Lithocharis DEJEAN 1833
Creators: name: Assing, Volker
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Lithocharis

description: Key to the species of the Palaearctic, Oriental, and Australian regions
Since the identification of Lithocharis females is generally problematic or impossible, the key below primarily relies on the male sexual characters. The doubtful L. fontinalis is omitted from the key.
1 Elytra yellowish with an extensive and rather defined dark spot posteriorly (Fig. 76). Male sexual characters unknown. Java ............................................................ preangerana
- Elytra yellowish to brown, often with paler margin, but without defined dark spot..........2
2 Forebody matt due to extremely dense fine punctation (Fig. 42). Rather dark-coloured species of relatively large size; length of forebody 2.4-2.8 mm. Male sternite VII with a long comb of> 40 short palisade setae (Fig. 43). Male sternite VIII distinctly oblong and densely pubescent (Fig. 44). Aedeagus of distinctive shape (Figs 45-46). Southern East Palaearctic and Oriental regions........................................................................... uvida
- Forebody often with dense fine punctation and with subdued shine, but not completely matt. Male sexual characters different................................................................................3
3 Male sternite VIII on either side of the posterior excision with a brush-like cluster of very dense long setae (e.g., Figs 11, 36).............................................................................4
- Male sternite VIII without such modifications....................................................................6
4 Posterior margin of male sternite VIII broadly and not very deeply concave, in the middle with small concavity (Fig. 11). Male sternite VIII posteriorly with a short comb of approximately 15 short palisade setae (Figs 9-10). Aedeagus shaped as in Figs 12- 13. North Africa, Canary Islands, Yemen ........................................................ subochracea
- Posterior margin of male sternite VIII deeply and broadly V-shaped. Male sternite VIII posteriorly with a longer comb composed of at least approximately 20 palisade setae. Aedeagus of different morphology......................................................................................5
5 Male sternite VII with the comb of palisade setae weakly bisinuate, without cluster of long setae on either side of this comb (Figs 34-35). Posterior excision of male sternite VIII more sharply V-shaped (Fig. 36). Aedeagus (Figs 37-41) of highly distinctive morphology; ventral process lamellate and separated from main body of aedeagus. Widespread in the southern East Palaearctic and the Oriental regions. ............ erythroptera
- Posterior comb of palisade setae of male sternite VII straight, on either side of this comb with a cluster of long setae (ASSING 2012a: figure 145k). Posterior excision of male sternite VIII not sharply V-shaped (ASSING 2012a: figure 145l). Aedeagus of distinctive morphology (ASSING 2012a: figure 145i). West Palaearctic region (including Middle Asia). Records from the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions unconfirmed ........................................................................................................... ochracea
6 Male sternite VIII posteriorly with a conspicuous median projection (Fig. 48). Male sternite VII with a strongly curved comb of palisade setae (Fig. 47). Aedeagus as in Figs 49-52. North India ....................................................................................... lamellifera
- Male sternite VIII posteriorly with simple excision, without conspicuous median projection............................................................................................................................7
7 Posterior margin of male sternite VII furnished with a conspicuously long and strongly bisinuate comb of long palisade setae (Fig. 86). Male sternite VIII with a broadly Ushaped posterior excision and modified pubescence (Fig. 87). Aedeagus strongly constricted at base of ventral process and with apical portion strongly bent dorsad in lateral view (Figs 88-89). Malaysia, Indonesia ........................................................ ornatrix
- Comb of palisade setae of male sternite VII not strongly bisinuate. Male sternite VIII and aedeagus of different shapes.........................................................................................8
8 Male sternite VII on either side of the comb of palisade setae with a pronounced fringe or tuft of dense, long, fine setae (Fig. 104; ASSING 2012a: figure 145h). Head black, strongly contrasting with the paler pronotum and elytra.....................................................9
- Male sternite VII without fringe or tuft of dense, long, fine setae on either side of the comb of palisade setae......................................................................................................10
9 Larger species; length of forebody> 1.9 mm. Pronotum pale-reddish; elytra darkyellowish to pale-reddish. Head with ill-defined posterior angles, posteriorly usually tapering behind eyes. Eyes approximately as long as postocular region in dorsal view. Posterior excision of male sternite VIII of nearly semi-circular shape. Aedeagus shaped as in ASSING (2012a: figure 145f). Extremely common throughout the Palaearctic, Oriental, and Australian regions; distribution cosmopolitan.................................. nigriceps
- Smaller species; length of forebody 1.7-1.8 mm. Pronotum and elytra pale-brown. Head of subquadrate shape (Fig. 102), with moderately marked posterior angles, lateral margins behind eyes subparallel in dorsal view. Eyes larger, at least 1.5 times as long as postocular region in dorsal view. Posterior excision of male sternite VIII of subquadrate shape (Fig. 105). Aedeagus as in Figs 106-109. Nepal. ...................... latexcisa
10 Posterior comb of male sternite VII composed of palisade setae of conspicuously unequal shapes and lengths (Figs 27-28). Male sternite VIII on either side of middle extensively without pubescence (Fig. 29). Aedeagus shaped as in Figs 30-33. Widespread in the Palaearctic and Oriental regions; recorded also from the Neotropical and Australian regions........................................................................................... sororcula
