Megarthrus of Korea, with description of a new species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae)

A taxonomic study of Megarthrus Curtis in Korea is presented. The genus is represented in Korea by 10 species including M. coreanus Kim and Cuccodoro sp. nov. Megarthrus corticalis Sharp, M. fennicus Lahtinen, M. incubifer Cuccodoro, M. japonicus Sharp, M. montanus Sawada, M. sawadai Cuccodoro, and M. zerchei Cuccodoro and Löbl are reported from Korea for the first time. A diagnosis of the genus and a key to the Korean species are provided. The new species is diagnosed, described, and illustrated and the other species are diagnosed and illustrated. Species distributions are presented, and the effect of these Korean findings on the level of endemism of the Megarthrus fauna of Japan and Far East Russia is discusse

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Megarthrus narendrani Cuccodoro & Liu, 2016, sp. nov.

Megarthrus narendrani sp. nov. (figs 4, 15– 30) Specimens examined. 85: Holotype, male: INDIA: Tamil Nadu: "Madras, Palni H. [Hills], au dessus de [above] Kodaidanal, 2200m, 12. xi. 1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, # 23 [sifting in degraded forest with Rhododendron]" (MHNG; accession number MHNG ENTO 00008936). Paratypes, 62: same data as holotype (MHNG, 22 males and 15 females); Palni Hills 16km. E. Kodaikanal, 1400m, 15.xi. 1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard # 28 [sifting in forest] (MHNG, 2 females); Palni Hills 23km. E. Kodaikanal, 1200m, 16.xi. 1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard # 29 [sifting in forest, near river] (MHNG, 2 males and 1 female); Palni Hills, Kodaikanal, 2100m, 11.xi. 1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard # 22 [sifting in forest above town] (MHNG, 1 male and 2 females); Anaimalai Hills, Valparai, 1100m, 20.xi. 1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard # 39 [sifting in forest with coffee trees] (MHNG, 1 male and 2 females); Anaimalai Hills, 18km N. Valparai, 1250m, 18.xi. 1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard # 35 [sifting in forest] (MHNG, 1 male); Chambaganoor, leg. Donkier (FMNH, 1 female); Kerala: Palni Hills, 30km E Munnar, 77 ° 16 ’E 10 °08N, 1900m, 24.xi. 1972, leg. Boukal & Kejval # 4 (MHNG, 1 female; NHMW, 4 females); Cardamon Hills, Muttapatti near Munnar. 1700m, 24.xi. 1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard # 48 [sifting in forest, at foot of group of arboreal ferns] (MHNG, 1 male and 3 females); Cardamon Hills, Kumily, 1000m, 6.xi. 1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard # 12 b [sifting logs and trunks of dead trees] (MHNG, 1 female); Cardamon Hills, [pass 13 km NE of] Munnar, 1900m, 26.xi. 1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard # 51 sifting logs and trunks of dead trees] (MHNG, 1 male and 2 females). Additional specimens, 22 (all entirely black due to too long storage in inappropriate preservation fluid before dry mounting): Tamil Nadu, Kodaikanal, 700–1000m, 17.i. 1972, leg. R. Mussard (MHNG, 1 male); same data, but 1800m, 8.i. 1972, (MHNG, 9 males and 6 females); same data, but 2200m, 10.i. 1972 (MHNG, 4 males and 2 females). Description. Habitus as in fig. 4. Combined length of head, pronotum and elytra = 1.60–1.85 mm; maximal pronotal width = 0.80 –1.00 mm. Body and appendages predominantly yellow brown, except darker thoracic ventrites and, occasionally, also abdomen; elytra each with broad blackish transverse subapical spot. Dorsal pubescence fairly uniform, sparser on elytral disc; frontal pubescence parallel, medial setae directed backward; elytral and pronotal setae slightly arcuate, recumbent; metaventral setae becoming longer and denser anteriorly, slightly longer than prosternal setae; pubescence on abdominal tergites IV–VI parallel, uniform; that on sternites IV–VII becoming slightly longer posteromedially, lacking subapical macrosetae. Surface of frons and vertex oblongogranulate; pronotum granulofossulate; anterior portion of prohypomera almost smooth; elytra punctate, coarsely; metaventrite coarsely punctate laterally, smooth medially and posteriorly. Frons above clypeus forming sharp ridge, the latter carinate; lateral outlines markedly concave to apex truncate; mesal portion of disc weakly convex in lateral view, evenly; entire U-shaped frontal impression shallow. Eyes almost hemispherical, with highest point slightly above level of vertex; supraocular margins sinuate in dorsal view. Temples almost smooth; in dorsal view abruptly angled just behind eyes, then weakly convex. Occipital ridge well marked, darkened; anterolateral portions sinuate, extended from lower eye margins dorsally to nearly third of neck