Lithocharodes curtipennis Irmler 2021, spec. nov.
Creators: name: Irmler, Ulrich
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Lithocharodes
Lithocharodes curtipennis

description: <i>Lithocharodes curtipennis</i> spec. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 49C417E3-A17C-4A28-9D32-950C09CDBD1D Figs 32 a-c, 45 A, 50 A <b>Type material</b>: male, holotype: Mexico, Chiapas, Mpio., Angel Albino Corzo Reserva El Triúnfo, Pico El Triúnfo (92°48.70'W, 15°40.16'N), 2400 m elev., cloud forest litter, 16.- 21.11.2001, leg. R. Anderson, #MEX1A01 204 (KNHM). Paratypes: 16 females, 8 males with same data as holotype (20 KNHM, 4 UIC); Chiapas, Mpio., San Christóbal de las Casas, Reserva Huitepec (92°40.70'W, 16°45.84'N), 9 females, 1 male, 2200 m elev., oak forest, 13.11.2001, leg. R. Anderson, # MEX 1A01 201 (9 KNHM, 1 UIC); same region but cloud forest litter, female, 2800 m elev. 22.11.2001, leg. R. Anderon (KNHM); same region but Cerro Huitepec (Pico), ca. 5 km W San Christobal, cloud forest litter, 2750 m elv., 2 females, 18.9.1991, leg. R. Anderso, #91-107 (KNHM); Chiapas, 8.9 km E Rayon, 1500 m elev., cloud forest litter, female, 19.9.1991, leg. R. Anderson, #91-109 (KNHM); Nueva Leon, 23 km N Linares, Hwy. 85 at Rio Conchus, washing moss on rocks beside rive, 420 m elev., female, 5.7.1992, leg. J.S. Ashe (KNHM); Veracruz, 3.2 km SW Las Vigas, Hwy. 140 pine treefall litter, 2830 m elev., female, 11.7.1992, leg. J.S. Ashe (KNHM); Guatemala: Zacapa, San Lorenzo, Cerro de los Monos (89°40.685'W, 15°06.806'N), 2284 m elev., sifted mixed oak-cloud forest litter, 1 female, 6.7.2007, leg. R. Anderson, #LLAMA07 RSA003 (KNHM). <b>Diagnosis</b>: <i>Lithocharodes curtipennis</i> can be easily identified by the short elytra in combination with the short eyes. These characters are frequently found in the genus <i>Somoleptus</i>. Thus, <i>L. curtipennis</i> closely resembles species of <i>Somoleptus</i>. However, the two specific cones at the orifice of the aedeagus are absent and the interantennal furrows are present. Therefore, <i>L. curtipennis</i> was placed in the genus <i>Lithocharodes.</i> <b>Description</b>: Length: 4.2 mm. Colouration: Brown; legs and antennae lighter brown. Head: 0.72 mm long, 0.56 mm wide; eyes small; postocular space 5 times as long as eyes; sides slightly divergent posteriad; posterior angles widely rounded; shape approximately oval; interantennal furrows deep, reaching mid-length of eyes; slightly divergent posteriad; setiferous punctation deep and moderately dense; on average, interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures; on posterior vertex interstices between punctures wider than on anterior vertex; space between interantennal furrows impunctate; vertex with irregular midline impunctate; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Antennae with first antennomere as long as halflength of head; second and third antennomere each longer than wide; conical; subsequent antennomeres wider than long and increasing in width; fourth antennomere 1.5 times as wide as long; tenth antennomere twice as wide as long; four to eleventh antennomeres densely pubescent. Pronotum: 0.83 mm long; 0.52 mm wide; widest in anterior third; conically narrowed toward neck; slightly narrowed posteriad; at posterior margin 0.82 times as wide as at widest width; posterior margin smoothly rounded; posterior angles obtuse but distinct; setiferous punctation evenly covering surface except impunctate midline; adjacent to wide midline with irregular line of approximate 17 punctures; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Elytra: 0.56 mm long, 0.61 mm wide; sides distinctly divergent posteriad; humeral angles absent; posterior angles sub-rectangular; posterior margin deeply triangularly emarginate; setiferous punctation weaker and sparser than on pronotum; on average interstices between punctures twice as wide as diameter of punctures; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Abdomen with dense setiferous punctation; weak isodiametric microsculpture; surface less shiny than fore-body; posterior margin of male abdominal sternite VII triangularly projecting; male abdominal tergite VII without peculiarities. Meso- and metatibia with one subapical ctenidium. Aedeagus oval; convergent anteriad; endophallus with single string recurved anteriad; anterior part covered by medium-sized teeth; posterior sack covered by shorter teeth; paramere slender; slightly sinuate; with long setae at inner side. <b>Etymology</b>: The species epithet is a combination of the Latin words <i>curta</i> (meaning short) and <i>pennis</i> (meaning elytra) and refers to the short elytra of the species.
description: Published as part of <i>Irmler, Ulrich, 2021, The Neotropical species of the genus Lithocharodes SHARP, 1876 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Xantholinini), pp. 29-85 in Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 71 (1)</i> on pages 39-40, DOI: 10.21248/contrib.entomol.71.1.029-085, http://zenodo.org/record/5742999