Zyras (Zyras) matangensis Cameron 1943
Creators: name: Assing, Volker
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Zyras
Zyras matangensis

description: Zyras (Zyras) matangensis CAMERON, 1943
(Figs 35, 73, 108, 229–230, 233)
Type material examined: Holotype ♂: “ Mt. Matang, W. Sarawak. G.E. Bryant. 19.I.14, 2000 ft / G. 23 / Z. matangensis Cam. Type / Holotype / M. Cameron. Bequest. B.M. 1955-147 / Holotypus Zyras matangensis Cameron, rev. V. Assing 2017” (BMNH).
Comment: The original description is based on a unique holotype from “W. Sarawak: Mt. Matang” (CAMERON 1943).
Additional material examined: Borneo: 1 ♂, Malaysia, Sabah, Sandakan, S Lokan, logged forest, flight interception trap, III.1997, leg. Chung (BMNH); 1 ♀, Malaysia, Sabah, Sandakan, Sepilok, primary forest, flight interception trap, X.1996, leg. Chung (cAss).
Redescription: Body length 5.2–7.5 mm; length of forebody 2.6–3.2 mm. Coloration (Figs 35, 73, 108): forebody reddish to castaneous-brown, elytra of uniform coloration or with the postero-lateral portions slightly paler; legs dark-yellowish; antennae reddish-brown to brown with the basal 2–3 antennomeres reddish and the apex of antennomere XI sometimes slightly paler brown; maxillary palpi reddish with the terminal palpomere yellowish.
Head (Fig. 73) moderately transverse, broadly impunctate along middle; lateral dorsal portions with sparse to moderately dense coarse punctation. Eyes moderately large, as long as, or slightly longer than postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna (Fig. 35) 1.9–2.0 mm long; antennomeres IV approximately as long as broad or weakly transverse, V–X of gradually increasing width and increasingly transverse, X approximately twice as broad as long, and XI short and of conical shape, slightly shorter than the combined length of IX and X.
Pronotum (Fig. 73) weakly transverse, 1.03–1.10 times as broad as long and 1.20–1.25 times as broad as head, broadest in anterior half, distinctly tapering posteriad; lateral margins straight or weakly sinuate in posterior two-thirds (dorsal view); punctation moderately coarse, moderately dense to dense, and slightly irregularly distributed, laterally with impunctate patches; midline broadly impunctate; lateral and anterior margins with numerous long and erect dark setae.
Elytra (Fig. 73) approximately 0.75–0.80 times as long as pronotum; punctation fine, moderately sparse to dense; pubescence long, suberect, and pale; lateral margins with numerous stouter, dark and erect setae. Hind wings fully developed. Metatarsomere I slightly to distinctly shorter than the combined length of II–IV.
Abdomen (Fig. 108) broad, nearly as broad as elytra, with moderately deep anterior impressions on tergites III–V, these impressions with or without sparse nonsetiferous punctures; tergites III–V with some lateral setiferous punctures on either side, with few scattered non-setiferous punctures on disc, and with 6–8 setiferous punctures at posterior margin, disc without micropunctation; tergite VI with a transverse band of rather coarse and dense non-setiferous punctures anteriorly, with scattered non-setiferous punctures on disc, and with some setiferous punctures laterally and at posterior margin; tergite VII with a transverse band of rather coarse and dense non-setiferous punctures situated in an anterior transverse impression, with scattered non-setiferous punctures on disc, and with two transverse series of setiferous punctures posteriorly, posterior margin with palisade fringe; tergite VIII with long dark setae in posterior third, posterior margin broadly and weakly concave.
♂: posterior margin of sternite VIII (Fig. 233) with convex posterior margin; median lobe of aedeagus 0.70–0.75 mm long and shaped as in Figs 229–230; paramere 0.75– 0.85 mm long and with moderately short apical lobe.
Intraspecific variation: The aedeagus of the non-type male is distinguished from that of the holotype by slightly larger size of the median lobe, a crista apicalis of slightly different shape, and somewhat larger parameres. In the non-type female, the non-setiferous punctation of tergite VI and VII is much finer and less extensive than in the two males examined. Since no additional evidence was found suggesting that the three specimens represent different species, and in view of the often pronounced variability of Zyras sensu strictu species, the observed differences are attributed to intraspecific variation.
Comparative notes: In general appearance (coloration, size, habitus), Z. matangensis is similar to Z. hirtus, from which it is reliably distinguished only by the completely different shape of the aedeagus. In habitus, coloration, and other external characters, the species is also highly similar to Z. flavorufus CAMERON, 1939 from Java, from which it differs by darker coloration, a less transverse pronotum with less distinctly sinuate lateral margins, shorter antennae with more transverse antennomeres IV-X, shorter elytra, the punctation pattern of the abdomen (particularly much coarser and denser non-setiferous punctation on tergites VI and VII, and by the differently shaped and smaller median lobe of the adeagus.
Distribution and natural history: At present, Z. matangensis is known from three localities in Sarawak and Sabah, Borneo. The additional material was collected with flight interception traps in a primary and a logged forest.
description: Published as part of Assing, Volker, 2017, On Zyras sensu strictu in the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions, with a focus on the faunas of the Himalaya, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Sulawesi (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Lomechusini), pp. 117-192 in Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 67 (1) on pages 158-159, DOI: 10.21248/contrib.entomol.67.1.117-192, http://zenodo.org/record/5742363