width, then recurved posteroventrally back to upper level of eyes; posterolateral portions connected dorsally with irregular transverse ridge. Antenna (fig. 28) without patches of sensilla; scape gradually expanded, conical, not flattened and without longitudinal ridges; pedicel cylindrical, without longitudinal ridge; short and dense pubescence present on antennomeres 8–11; antennomeres 9–10 symmetrical. Maxillary palpi with palpomere 4 about twice as long as palpomere 3, the latter subcylindrical. Pronotum (fig. 26) with centre moderately convex in frontal view; disc shallowly depressed along lateral portions of anterior and posterior margins, and deeply depressed along lateral edges, the latter markedly raised anteriorly; medial groove very shallow, weakly arcuate in lateral view; hypomera without discal pit, at level of junction with posterior prosternal margin with short ridge, the latter arcuate outward, anterior portion not reaching half of hypomeral width and posterior portion not reaching middle of hypomeron. Proventrite with shallow posteromedial ridge. Protrochanters without longitudinal ridge. Scutellum with anterior margin of disc straight and lateral margins oblique to broadly convex apex. Elytra with disc evenly convex, without notable relief except humeral callus obsolete and moderate depression along anterior portion of lateral edge; lateral edge arcuate in dorsal view, markedly carinate, with anterior portion markedly serrate, broadly, serration fading posteriorly; sutural margin slightly arcuate in lateral view; posterior margin arcuate toward obtuse inner apical angle. Metaventrite without foveiform impressions in front of metacoxae. Mesofemora as long as metafemora and longer than mesotibiae, with subbasal oblique ridge; metatibia as long as metafemora and longer than mesotibiae. Male. Anterior frontal margin conspicuously carinate, carina sinuate. Protarsomeres 1 lacking tenent setae. Metatarsomeres 1 shorter than metatarsomeres 2–4 combined. Mesofemora and mesotrochanters as in fig. 22. Peglike setae arranged in a single row on mesotibiae (fig. 21); mesotrochanters with 1–3 peg-like setae. Abdominal sternites IV–VI unmodified; tergite VIII with apex as in figs 20; sternite VIII as in fig. 19; hemitergites IX with lateral lobe reduced, similar to that in fig. 55; sternite IX without subbasal medial protuberance. Aedeagus as in figs 15–18. Female. Anterior frontal margin slightly carinate, evenly. Abdominal tergite VIII as in figs 29, 30; sternite VIII as in fig. 27. Genital segment as in figs 23–25; gonocoxal plate without dorsal and ventral medial ridges. Comparisons and diagnostic notes. Megarthrus narendrani sp. n. shares most characters with M. bimaculatus and M. nilgiriensis sp. n. (see comparisons and diagnostic notes under M. bimaculatus), however the conformation of their genitalia are diagnostic. In one hand this new species resembles M. nilgiriensis sp. n. with regard to the ventral outline of the aedeagal ventral wall sinuate in male and the presence of two transverse subbasal sclerites in female genital tergites, but M. narendrani sp. n. has the aedeagal tip truncate (while not in M. nilgiriensis sp. n.) and the female valvifers each with a dorsal apophysis locate near their midlength (instead of at level of basal margin in M. nilgiriensis sp. n.). In the other hand M. narendrani sp. n. share with M. bimaculatus sp. n. the dorsal apophysis of female valvifers located near their midlength, but the latter species has the lateral outlines of the middle portion of the valvifers parallel instead of converging and its female genital tergites also lack subbasal sclerites. Distribution and natural history. The species occurs in the far South of the Western Ghats (Palni, Anaimalai, and Cardamon Hills), where it was collected mainly sifting forest leaf litter at elevations ranging from 700 to 2200 m a.s.l. Etymology. The species is named in honour of the Keralan hymenopterist Thekke Kuruppathe Narendran (1944 –2013).Published as part of Cuccodoro, Giulio & Liu, Zhiping, 2016, Megarthrus of southern India and Sri Lanka, with notes on their phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae), pp. 530-544 in Zootaxa 4097 (4) on pages 534-537, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4097.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/25906

Megarthrus of southern India and Sri Lanka, with notes on their phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae)

Cuccodoro, Giulio, Liu, Zhiping (2016): Megarthrus of southern India and Sri Lanka, with notes on their phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae). Zootaxa 4097 (4): 530-544, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4097.4.

