Revision of subgenera of Stenichnus Thomson, with review of Australo-Pacific species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae)
Author
Jałoszyński, Paweł
text
Zootaxa
2013
3630
1
39
79
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3630.1.2
28703b77-1579-49e7-885f-5c2edb895f83
1175-5326
283467
A338EE37-E8AC-4AC3-8D6B-D0177FB680BF
Scydmaenilla
(
Scydmaenilla
)
pusilla
King
, stat. rest.
(
Figs. 74–83
)
Scydmaenilla pusilla
King, 1864: 93
.
Stenichnus
(
Scydmaenilla
)
pusillus
(King)
; Franz, 1975: 136 (redescription based on a misidentified specimen, not
S. pusilla
!).
Lectotype
designation.
King (1864) described
S. pusilla
on the basis of two
syntype
specimens. Although the female (
Fig. 75
) is better preserved, the species diagnosis is based primarily on the unique aedeagus, and therefore the male (
Fig. 74
) is here designated a
lectotype
to ensure the stability of nomenclature and to provide a unique name-bearing
type
for
Scydmaenilla pusilla
. The
syntypes
were mounted on one card (
Fig. 76
); they were remounted on separate cards and pins during the present study and the male
lectotype
retained the original set of labels (
Fig. 77
), while the female
paralectotype
was provided with copies.
Material studied
.
Lectotype
(here designated) 3: three labels (
Fig. 77
): "
Scydmaenilla
/
pusilla
/ 160" [yellowish, handwritten in faded black or blue], "1523/36" [yellowish, handwritten in faded black or blue], and a more recent label with a museum collection number "K 197803" [white, printed] (AMS);
paralectotype
, Ƥ: labels as for
lectotype
(AMS)
Diagnosis.
Body distinctly flattened, length ca.
1 mm
; elytra moderately slender, EI nearly 1.5; antennal club symmetrical; metatibiae with sub-apical setal brushes; lateral metaventral carinae absent; short median longitudinal groove on posterior pronotal collar absent; lateral marginal pronotal carinae well-marked; aedeagus strongly elongate, with broadened apex.
Redescription.
Body of male (
Fig. 74
) flattened, elongate and moderately slender, with long appendages, BL
1.06 mm
; glossy, uniformly light brown with appendages barely lighter than body; vestiture yellowish.
Head (
Fig. 79
) approximately subtriangular, broadest at eyes, HL
0.20 mm
, HW
0.23 mm
; tempora distinctly shorter than eyes; vertex distinctly transverse and weakly, evenly convex, anteriorly confluent with frons; frons convex; supraantennal tubercles barely marked; eyes moderately large and convex, bean-shaped and nearly transverse in relation to the long axis of head. Punctures on head dorsum fine and sparse, inconspicuous; setae short, sparse, suberect. Antennae (
Fig. 74
) slender, with distinctly enlarged club composed of antennomeres IX–XI, AnL
0.43 mm
; antennomeres I–VI elongate, VII–VIII each about as long as broad; IX–X distinctly transverse, XI 1.6
×
as long as broad.
Pronotum (
Fig. 74
) in dorsal view with oval anterior part and short posterior collar, broadest near anterior fourth, PL
0.29 mm
, PW
0.25 mm
; anterior and lateral margins confluent and rounded; sides in posterior third indistinctly constricted demarcating short posterior part; hind pronotal corners blunt and obtuse; posterior margin distinctly arcuate; base of pronotum with narrow and deep ante-basal transverse groove connected laterally to shallow but distinct triangular impressions; lateral marginal carinae well-developed in posterior half of pronotum. Punctures on pronotal disc very fine and inconspicuous, those behind ante-basal groove dense and distinct but shallow and with diffused margins; setae moderately long, sparse and suberect.
Elytra (
Fig. 74
) oval and only slightly more convex than pronotum, broadest distinctly anterior to middle, EL
0.60 mm
, EW
0.41 mm
, EI 1.45; humeral calli distinct, developed as elongate protuberances; elytral apices separately rounded. Punctures on elytral disc forming indistinct longitudinal rows, well-visible only near distinctly raised suture in anterior 2/3 of elytra, laterally and posteriorly punctures gradually reducing in diameters and depth; setae moderately long and sparse, suberect.
Hind
wings not studied.
Legs (
Fig. 74
) long and slender; all tibiae straight or nearly straight, metatibiae with sub-apical setal brushes.
Aedeagus (
Figs. 82–83
) strongly elongate, slender, AeL
0.25 mm
, in the only known male with partly damaged apex; apical part broadened; internal armature darkly sclerotized, with a pair of subtriangular sclerites; parameres long and slender, each with one apical seta and several setae distributed latero-ventrally along distal 2/3 of paramere; bases of parameres surrounding basal orifice darkly sclerotized.
Female
(
Figs. 75
,
78–81
). Externally similar to male, differs slightly in measurements: BL
1.08 mm
; HL
0.18 mm
, HW
0.23 mm
; AnL
0.45 mm
; PL
0.28 mm
, PW
0.25 mm
; EL
0.63 mm
, EW
0.43 mm
, EI 0.47.
Distribution.
Southeastern
Australia
: eastern New South
Wales
.
Remarks
. According to the original description (King 1864) the
syntypes
were collected in Paramatta (today a suburb of Sydney).
The body silhouette of
S. pusilla
in dorsal view is highly similar to that of
S. thompsoniana
. These two species share similar proportions of body parts (including the pronotal and elytral indexes), but
S. pusilla
can be easily distinguished on the basis of a flattened body (strongly convex in
S. thompsoniana
), much more distinct lateral marginal carinae of pronotum, less distinct elytral punctation, a raised elytral suture and a symmetrical antennomere X (slightly asymmetrical in
S. thompsoniana
).