Nitidocolpus Reyes-Hernández & Solodovnikov, 2024, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Reyes-Hernández, José L.
name: Solodovnikov, Alexey
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Nitidocolpus

description: GenusNitidocolpusgen. nov.
Figs 5, 6 A – C
Type species.
Quedius columbinus Bernhauer, 1917, here designated.
Included species.
Nitidocolpus aurofasciatus (Bernhauer, 1917), comb. nov. ex. Quedius [1 syntype from FMNH examined]; Nitidocolpus championi (Sharp, 1884), comb. nov. ex. Quedius [1 syntype from FMNH examined]; Nitidocolpus columbinus (Bernhauer, 1917), comb. nov. ex. Quedius [2 syntypes from FMNH examined]; Nitidocolpus germaini (Bernhauer, 1917), comb. nov. ex. Quedius [1 syntype from FMNH examined]; Nitidocolpus illatus (Sharp, 1884), comb. nov. ex. Quedius [1 syntype from NHM examined]; Nitidocolpus laeticulus (Sharp, 1884), comb. nov. ex. Quedius [1 syntype from NHM examined]; Nitidocolpus triangulum (Fauvel, 1891), comb. nov. ex. Quedius [1 syntype from IRSNB examined].
Diagnosis.
Supra-antennal punctures and paraocular punctures absent (Fig. 6 A); pronotum without paired dorsal series of setiferous macropunctures (Fig. 6 B); mesanapleural sutures transverse or nearly transverse but reaching the external part of prepectus (Fig. 5 E); mesobasisternal intercoxal process with V-shaped projection medially (Fig. 5 E); metatrochanters with apical spine (Fig. 5 F).
Description.
Small to medium-sized Staphylininae (TL = 4.5–10 mm) (Fig. 5 A – D). Head: Frontoclypeal (epistomal) suture absent or distinct only laterally and only in teneral (or chemically cleared) specimens; head slightly transverse (HW / HL ≥ 1.1) without distinct posterior angles; disc smooth; frons with microsculpture as transverse waves, without distinct concavity between antennal insertions; neck moderately wide (NW / HW> 0.75 but <0.90); dorsal macrosetae (Fig. 6 A): anterolateral clypeal punctures present; frontoclypeal punctures present; supra-antennal punctures absent; parocular punctures absent; basal punctures present, single; ventral macrosetae: postocular punctures present; infraorbital punctures absent; postmandibular punctures present; submentum with two pairs of macrosetae; mentum with seta alpha only, seta beta absent; gular sutures separated from each other, gula with distinct transverse basal impression; ventral basal ridge present; postgenal ridge present; postmandibular ridge short, extended parallel to margin of eye, without fusion with any other ridge and distinctly separated from eye margin; infraorbital ridge merged with postgenal ridge; nuchal ridge missing dorsally, present laterally, merged with infraorbital ridge; eyes of medium size (EYL / HL ratio more than 1 / 2 but less than 3 / 4); gena short (GL / ETL <0.5); tomentose pubescence begins from fourth antennomere, its density on fourth antennomere as on following antennomeres; setation of antennomere 3 almost evenly distributed; antennomere 11 with subapical rounded field, without subapical lateral pits; mandibles with dorso-lateral seta, without dorso-lateral groove, external edge with curved base and apex, straight in middle length; right mandible with proximal tooth and bifid distal tooth, apically deflexed ventrad at an angle of> 20 °; left mandible rather straight; labrum with transparent wide apical membrane, anterior margin emarginate at middle; maxillary palps: palpomere 4 (apical) subconical, with evenly narrowed apex, longer than palpomere 2 and weakly dilated compared to palpomere 3; labial palps: palpomere 3 (apical) more or less fusiform or subconical, distinctly longer than, and about as wide as, palpomere 2.