- Posterior comb of male sternite VII composed of palisade setae of subequal shapes and lengths. Other male sexual characters different................................................................11
11 Posterior margin of male sternite VIII furnished with a rather dense row of somewhat stouter short or moderately short setae at least in lateral parts..........................................12
- Posterior margin of male sternite VIII without row of modified setae..............................13
12 Posterior excision of male sternite VIII with rather deep V-shaped excision, whole posterior margin with a fringe of short modified setae (Figs 3-4). Posterior comb of male sternite VII composed of fewer setae (Fig. 2). Aedeagus shaped as in Figs 5-6. Afrotropical region and Middle East eastwards to Pakistan ....................................... mateui
- Posterior excision of male sternite VIII shallow, only lateral portions of posterior margin with modified setae (Fig. 19). Posterior comb of male sternite VII composed of more numerous setae (Fig. 18). Aedeagus as in Figs 20-21. Yemen: Socotra ...... socotrana
13 Species from North Africa. Male sternites VII and VIII as in Figs 14-16 ......... mauretanica
- Distribution confined to the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions (except the widespread L. vilis)...........................................................................................................14
14 Small species; length of forebody 1.8-2.1 mm. Ventral process of aedaegus with a small tooth-shaped median projection best visible in lateral view (Figs 64-65). Male sternites VII and VIII as in Figs 62-63. Thailand, Malaysia ................................. sordidula
- Mostly larger species. Aedeagus and male secondary sexual characters different............15
15 Posterior comb of male sternite VII longer, composed of> 40 relatively short palisade setae..................................................................................................................................16
- Posterior comb of male sternite VII shorter, composed of <35 usually longer palisade setae..................................................................................................................................17
16 Dark-coloured species of larger body size; length of forebody 2.0- 2.3 mm. Posterior comb of palisade setae of male sternite VII straight (Fig. 67). Posterior excision of male sternite VIII large, rather deep, and of nearly semicircular shape (Fig. 68). Aedeagus shaped as in Figs 69-70. Singapore, Indonesia, East Timor ................ timorensis
- Body more or less reddish with dark head. Small species; length of forebody 1.8-2.1 mm. Posterior comb of palisade setae of male sternite VII curved (Figs 71-72). Posterior excision of male sternite VIII broadly V-shaped (Fig. 73). Aedeagus strongly constricted at base of ventral process and distinctly curved dorsad apically. Burma, Indonesia ................................................................................................................. carinata
17 Posterior excision of male sternite VIII very small (Fig. 81). Male sternite VII and aedeagus as in Figs 80, 82-84. Indonesia: Sulawesi ............................................. parvincisa
- Posterior excision of male sternite VIII much larger. Other male sexual characters different.............................................................................................................................18
18 Posterior comb of palisade setae of male sternite VII somewhat curved. Aedeagus large, at least 0.9 mm long................................................................................................19
- Posterior comb of palisade setae of male sternite VII more or less straight. Aedeagus usually smaller..................................................................................................................20
19 Male sternite VII strongly transverse, posterior margin broadly concave and with longer comb composed of more numerous and shorter setae (ASSING 2008: figure 5). Male sternite VIII rather densely pubescent in anterior half (ASSING 2008: figure 6). aedeagus with dorso-lateral apophyses distinctly visible in ventral view and with internal structures of distinctive shapes (ASSING 2008: figure 3). Widespread and common in the southern East Palaearctic and Oriental regions. Confirmed records also from the Canary Islands, Madeira, Micronesia, and Australia ....................................... vilis
- Male sternite VII moderately transverse, posterior margin narrowly concave in the middle and with shorter comb composed of fewer and longer setae (Fig. 91). Male sternite VIII extensively without pubescence, anteriorly only with very sparse setae (Fig. 92). Aedeagus shaped as in Figs 93-94. Sumatra .................................... bitriangulata
20 Aedeagus with straight dorso-lateral apophyses of slightly less than half the length of aedaegus in ventral view and with internal structures of distinctive shapes (Figs 25-26). Male sternites VII and VIII as in Figs 23-24. Sumba.................................................. boops
- Aedeagus without, or with very short and inconspicuous, or with much larger dorsolateral apophyses, and with internal structures of different shapes. Male sternites VII and VIII of different shapes and chaetotaxy......................................................................21
21 Aedeagus with string-like process at base of ventral process (lateral view), with very short dorso-lateral apophyses, and with internal structures of distinctive shapes (Figs 57-59). Male sternite VIII weakly transverse and with posterior excision of broadly triangular shape (Fig. 56). Male sternite VII as in Fig. 55. Oriental region ..... distinguenda
- Aedeagus without process at base of ventral process, with very large dorso-lateral apophyses apically extending beyond apex of ventral process, and with internal structures of different shapes (Figs 98-99). Male sternite VIII strongly transverse and with broadly and largely concave posterior margin (Fig. 97). Male sternite VII as in Fig. 96. Thailand ....................................................................................................... inermis
description: Published as part of Assing, Volker, 2015, A revison of the Lithocharis species of the Palaearctic, Oriental and Australian regions (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Medonina), pp. 1133-1178 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (2) on pages 1170-1173, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5184182