Plochionocerus discedens Sharp 1885
Creators: name: Asiain, Julieta
name: Márquez, Juan
name: Morrone, Juan J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Plochionocerus
Plochionocerus discedens

description: Plochionocerus discedens (Sharp, 1885)
Sterculia discedens Sharp, 1885: 470; Herman, 2001: 3744 (Plochionocerus).
Sterculia nevermanni Bernhauer, 1942: 23; Herman, 2001: 3746 (Plochionocerus), syn. nov.
Type material (2 specimens). Holotype of Sterculia discedens, male: “ Sterculia discedens Type D. S. Luichenuts, GUATEMALA, 7–9000 ft., Champion (specimen on card) / Type / Quiche Mts, 7–9000 ft, Champion / B. C. A. Col. I. 2. Sterculia discedens, Sharp / Sharp Coll. 1905–313. / Holotype ” (BMNH). Holotype of S. nevermanni, female: “ Costa Rica, F. Nevermann / San José, 1000–2000 m, Standt. T. T. Assmann / Sterculia nevermanni Brnh. Type / Mus. Hamburg Jischack don / nevermanni Brnh. Typus Sterculia / Chicago NHMus M. Bernhauer Collection” (FMNH).
Additional material (8 specimens). COSTA RICA: no locality data (BMNH, Ψ); San Jose, La Caja (FMNH, ɗ); San Jose, Fuentes, IX.1941 (FMNH, ɗ); Vara Blanca, 2000 m (FMNH, ɗ); San Pedro de Montes de Oca, 25.VIII.1942 (CC-UAEH, ɗ; FMNH, Ψ). EL SALVADOR: Depto. San Salvador, Finca La Gloria (Parque Saburo Hirao), 13º67’44”N 89º19’81”W, 773 m, 25.VI.1975, W. V. Hellebuyck (MNHDS, ɗ). MEX- ICO: no locality data (IRSNB, Ψ).
Diagnosis. Total length 15.0– 18.5 mm; body metallic blue, sometimes abdomen metallic green; head rounded, slightly oblong (length/width: 1.11–1.17), slightly wider than pronotum (1.04–1.10 times), dorsal surface convex, ventral surface flat (Fig. 11), with very dense, expanded, umbilicate punctures (> 30 in each half of head; similar to Fig. 53), arranged in “v”; apical antennomere in males slightly longer than wide (1.21– 1.31 times), shorter than antennomeres 9+10 combined (0.89–0.95 times); mandibles with basal external channel (Fig. 63); pronotum slightly longer than wide (1.3–1.4 times), shorter than elytra (0.81–0.87 times their length), with two clearly visible depressed areas in posterior third (Fig. 56); prosternum slightly transverse (length/width: 0.76–0.80); and aedeagus ovate, length 1.30–1.58 mm, with parameres long (0.58–0.61 times as long as median lobe), apical area of median lobe 0.40–0.46 times as long as the total length of median lobe, and internal sac moderately visible (Fig. 78).
Variation. In some females the mandibles are shorter than males and apex slightly pointed. The abdomen may be metallic blue with green reflections or metallic green with blue reflections.
Comparative notes. Based on the revision of the holotypes, P. nevermanni (Bernhauer, 1942) is a junior synonym of P. discedens (Sharp, 1885). The species is similar to P. a s h e i; the main differences are given in the Comparative notes of that species.
Geographical distribution. Mexico and El Salvador (first national records), Guatemala, and Costa Rica (Herman 2001).
description: Published as part of Asiain, Julieta, Márquez, Juan & Morrone, Juan J., 2007, Phylogenetic systematics of the genera Plochionocerus Dejean and Agrodes Nordmann (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Xantholinini), pp. 1-53 in Zootaxa 1584 on pages 13-14, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.178410