Wow Jałoszyński, Maruyama & Klimaszewski , gen. n. (here designated).

Diagnosis. The following unique combination of character states defines this tribe: maxillary palpus with pseudosegment ( Figs 7–8 ); labial palpus trimerous with palpomere 3 large, apically dilated ( Figs 10–11 ); ligula undivided, broadly subconical with broadly rounded apex, strongly sclerotized ( Figs 10–11 ); lateral lobes of labial apodeme (component “r” of premental sclerite in Weide et al. (2014)) short ( Figs 10–11 ); prelabium with two pairs of medial setae inserted on inversely drop-shaped median premental sclerotization ( Figs 10–11 ) (possible autapomorphy); prothoracic hypomeron fully exposed in posterior half in lateral view; mesocoxal rests not separated, with mesoventral and anterior metaventral intermesocoxal processes both short, subtriangular and pointed at apices ( Fig. 13 ); tarsal formula 4-4-4 ( Figs 14–15 ); median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 19–20 ) lacking ‘athetine bridge’; paramere with velar sac completely connected (fused) with apical lobe of paramerite ( Fig. 23 ).

Description. Body shape generalized (not limuloid or myrmecoid).Head with postoccipital collar (= ‘neck’) short and narrower than 1/3 of its width, postoccipital ‘suture’ and subocular ridge (= occipital ‘suture’) not discernible in ventral view. Maxillary palpus tetramerous and generalized, except for developed apical pseudosegment. Prementum with median elongate sclerotization bearing two pairs of medial setae. Labial palpus trimerous, with palpomere 3 dilated distally; ligula undivided, subconical with broadly rounded apex, strongly sclerotized. Prothoracic hypomera in posterior half fully exposed in lateral view. Mesocoxal rests adjacent at middle. Mesoventral and anterior metaventral intermesocoxal processes both short subtriangular, apically pointed. Exposed portion of mesoscutellar shield broadly subtriangular and setose. Abdominal paratergites bipartite. Tarsal formula 4-4-4. Median lobe of aedeagus lacking ‘athetine bridge’. Velar sac fused with apical lobe of paramerite.

Remarks. The bizarre structure of the head and antennae in Wow assingi sp. n. ( Figs 2–4 ) is not included in the tribal diagnosis and description, as it can be an autapomorphy of this peculiar genus. A similar cephalic transformation is known in males and females of a single genus of Lomechusini Fleming , a tribe with all remaining (over 220) genera having unmodified heads. This interesting parallelism and extraordinary head structure are commented in the Discussion.

Figures

FIGURES 6–11. Wow assingi sp. n., holotype male. Mouthparts in dorsal (6) and ventral (9) views; right maxilla in ventral view (7, 8); labium in ventral view (10, 11). Abbreviations: aps, apical ‘pseudosegment’; atp, anterior tentorial pit; bst, basistipes; cd, cardo; cl, clypeus; cmb, clypeolabral connecting membrane; gal, galea; hr, hypostomal ridge; hs, hypostomal suture; lac, lacinia; lbr, labrum; lig, ligula; llh, lateral lobe of hypopharynx; lp1‒3, labial palpomere 1‒3; mdb, mandible; mn, mentum; msc, median sclerotization of prelabium; mst, mediostipes; mxp1‒4, maxillary palpomere 1‒4; pat, preapical tooth; ppg, palpiger; pst, prostheca; ptp, posterior tentorial pit; smn, submentum.

FIGURES 12–18. Wow assingi sp. n., holotype male. Elytra in dorsal view (12); pterothorax in ventral view (13); protarsus in ventral view (14); metatarsus in lateral view (15); exposed portion of abdomen in dorsal view (16); abdominal apex in dorsal (17) and ventral (18) views. Abbreviations: aest3, metanepisternum; msvp, mesoventral process; scs, scutellar shield; sIII‒VIII, sternite III‒VIII; tII‒X, tergite 2‒10; v2, mesoventrite; v3, metaventrite; 1‒4, tarsomere 1‒4. Arrowhead indicates macroseta.

FIGURES 19–26. Wow assingi sp. n., holotype male. Aedeagus in parameral (19, 21) and lateral (20, 22) views; paramere in lateral view (23); tergite VIII (24); sternite VIII 25); tergites IX and X in dorsal view (26). Abbreviations: apl, apical lobe; con, condylite; hz, hinge zone; par, paramerite; tIX‒X, tergite IX‒X; vel, velum; vst, ventral strut.

FIGURES 1–3. Wow assingi sp. n., holotype male. Dorsal habitus, (1); head, pronotum and anterior region of elytra in dorsolateral view (2); head in anterodorsal view (3).

FIGURES 4–5. Wow assingi sp. n., holotype male. Head and prothorax in dorsal (4) and ventral (5) views.Abbreviations: acxc, anterior coxal carina; atp, anterior tentorial pit; bst, basisternal region of prosternum; cl clypeus; cmb, clypeolabral connecting membrane; cs, cervical sclerite; fr, frons; gal, galea; gen, gena; gp, gular plate; gs, gular suture; hr, hypostomal ridge; hs, hypostomal suture; lbr, labrum; mdb, mandible; mn, mentum; mxp1‒4, maxillary palpomere 1‒4; nss, notosternal suture; pcxc, posterior coxal carina; prl, prelabium; pst, prostheca; ptp, posterior tentorial pit; sat, supraantennal tubercle; sc, scape; smn, submentum; trt, trochantin; vt, vertex. Arrowheads indicate macrosetae.