Thorax: Prothorax with slightly transverse pronotum (PW / PL ≥ 1.1), without dorsal or sublateral series of setiferous punctures; prosternum without longitudinal keel; antesternal membrane without distinct semisclerotized patch or patches; probasisternum triangular, with narrowed lateral arms and disc protruding medially, with pair of macrosetae on the upper probasiternum; with rounded postcoxal hypomeral process, interrupted by inferior line. Mesothorax: mesoscutellum without posterior scutellar carina, without sub-basal ridge; elytra with humeral spines or spine-like setae, with even setiferous punctation on disc and epipleuron (sometimes with various setose color patterns); with setiferous punctures at apical margin of elytral suture (underside); mesanapleural sutures transverse or nearly transverse but reaching and fusing with external part of prepectus; mesobasisternum with intercoxal process narrowly pointed into sharp angle, without V-shaped projection medially; mesocoxal cavities contiguous; pericoxal ridge present and complete. Metathorax: wings present, with veins CuA and MP 4 fused; metakatepisternal processes divided; metascutellar mid-longitudinal internal suture well developed (only visible in chemically cleared specimens). Legs: apical tarsomere of all legs without dorsal setae, with one empodial seta distinctly shorter than tarsal claws; protarsomeres 1–3 distinctly wider than long in both sexes, with pale adhesive setae ventrally; procoxa with internal ridge running parallel along external ridge; mesotarsi in both sexes without black comb, sometimes in males ventral side of first mesotarsomere with pale adhesive setae; mesotibiae straight; metatarsomere 1 shorter than metatarsomere 5; metatarsi shorter than metatibiae; metatrochanter apically rounded, with strong straight dorsoapical spine; metacoxae with four or fewer spines on ventral posterolateral lobe, spines on dorsomedial disc also present; basal part of metacoxae distinctly wider and more convex than apical part.
Abdomen: protergal glands well manifested as rounded cuticular acetabula; tergites III – V in some species with posterior basal transverse carinae, in some species they are only with anterior carinae; on tergite VII anterior transverse basal carina not continuing to paratergites; tergites III – VI with different patterns of posteromarginal large macroseta (PMM) on each side, IV – VI with more than one PMM per side; punctation of tergites in form of fine to moderate impressions, some species with wide glabrous areas; lateral tergal sclerites IX short and slightly laterally flattened; male sternite VIII with medial apical emargination. Aedeagus with paramere fused to median lobe only at base and very closely appressed to median lobe along entire length; base of the paramere flat medially, not projecting upwards in the middle; paramere strongly produced over apex of median lobe. Ovipositor with each second gonocoxite with one medial macroseta, without spine-like setae on outer lateral margin.
Distribution.
Neotropical Realm: Mexican Transition Zone, Central America, and northern South America.
Ecology.
This genus has been collected from a variety of microhabitats, including mushrooms (e. g., Pleurotus spp.), under decomposing logs, beneath bark, and in leaf litter found in cloud, oak, and pine forests. They are also frequently captured using flight-intercept and Malaise traps. Additionally, some species are associated with the inflorescences of plants from the families Arecaceae, Betulaceae, and Heliconiaceae.
Comparison.
Nitidocolpus gen. nov. can be distinguished from all other genera of Staphylininae by the combination of characters mentioned in the diagnosis. Nitidocolpus is further distinguished from the superficially similar Quediina and Cytoquediina (Fig. 6) by the lack of supra-antennal punctures, the presence of a single carina on the mesoscutellar shield (posterior carina absent), by hind wings with fused CuA and MP 4 veins, by a single empodial setae, and by the base of the paramere, which has no upward or forward projection in the middle. Compared to other Neotropical genera that resemble Nitidocolpus, such as Cheilocolpus, Mimosticus Sharp, 1884, and Heterothops, Nitidocolpus is distinguished by the absence of paraocular punctures on the head, the lack of setiferous punctures in or near the center of the pronotal disc, and the presence of postcoxal hypomeral processes. In some species of Nitidocolpus, such as N. laeticulus (Fig. 5 B) and N. aurofasciatus (Fig. 5 D), the basal punctures have shifted anteriorly and thus may be erroneously considered paraocular punctures. However, they can be easily distinguished as basal punctures, because they are the only punctures located near the posterior frontal punctures, aside from the temporal punctures. In other species of Nitidocolpus, such as N. illatus (Fig. 5 A), the innermost macrosetae on the anterior margin maybe erroneously considered as a puncture of the dorsal row because it is located far from the anterior margin of pronotum.
Etymology.
The name is derived from the Latin words “nitidus” and “colpus”, which mean “shiny” and “hit”, respectively. The name refers to the great clarity with which the head and pronotum punctures are seen. The gender is masculine.
description: Published as part of Reyes-Hernández, José L. & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2024, Two new rove beetle genera in Staphylininae that reduce " Heterothops " and " Quedius " taxonomic wastebaskets (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), pp. 81-98 in ZooKeys 1218 on pages 81-98, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1218.135558