Espeson simplex Irmler 2012, n. sp.
Creators: name: Irmler, U.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Espeson
Espeson simplex

description: Espeson simplex n. sp. (Figs 13 a-e, 17D)
Type material:
Holotype, male: Brazil: Nova Teutonia, without further data, leg. F. Plaumann (ZMHU), (52.23'W, 27.11'S).
Paratypes: Nova Teutonia, 300-500 m elevation, without further data, 1 female, leg. F. Plaumann (ZMHU), 4 males, 3 females, VI.1960, leg. F. Plaumann (ZMHU, UIC), 2 females, VII.1959, leg. F. Plaumann (ZMHU), 1 male, XI.1955, leg. F. Plaumann (ZMHU); Paraguay: Puerto Presidente Stroessner (Cuidad del Este: 54°61.67'W, 25°51.67'S), Hungarian Zoological Expedition, 1 male from ethylene-glycol soil traps, 27.12.1965 - 7.1.1966, leg. A. Zicssi (HNMB).
Diagnosis:
The impressions on the pronotum are absent in this species and in this respect it resembles E. adisi and E. microphthalmus. But in size and colour it is more similar to E. mexicanus. Compared to E. microphthalmus, elytra of E. simplex are wider and sides are curved, whereas sides are more or less parallel in E. microphthalmus. The species is unique by the shape of the abdominal tergite VIII of male that laterally carries a distinct tooth. The two specimens without date were already labelled as holotype and paratype by Wendeler, but never described.
Description:
Length: 2.3 mm. Colour: dark red, head brown, leg and antennae lighter red.
Head: 0.25 mm long, 0.33 mm wide; eyes not prominent and small; temples well developed, at least 0.3 times longer than eyes; temples behind eyes shortly parallel, then rounded in a smooth curve; neck distinctly separated from the head; setiferous punctation coarse and dense; distance between punctures less than half as wide as diameter of punctures; on the disc with distinct impunctate midline widened to the front; clypeus sparsely punctate; surface without micro- sculpture and polished.
Antennae as long as head and pronotum combined; 2nd antennomere globular, 3rd conical, but not longer than 2 nd, antennomeres 4 and 5 quadrate, the following antennomeres slightly wider than long; 8 th antennomere slightly smaller than preceding and following antennomeres.
Pronotum: 0.30 mm long, 0.37 mm wide; widest in the anterior third, rounded in a smooth curve to the front edge; without distinct front angles; posteriad with emargination, forming a nearly rectangular angle; setiferous punctation coarse and dense, puncture still deeper and larger than on head; distance between punctures less than 1/4 as wide as diameter of punctures; surface without microsculpture and polished.
Elytra: 0.43 mm long, 0.50 mm wide; widest in the posterior half; posterior angles rounded in a smooth curve; shoulders indistinct, too; setiferous punctation as large as on pronotum, but slightly sparser; between setiferous coarse punctation a finer and sparser micro-punctation; distance between coarser punctures irregular, on average half as wide as diameter of punctures.
Abdomen with anterior tergites as coarsely and densely punctate as on head, posterior tergite sparser and finer punctate; abdominal tergite VIII in male emarginate at posterior edge and with lateral tooth; two long setae inserted anteriad and with relatively long and dense pubescence, but with a wide midline without setae.
Aedeagus slender with slightly angulate apical part; basal segment of paramera thick, apical segment slender; apical transparent plate circular; placed on a short stylus.
Etymology:
The specific name was adopted from the preliminary name given by Wendeler. The name derived from the same Latin word simplex meaning simply and presumably refers to the simple surface of the pronotum without impressions.
description: Published as part of Irmler, U., 2012, The Neotropical species of the genera Pseudespeson L, 1994 and Espeson S, 1882 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Osoriinae), pp. 331-360 in Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 62 (2) on pages 346-347, DOI: 10.21248/contrib.entomol.62.2.331-360, http://zenodo.org/record/4812872