Megarthrus bimaculatus Fauvel

Megarthrus bimaculatus Fauvel (figs 3, 6– 14) Megarthrus bimaculatus Fauvel: 1904, 87; Cuccodoro 2003, 367, figs 10–11 (redescription). Type locality: Ceylon. Holotype female (ISNB). Specimens examined. 33: SRI LANKA: " Ceylon, 22.iii. 1882 | I.R.Sc. N. B. # 17.479 " (ISNB, holotype female). Additional specimens, 32: Central: Hakgala, 1700–1800m, 28.i. 1970, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, # 30 a [sifting in ravine, NE slope] (MHNG, 1 male and 1 female); same data, but 1800m # 30 c [sifting in primary forest above Botanical Garden] (MHNG, 1 male); Hanguranketa, 750m, 27.i. 1970, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, # 28 [sifting bark and Polypores on old log] (MHNG, 2 males and 2 females]; Madulkele, c. 1000m, 27.i. 1964, leg. Mussard (MHNG, 1 male); above Mululla, 750m, 4.ii. 1970, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, # 45 [sifting in forest above Mululla] (MHNG, 1 female); Nuwara Eliya, 1950m, 29.i. 1970, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, # 33 [sifting in forest at inferior forest edge, at foot of Pidurutalagala] (MHNG, 1 female); same data, but 15.ii. 1970, # 69 (MHNG, 1 male); Pidurutalagala, 2200m, 29.i. 1970, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, # 32 [sifting in forest, on SW slope] (MHNG, 1 female); above Talatuoya, 850–1000m, 27.i. 1970, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard # 27 a [sifting in remnants of forest] (MHNG, 1 female); Uva: Haputale, 1350m, 23.i. 1970, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, # 19 [sifting forest leaf litter in ravine] (MHNG, 12 males and 7 females). Diagnosis. Body (fig. 3) predominantly yellow brown, with broad transverse subapical dark spot on each elytron; combined length of head, pronotum and elytra = 1.50–1.70 mm; maximal pronotal width = 0.80–0.90 mm; lateral outlines of frons markedly concave to apex truncate; occipital ridge well marked, with anterolateral portions sinuate, extended from lower eye margins dorsally to nearly third of neck width, then sharply recurved posteroventrally back to upper level of eyes, posterolateral portions connected dorsally with irregular transverse ridge; antennae with short and dense pubescence present only on antennomeres 8–11; antennomeres 9–10 symmetrical. Male: carina of anterior frontal edge raised, occasionally sinuate; protarsomeres 1 without tenent setae; protarsomeres 5 without flat apophysis; metatibiae slightly curved subapically, with adventral row of peg-like setae on slightly less than apical half; mesotrochanters with 1-3 peg-like setae; abdominal sternites IV–V unmodified; abdominal sternite VIII with well delimited discoidal hyaline medial impression; aedeagus as in figs 6–9. Female: anterior frontal edge slightly carinate, evenly; abdominal tergite VIII as in figs 13, 14); valvifers fused dorsally on entire length, each with dorsal apophysis projecting posteriorly near mid length (figs 11, 12); dorsal part of genital segment as in fig. 10. Distribution and natural history. The species is restricted to Sri Lanka (Central and Uva Provinces), where specimens were collected in forest leaf litter at elevations ranging from 750 to 2200 m a.s.l. Comparisons and diagnostic notes. Megarthrus bimaculatus, M. lanka sp. n., M. narendrani sp. n., M. nilgiriensis sp. n., M. rufomarginatus, M. sumatrensis Cameron and M. vastus Wendeler are the only members of the genus with short and dense pubescence restricted to the antennomeres 8 to 11. These species also uniquely share the presence of externally recurved posterolateral branches of the occipital ridge. These species also notably have in common female valvifers fused dorsally on entire length, and the presence in male of a well delimited discoidal hyaline medial impression on the abdominal sternite VIII. Among them only M. bimaculatus, M. narendrani sp. n. and M. nilgiriensis sp. n. have bicoloured elytra and dorsally projecting apophysis on female valvifers. These three species can be easily distinguished by the shape of their aedeagus and valvifers (see comparisons and diagnostic notes under M. narendrani sp. n.).Published as part of Cuccodoro, Giulio & Liu, Zhiping, 2016, Megarthrus of southern India and Sri Lanka, with notes on their phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae), pp. 530-544 in Zootaxa 4097 (4) on pages 531-533, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4097.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/25906

