Pseudolathra Casey 1905
Creators: name: Assing, V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Pseudolathra

description: Key to species
1 Coloration of pronotum blackish-brown to blackish, occasionally with the posterior and anterior margin diffusely dark-reddish. ......................................................................... 2
- Coloration of pronotum reddish-yellow to reddish-brown. Species that can reliably be identified only based on the morphology of the aedeagus. ............................................ 5
2 Head oblong (Fig. 65). Pronotum slender, at least approximately 1.2 times as long as broad (Fig. 65). Eyes smaller, much shorter than postocular region in dorsal view (Fig. 65). Punctation of abdomen very dense and fine (Fig. 64); interstices with distinct microsculpture. Length of forebody 3.2-3.9 mm. ♂: posterior margin of sternite VIII with shallow and broad posterior excision (Fig. 66); aedeagus shaped as in Figs 67-70. Japan, China (Map 2). .... ........................................................................................................ P. regularis (Sharp)
- Head distinctly transverse (Fig. 46, 52, 60). Pronotum much broader and relatively shorter, at most very weakly oblong (Fig. 46, 52, 60). Eyes very large at least approximately three times as long as postocular region in dorsal view (Fig. 46, 52, 60). Punctation of abdomen at least on posterior tergites rather sparse; microsculpture absent or indistinct. ♂: posterior margin of sternite VIII with narrow and deep posterior incision (Figs 48, 58, 63); aedeagus of different morphology. Distribution different. ........................................................... 3
3 Conspicuously large species; body length 9.0- 10.5 mm; length of forebody at least 4.5 mm. Elytra reddish to reddish-brown, posteriorly often diffusely infuscate. All abdominal tergites with reddish lateral and posterior margins. Pronotum usually weakly transverse (Fig. 52). ♂: sternites VII with broadly concave posterior margin, in median posterior portion without setae (Fig. 57); sternite VIII as in Fig. 58; aedeagus large, 1.4-1.5 mm long, shaped as in Figs 53-56. N-India, Thailand (Map 3). ..................................... P. transversicollis sp. n.
- Smaller species; length of forebody <4.5 mm. Elytra and abdomen black. Pronotum at most approximately as broad as long. ♂: sternite VII of different shape and chaetotaxy; aedeagus smaller and of different shape. ....................................................................... 4
4 Larger species; body length 7.0- 9.5 mm; length of forebody 4.0- 4.4 mm. Legs at least yellowish-brown. Anterior abdominal tergites with finer punctation. ♂: sternite VII of distinctive shape and chaetotaxy (Fig. 47); sternite VIII as in Fig. 48; aedeagus broad in ventral view, shaped as in Figs 49-51; ventral process apically not bifid. Southern Himalaya (N-India, Nepal) (Map 2). ...................................................... P. nigerrima (Cameron)
- Smaller species; body length 6.5-7.5 mm; length of forebody 3.5-4.0 mm. Legs yellowish. Anterior abdominal tergites with coarse and dense punctation. ♂: sternites VII without distinct modifications; sternite VIII as in Fig. 63; aedeagus slender, with apically bifid ventral process and with arrow-shaped apex of the dorsal plate (Figs 61-62. Thailand. .... ............................................................................................................ P. sagittata sp. n.
5 Slightly larger species; length of forebody> 3.0 mm. Head mostly blackish, distinctly contrasting with the reddish pronotum. ....................................................................... 6
- Slightly smaller species; length of forebody <3.1 mm. Head usually reddish or brown, more rarely blackish. ............................................................................................................. 7
6 Dorsal surface of head less sparsely punctate; punctate portion near posterior margin not confined to very narrow transverse band near neck. Antennae longer (2.0- 2.4 mm) and more massive. ♂: sternite VIII as in Fig. 39; aedeagus as in Figs 33-34. Widespread in the southern East-Palaearctic and Oriental regions (Map 3). ............... P. pulchella (Kraatz)
- Dorsal surface with practically impunctate median portion; punctate portion near posterior margin confined to very narrow transverse band near neck. Antennae approximately 2.0 mm long and fine. ♂: sternite VIII as in Fig. 40; aedeagus compicuously large in relation to body size, with dagger-shaped (lateral view), apically bifid (ventral view) ventral process, and with conspicuous pair of apical structures of clawlike shape (Figs 41-44). N-India: Uttaranchal (Map 3). ........................................................................... P. vellicans sp. n.
7 ♂: aedeagus with bilobed dorsal plate and with ventral process of distinctive shape (Bohač 1988: figures 14-15). Tajikistan, Pakistan (Map 1). .................... P. tichomirovae Bohač
- ♂: aedeagus with completely differently shaped dorsal plate and ventral process. ......... 8
8 ♂: dorsal plate of aedeagus broad, apically convex or truncate in ventral view. ............. 9
- ♂: dorsal plate of aedeagus slender and long, sometimes almost circular in cross-section, gently curved in lateral view. ...................................................................................... 11
9 ♂: posterior incision of sternite VIII shorter, approximately one third the length of sternite (Fig. 21); aedeagus small, 0.75 mm long and of distinctive shape (Figs 22-24). Thailand (Map 1). ........................................................................................... P. brevincisa sp. n.
- ♂: posterior incision deeper, almost reaching half the length of sternite; aedeagus larger, at least 1.0 mm long. ..................................................................................................... 10
10 ♂: aedeagus longer, 1.15-1.30 mm long, and with longer dorsal plate (Figs 1-8); sternite VIII as in Fig. 10. Widespread (Map 1). ......................................... P. unicolor (Kraatz)
- ♂: aedeagus shorter, 1.0- 1.1 mm long, and with shorter, apically more rounded (ventral view) dorsal plate (Figs 13-14); sternite VIII as in Fig. 12. SW-Himalaya from N-Pakistan to Nepal (Map 2). .......................................................................... P. himalayana sp. n.
11 ♂: aedeagus with dorsal plate apically cordiform in ventral view (Figs 31-32). SE-India (Map 1). ......................................................................................... P. cordiformis sp. n.
- ♂: aedeagus with dorsal plate apically acute in ventral view. ....................................... 12
12 Elytra uniformly reddish. ♂: aedeagus as in Figs 27-28. Widespread from the Sahara to Pakistan. ..................................................................................... P. villiersi (Cameron)
- Elytra infuscate in postero-lateral portion. ♂: aedeagus as in Figs 18-19. Japan, E-China (Map 1). .......................................................................................... P. lineata Herman
description: Published as part of Assing, V., 2012, The Pseudolathra species of the East Palaearctic and the Oriental regions (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), pp. 299-330 in Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 62 on pages 303-305, DOI: 10.21248/contrib.entomol.62.2.299-330, http://zenodo.org/record/5873469