Six new species and a key to 12 species of the genus Diochus Erichson (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Staphylininae, Diochini) from India, Nepal and Pakistan Author Huang, Tian 0000-0003-3793-7983 Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Rd., Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, P. R. China. & University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Rd., Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, P. R. China. Author Janák, Jiří 0000-0002-2346-1278 CZ- 41762 Rtyně nad Bílinou, č. 4, Czech Republic. janak.jiri1@gmail.com Author Zhou, Hong-Zhang 0000-0003-4559-5207 Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Rd., Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, P. R. China. & University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Rd., Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, P. R. China. zhouhz@ioz.ac.cn text Zootaxa 2024 2024-11-20 5538 6 501 545 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5538.6.1 journal article 305699 10.11646/zootaxa.5538.6.1 44e3463f-8d26-4fe7-a126-d885e1832629 1175-5326 14240051 B749F7E3-9AF2-460C-90C4-41C466A6AF5A 2. Diochus emarginatus Huang, Janák & Zhou , sp. nov. ( Figs 1D ; 3-1; 3-2 ) Type locality. India : Garhwal ( UP ). Type material. Holotype : male , INDIA : Garhwal (UP): 20 km au Sud de Chamba , 1150 m , 20. X. 79 , I. Löbl ( MHNG ) . Paratypes : INDIA : Garhwal (UP): 3 males , 1 female , same data as holotype ( MHNG , JJRC ) ; 2 males , 9 females , Route pour Mussoorie , 1300 m , 18. X. 79 , I. Löbl ( MHNG , JJRC ) ; 4 males , 2 females , 4 km au Sud de Bhatwari , 1400 m , 23. X. 79 , I. Löbl ( MHNG , JJRC ) ; 3 males , 5 females , au-dessous de Bhatwari , 1500 m , 24. X. 79 , I. Löbl ( MHNG , JJRC ) ; Kumaon (UP): 1 male , 3 females , entre Bhim Tah et Sat Tal , 1500 m , 7. X. 79 , I. Löbl ( MHNG ) ; W. Bengal : 3 females , Darjeeling distr. Mahanadi , 1200 m , 6. X. 78 , Besuchet-Löbl ( MHNG ) ; 1 male , 4 females , Darjeeling distr. Mahanadi , 1200 m , 19. X. 78 , Besuchet-Löbl ( MHNG ) ; 1 male , Darjeeling distr. Kalimpong , 1300 m , 11. X. 78 , Besuchet-Löbl ( MHNG ) . NEPAL : Kosi : 2 females , Val. Arun ss/Num , 1050m , 20. IV. 84 , Löbl-Smetana ( MHNG ) ; 3 males , 4 females , Val. Arun ss/Num , 1100 m , 21. IV. 84 , Löbl-Smetana ( MHNG ) ; 1 male , Val. Arun ss/Num , 1050m , 22. IV. 84 , Löbl-Smetana ( MHNG ) ; Prov. Bagmati : 1 female , 4 km S Tarang Marang , 900 m , 28. IV. 81 , Löbl & Smetana ( MHNG ) . THAILAND : Chiang Mai : 1 male , Doi Suthep , 1450 m , 4. XI. 1985 , Burckhardt-Löbl ( MHNG ) . Holotype with an identification label: “ HOLOTYPUS Diochus emarginatus sp. nov. Huang, Janák & Zhou det. 2024”. Paratypes with identification labels: “ PARATYPUS Diochus emarginatus sp. nov. Huang, Janák & Zhou det. 2024” Measurements. BL = 5.90 mm , FL = 2.39 mm , HL = 0.62 mm , HW = 0.52 mm , EyL = 0.19 mm , TL = 0.37 mm , ANL = 1.32 mm , ANT1 = 0.22 mm , ANT2 = 0.12 mm , ANT3 = 0.13 mm , ANT4 = 0.10 mm , ANT 11 = 0.13 mm , PL = 0.90 mm , PW = 0.73 mm , EL = 0.87 mm , EW = 1.00 mm, SL = 0.64 mm . Description. Body long, narrowed anteriorly and posteriorly, large-sized. Body brown, abdominal intersegmental membrane lighter. Legs yellowish brown, tarsi distinctly lighter. Antennae yellowish brown, apex of each antennomere lighter. Maxillary and labial palpi yellowish brown. Head ( Fig 3-1A ). Oval shaped, 1.19 times as long as wide. Tempora distinctly widened backwards, posterior angles rounded. Dorsal surface shiny, bearing distinct and transverse microstriae, also with coarse and sparse punctures. Head with 5−7 irregular, punctures scattered around each eye and numerous smaller punctures on deflexed portion of tempus and near posterior margin. Each side of cranium with characteristic punctures: one frontal puncture on frontal region, two anterolateral punctures near antennal insertion, three lateral punctures near dorsal margin of eye, with temporal puncture and occipital puncture near basal margin; disc surface bearing two additional paired punctures in middle area. Frontal furrows and anteocular furrows absent. Eye medium-sized, distinctly protruding laterad, longitudinal diameter about half the length of tempora (eye: tempora = 0.50). Epistoma not flattened, abruptly oblique, anterior margin slightly emarginate medially. Distance between antennal insertions ( 0.12 mm ) distinctly longer than distance from antenna to eye ( 0.09 mm ). Ventral surface with scattered punctures, interspaces between them about 4 puncture diameters. Gular sutures deep, gradually convergent, but not confluent, then divergent to neck region. Antennae ( Fig 3-1B ). Scape rod-shaped, slightly thickened apically, distinctly shorter than two subsequent antennomeres combined; antennomere 2 slightly elongate; antennomere 3 slightly longer than 2; length of antennomere 4 about twice of width, antennomere 4 to 10 gradually shortened, antennomere 4 observably longer than 10; antennomere 11 distinctly longer than 10. FIGURE 3-1. Diochus emarginatus sp. nov. : holotype: A. forebody, dorsal view; B. antenna; C. proleg; D. mandibles; E. male sternite VIII; F. male tergite VIII; G. male