Aleochara (Xenochara) simulatrix Sharp 1883
Creators: name: Buss, Bruna Caroline
name: Caron, Edilson
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Aleochara
Aleochara simulatrix

description: Aleochara (Xenochara) simulatrix Sharp, 1883
(Figures 3, 9, 10, 17, 46–53, 93)
Aleochara simulatrix Sharp, 1883: 151 (original description). Klimaszewski 1989: 8 (as subgenus Xenochara). Newton 2022 (as valid species).
Type locality: “ Guatemala, El Tumbador 2500 feet” (Sharp 1883).
Type material. Holotype (examined by photos Figs. 9 and 10), ♀, dissected (no visible abdominal segments VIII– X), deposited in BMNH, with labels: (1) “ ♀ [female sign]\ Aleochara simula- \ trix \Type D. S.\El Tumbador. 2500 ft.\ Guatemala Champion” [old card with holotype glued, manuscript]; (2) “Holo-\type” [white label margined in red, printed in black]; (3) “El Tumbador,\Guatemala.\Champion” [old white label, printed in black]; (4) “ B. C. A. Col. I. 2.\ Aleochara \ simulatrix,\Sharp.” [old white label, printed in black]; (5) “Sharp Coll.\1905.-313.” [white label, printed in black]; (6) “ Aleochara \(Xenochara)\ simulatrix Sharp \ Det. J. Klimaszewski, 1987” [white label, the three first lines manuscript, the last line printed in black, except number 87]; (7) “[QR Code] NHMUK014380634 ” [white label, printed in black]. Note: Sharp examined just one specimen, female (Sharp 1883: 151).
Additional material. Deposited in BMNH 5 specimens (examined by photos): 2 ♁♁ from Panama, San Felix, Champion (collection?); 1 male from Grenada, Saint George, Mount Gay, 1920 (date?), Smith (collection?); 2 ♁♁ from “W. (west) Indies”, 1920 (date?). Deposited in CESP 109 specimens (34 females and 40 males), DZUP 47 specimens (33 ♀♀ and 14 ♁♁), MPEG 25 specimens (7 ♀♀ and 18 ♁♁) and MNRJ 35 specimens (21 ♀♀ and 14 ♁♁), from Brazil, Pará, Uruará, on dates between: II–X.2015, pitfall traps baited with feces, Reinaldo et al., col. Deposited in MZUSP 40 specimens (18 ♀♀ and 22 ♁♁) from Brazil, Acre, Rio Branco, 10º01’49.8”S, 67º41’00.5’’W, dates between 09.V.2016 to 29.VII.2017, pitfall trap baited with banana, or beef heart, or feces, Sutil and Oliveira, col.
Diagnose. Females of Aleochara (X.) simulatrix are easily distinguished from other Brazilian species by having abdominal tergum VI extended medially, and posterior margin strongly arcuate (Fig. 48). However, males of Aleochara (X.) simulatrix are similar to A. (X.) taeniata males and differ from them by median lobe of the aedeagus with a remarkable sclerite surrounding the ejaculatory duct (Figs. 50–52).
Redescription. Male: maximum body length 4.5 mm, maximum elytra width 1.5 mm. Body brown to dark brown with appendages and elytra (except posterolateral and anteromedial regions) lighter (Fig. 3). Body on dorsal surface glossy; pubescent, appearing yellowish-brown in artificial light; setigerous pores impressed. Head: circular. Pubescence directed anterad. Eyes large and slightly prominent, twice the length of temples. Ventral surface of head with a long carina on each side of midline, attaining the gular suture. Neck absent. Antenna reaching base of elytra; antennomere 1 short, slightly longer than 2 and subequal in length to antennomere 3 (Fig. 17); antennomeres 4 slightly longer than wide; 5 subquadrate; 6–10 wider than long, gradually increasing in width towards apex; antennomere 11 almost two times longer than wide, length equaling two preceding antennomeres combined; antennomeres 1–4 glossy with some long black setae dispersed; antennomeres 5–11 covered by very short white setae, with some long black setae on apex of each antennomere, particularly antennomere 11 with long black setae on a transverse circular line at the apex of basal one-third of the antennomere. Labrum transverse; anterior margin with a-sensilla long and b-sensilla short and rounded apically. Mandibles symmetrical, without internal teeth. Maxillary palpomere 2 and 3 about the same length; palpomere 4 about half length of 3. Gular plate broad. Thorax: pronotum transverse; posterior margin broadly curved; densely pubescent, with pubescence directed posterad and laterad elsewhere. Elytra shorter than pronotum; the same width with pronotum; elytra wider than long; densely pubescent, pubescence directed posterad; each posterolateral margin rounded. Hind wings developed. Mesoventrite completely carinate, mesoventrite process somewhat sharp and longer than metaventrite process, both joined. Abdomen: distinctly narrowed posteriorly; pubescence sparse directed posterad. Tergum VIII with posterior margin emarginate at the middle, not serrated (Fig. 46). Sternum VIII with posterior margin broadly rounded (Fig. 49). Aedeagus elongate (Figs. 50–52); median lobe of the aedeagus with ventral margin slightly curved in apical one-third in lateral view, directed ventrad. Median lobe with internal remarkable slecrite surrounding the ejaculatory duct. Female: similar to male, except abdominal tergum VI extended in the middle and posterior margin strongly arcuate (Fig. 48). Spermatheca L-shaped, without coiled duct, capsule with apical invagination (Fig. 53).
Geographical records. New records: Grenada (Mount Gay), Brazil: Pará (Uruará). Literature records: Guatemala, Panama and Brazil: Acre (Rio Branco) (Caron et al. 2008, Leivas et al., in press) (Fig. 93).
Taxonomic notes. Female abdominal tergum VI prolonged in the middle and with posterior margin strongly arcuate. Sharp (1883: 151) mentioned this character on fifth segment, Klimaszewski (1984: 46) cited tergum VI, and Klimaszewski (1989: 10) cited erroneously tergum VII.
Biological notes. Specimens of A. (X.) simulatrix were collected using pitfall traps baited with banana, meat and human feces (Cajaiba et al. 2017, Leivas et al., in press).
description: Published as part of Buss, Bruna Caroline & Caron, Edilson, 2023, Revision of Brazilian species of Aleochara Gravenhorst of the subgenus Xenochara Mulsant & Rey (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), pp. 509-534 in Zootaxa 5330 (4) on pages 517-518, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5330.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/8255121