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

description: Lithocharodes katharinae spec. nov.   
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B16D6F77-971F-4D61-9934-BAB22A68A1A9  
Figs 24 a-c, 44 J, 48 H  
 Type material: male, holotype: Venezuela, Aragua, Ranch Grande Biol. Stn. (67°41'W, 10°21'N), 1450 m elev., flight intercept trap, 25.- 28.2.1995, leg. R.W. Brooks, #013 (KNHM). Paratypes: 1 female with same data as holotype #013 (KNHM); 1 male, 1 female from same location as holotype but along stream, 1115 m elev., 8.3./9.31995, leg. R. Brooks, #063/071 (KNHM); 1 male, 4 females from same location but 1370 m elev., 1.- 8.3.1995, leg. R. Brooks, #046/047 (4 KNHM, 1 UIC); 1 female from same region and collector but Pico Periquitos, 1800 m elev., flight intercept trap, 27.2.- 6.3.1995, leg. R. Brooks, #051 (KNHM); 1 female from same location but 1100 m elev., 27.2.1995, leg. S. Marshall (KNHM).   
 Diagnosis: Lithocharodes katharinae is a large black species with dense punctation on the head. Separating characters from L. karinae are noted there. Females of the species can hardly be separated from L. ecuadoriensis. In contrast to L. ecuadoriensis, sternite VII of males in L. katharinae are without semi-circular emargination and the paramere is straight and not curved.   
 Description: Length: 5.9 mm. Colouration: Dark brown to blackish; legs and antennae lighter brown.   
Head: 0.95 mm long, 0.76 mm wide; eyes large; not prominent; postocular sides twice as long as eyes; posterior angles widely rounded; posterior margin slightly convex; interantennal furrows weak; reaching anterior third of eyes; setiferous punctation deep and irregularly dense; on anterior vertex and laterad with coriaceous punctation; on posterior vertex, interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures; surface without microsculpture; shiny. Antennae with first antennomere slightly longer than half-length of head; second and third antennomere conical and approximately 1.5 times as long as wide; 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; all antennomeres pubescent. Pronotum: 1.14 mm long, 0.70 mm wide; widest in anterior third; anteriad, conically narrowed toward neck; posteriad, distinctly narrowed in middle third and sub-parallel in posterior third; posterior margin slightly convex; setiferous punctation deep and dense; on average; interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures; wide midline impunctate; irregular line adjacent to midline with 22-23 punctures; surface without punctures; glossy. Elytra: 1.12 mm long, 0.97 mm wide; humeral angles rectangular; sides sub-parallel; posterior angles shortly rounded; posterior margin widely retreated toward suture; setiferous punctation moderately deep and dense; on average, interstices between punctures as wide as diameter of punctures; surface with weak irregular microsculpture; shiny. Abdomen with setiferous punctation finer than on fore-body; surface with deeper and denser microsculpture than on elytra; microsculpture denser at base of segments than at apex; sternite VII of male with simply rounded apical margin; tergite VII of male with straight apical margin. Meso- and metatibia with two subapical ctenidia each. Aedeagus oval with sub-rectangular anterior angles; endophallus covered by moderately long lobes in anterior half; posterior half of endophallus transparent; covered by minute teeth; paramere short with broad basic half; apically narrowed to sub-acute apex; inner face covered by thin and moderately long setae.  
 Etymology: The species is named after my grand daughter.
description: Published as part of 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) on pages 49-50, DOI: 10.21248/contrib.entomol.71.1.029-085, http://zenodo.org/record/5742999