sternite IX; H. male tergites IX–X; I. aedeagus, dorsal view; J. aedeagus, ventral view. (Scale bars: A = 0.5 mm, B–J = 0.1 mm). FIGURE 3-2. Diochus emarginatus sp. nov. : A. aedeagus, dorsal view; B. male sternite VIII; C. male tergite VIII; D. male tergites IX–X; E. male sternite IX; F. female sternite VIII; G. female sternite X; H. female sternite IX; I. spermatheca. (Scale bars: 0.1 mm). Mouthparts ( Fig 3-1A ). Labrum oval-shaped, lateral margin rounded, widest at basal 1/3 to 1/2; width of anterior margin is about 1/2 the width at the widest point. Mandibles ( Fig 3-1D ) falciform, left one with three teeth, right one with two teeth. Neck ( Fig 3-1A ). Cylindrical, shiny, only bearing shallow microsculpture, width 0.18 mm , about 1/3 of head width. Dorsal surface with distinct groove; ventral surface with gular sutures forming obvious triangular region, with deep transverse median furrow. Prothorax ( Fig 3-1A ). Pronotum dark brown, elongate (PL to PW ratio 1.24), distinctly longer and wider than head. Anterior region near anterior angles deflexed, lateral margins widened posteriad to basal 1/3 (widest at 1/3), then convergent backwards, anterior and posterior angles broadly rounded. Dorsal surface glossy, extensively with micropunctures, but without any microsculpture. Each side of longitudinal midline with one row of punctures composed of 3 large punctures and 2 additional punctures outside of puncture row, 13–15 punctures scattered near each margin (including anterior, lateral and posterior margins). Prosternum bearing an observable transverse ridge between basisternum and furcasternum, angularly backwards. Pterothorax ( Fig 3-1A ). Mesoscutellum triangular, surface shiny, bearing distinct microstriae, but without any punctures. Transverse ridge on mesoventrite wave shaped; the paired oblique furrows short but deep; the carina delimiting mesocoxal cavity slightly arcuate. Discrimen region on metaventrite normally elevated. Elytra ( Fig 3-1A ). Elytra brown, slightly transverse (EL to EW ratio 0.87), distinctly longer and wider than pronotum. Humeri well developed, lateral margins divergent posteriorly, posterior margin not rounded, but obliquely truncate. Dorsal surface shiny, flattened, without microsculpture; each elytron with row of 5 punctures along suture, row of 5 punctures on disc, also with 4−5 rows of punctures on deflexed portion. Legs ( Fig 3-1C ). First four segments of protarsi heart-shaped, moderately dilated, and those of meso- and metatarsi slender. Last segment of protarsi slightly longer than 2−4 together, that of meso-, meta- slightly shorter than the length of each 2−3. Abdomen . Broadest at segment V. Tergites III–VII covered with dense and obvious transverse microstriae; each tergite with dense yellow pubescence, also with row of darker and coarser setae at posterior margin of III–VI. Tergites III–VII with a basal impression near anterior margin, respectively, each one only possessing one basal transverse carina; all abdominal tergites with surface shiny, bearing polygonal microsculpture, with dense punctures. Posterior margin of tergite VII with distinct palisade fringe. All abdominal sternites shiny, with microstriae and punctures as those on tergites. Male ( Figs 3-1E–J; 3-2A–E ). Head with a small elongated elevation between eyes. Posterior margin of sternite VIII emarginate medially, also emarginate on both sides, with fascicular setae ( Figs 3-1E; 3-2B ). Posterior margin of tergite VIII arcuate ( Figs 3-1F; 3-2C ). Tergite IX ( Figs 3-1H; 3-2D ) symmetrical, connected mediobasally, narrowed apically. Sternite IX ( Figs 3-1G; 3-2E ) asymmetrical, widest near basal 1/2 to 1/3; basal margin straight, apical margin normally emarginate; width of apical margin distinctly shorter than basal margin. Tergite X ( Figs 3-1H; 3- 2D ) symmetrical, triangular. Aedeagus ( Figs 3-1 I−J; 3-2A) symmetrical, large-sized, ca. 0.83 mm long, normally sclerotized. Parameres symmetrical, thin and long, reaching to apical fifth of median lobe. Internal structures sclerotized, paired oval sclerites and paired strips shaped sclerites on both sides, black color; paired S-shaped sclerites in the middle, black color, single sclerite in black color. Sperm pump coiled, thinned toward apex. Female ( Figs 3-2F–I ). Head without elevation between eyes. Sternite VIII ( Fig 3-2F ) with posterior margin rounded. Tergite IX bearing numerous setae, elongate and sharply pointed apically. Sternite IX ( Fig 3-2H ) symmetrical, with deep concaved margin in middle. Tergite X broad, basal margin curved. Sternite X ( Fig 3-2G ) slender and rhomboidal, with numerous setae in lower half. Tube of spermatheca long and sclerotized, with three bends ( Fig 3-2I ). Distribution. India , Nepal , Thailand . Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Diochus guizhouensis and D. cameroni sp. nov. in body size and coloration but can be distinguished by the shape of male sternite VIII, which has an emargination on posterior margin near each lateral corner and possesses fascicular setae. Etymology. The species epithet is a Latin word, emarginatus , to indicate the special form of the posterior margin of male sternite VIII.