Nelmanwaslus ornatus A. Smetana 2006
Creators: name: Hu, Fang-Shuo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Nelmanwaslus
Nelmanwaslus ornatus

description: Nelmanwaslus ornatus Smetana, 2006
(Fig. 10)
Type material. Holotype (male) in NHMW: China, W Hubei, 16. V.–12. VI. MUYUPING S.env. ~ 1300m, pitfall traps, 31.45N 110.4E, Jaroslav Turna leg., 2004// HOLOTYPE, Nelmanwaslus ornatus A. Smetana,2006 [red label]. The specimen is in good condition, mounted on the card, the terminal segment was dissected and mounted on a plastic card by Euparal. The holotype is missing segments 5–11 of the left antenna.
Material examined. TAIWAN: Hualien County: 1 spec., Hsiulin Hualuhsi [ƙIJƤn'ữ], IV/29– VI /1/2011, W. T. Yang & K.W.Huang, Malaise trap (KCN) (NMNS). Nantou County: 1 male, Chunyang [Ɓọ], IV/6– V /11/2004, C. S. Lin & W. T. Yang, Malaise trap (KCN) (NMNS); 1 male, Xin-yi, Renlun logging rd. (kǿIJǎ), alt. ca. 1500m, 23.7239N, 120.9145E, pitfall trap no. 11., 11–17.IX.2019, Project no. TFBC-1070517 (FSHc).
Diagnosis. Nelmanwaslus ornatus is the only species of the genus in Taiwan. In Taiwan, Nelmanwaslus ornatus can be distinguished from the similar genus Agelosus by the banding of grey tomentose pubescence on the elytra and relatively gracile body.
Bionomics. Most of specimens of N. ornatus were collected by pitfall trap (Smetana 2006, this study) or Malaise trap. The specimen from Renlun logging road was collected by a carrion baited pitfall trap set in a middle elevation mountainous forest.
Distribution. Nelmanwaslus ornatus is known from mainland China (Fujian and Hubei provinces) (Smetana 2006). The species is newly recorded from Taiwan (Hualien County and Nantou County).
Remarks. When describing N. ornatus (Smetana 2006), one characteristic detail of the pronotum was not mentioned. The pronotal disc of the holotype of N. ornatus bears two spots of golden-yellow pubescence, though in one specimen from Taiwan they are sparser than that of the holotype (Fig. 10), perhaps due to its poor condition.
The systematic position of Nelmanwaslus within Staphylinina is unclear. Smetana (2006) described this genus based on N. ornatus and transferred Wasmannellus stevensi (Camercon, 1932) to this genus. The general habitus of Nelmanwaslus is similar to Wasmannellus Bernhauer, 1920 (Smetana 2006). In the same work, Smetana (2006) compared Wasmannellus with Platydracus Thomson, 1858 stating that the genera are similar in habitus and share several characters but also show differences on the mandible. The male characters of Wasmannellus were not available because only one single female was known. Smetana (2008) described another species of Wasmannellus from China based on five males. As in Nelmanwaslus (Smetana 2006), the median lobe of aedeagus in this species of Wasmannellus is slightly asymmetrical and the paramere has asymmetrical torsion. The mandibular subdental indentation in both genera is also shared with the genus Agelosus (Smetana 2018), but this author did not consider Agelosus to be closely related to Nelmanwaslus and Wasmannellus. Based on the shape of mandibles and the shape of aedeagus and detailed examined of specimens of N. ornatus, both Nelmanwaslus and Wasmannellus should belong to the Ocypus group sensu Brunke & Smetana (2019) and are unrelated to Platydracus. To better understand the relationship between these two genera and other members of Staphylinina, a phylogenetic approach with broader taxon sampling is required.
description: Published as part of Hu, Fang-Shuo, 2020, New distributional records of Staphylinina in Taiwan, including a new species of Miobdelus Sharp (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini), pp. 334-360 in Zootaxa 4768 (3) on pages 341-342, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4768.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/3784036