Megarthrus of China. Part 2. Megarthrus basicornis Fauvel, 1904 with description of a new species from Mount Emei (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae)

Liu, Zhiping, Cuccodoro, Giulio (2020): Megarthrus of China. Part 2. Megarthrus basicornis Fauvel, 1904 with description of a new species from Mount Emei (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae). Zootaxa 4895 (1): 124-134, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4895.1.

Megarthrus of China. Part 4. The M. hemipterus complex (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Proteininae), with description of a new species from Yunnan Province

The members of the Megarthrus hemipterus species complex occurring in China, i.e., M. dentipes Bernhauer, M. flavolimbatus Cameron and M. hemipterus (Illiger), are diagnosed, and a new species attributed to this informal group, M. panda sp. nov., is described from Yunnan Province. All species are diagnosed and illustrated, and their distribution in mainland China is mapped. The limit of the M. hemipterus species complex is refined morphologically

Megarthrus lanka Cuccodoro & Liu, 2016, sp. nov.

Megarthrus lanka sp. nov. (figs 1, 48– 65) Specimens examined. 41: Holotype, male: SRI LANKA: Central: " Ceylan, Central, s/Talatuoya [above Talatuoya], 850–1000m, 27.i. 1970, Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, # 27 a [sifting leaf litter in relictual forest]" (MHNG; accession number MHNG ENTO 00008938); Paratypes, 40: same data as holotype (MHNG, 6 males and 2 females); Dickoya, 20km WSW Nuwara Eliya, Gesiebt [sifted] 28.iii. 1973, leg. Benick (MHNG, 1 female; ZMHB, 1 male and 1 female); Hanguranketa, 750m, 27.i. 1970, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, # 28 [ex forest leaf litter] (MHNG, 16 males and 8 females]; above Mululla, 750m, 4.ii. 1970, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard # 45 [sifting forest leaf litter] (MHNG, 1 male and 3 females); Kandy, 14.i. 1964, leg. Mussard (MHNG, 1 male). Description. Habitus as in fig. 1. Combined length of head, pronotum and elytra = 1.65–1.85 mm; maximal pronotal width = 0.90–1.05 mm. Body and appendages uniformly rust brown, except antennomeres 11 yellowish. Dorsal pubescence fairly uniform, sparser on elytral disc; frontal pubescence parallel, medial setae directed backward; elytral and pronotal setae slightly arcuate, recumbent; metaventral setae becoming denser anteriorly, slightly longer than prosternal setae; pubescence on abdominal tergites IV–VI parallel, uniform; that on sternites IV–VII becoming slightly longer posteromedially, lacking subapical macrosetae. Surface of frons and vertex oblongogranulate; pronotum granulofossulate; anterior portion of prohypomera almost smooth; elytra punctate, coarsely; metaventrite coarsely punctate laterally, smooth medially and posteriorly. Frons above clypeus forming sharp ridge, the latter slightly carinate, evenly or slightly higher laterally than in middle, with lateral outlines oblique to anterior portion broadly rounded, or subtruncate; mesal portion of disc weakly convex in lateral view, evenly; entire U-shaped frontal impression shallow. Eyes almost hemispherical, with highest point slightly above level of vertex; supraocular margins sinuate in dorsal view. Temples almost smooth; in dorsal view abruptly angled just behind eyes, then weakly convex. Occipital ridge well marked, darkened; anterolateral portions sinuate, extended from lower eye margins dorsally to nearly third of neck width, then sharply recurved posteroventrally back to upper level of eyes; posterolateral portions connected dorsally with irregular transverse ridge. Antenna (fig. 63) without patches of sensilla; scape gradually expanded, conical, not flattened and without longitudinal riges; pedicel cylindrical, without longitudinal ridge; short and dense pubescence present on antennomeres 8–11; antennomeres 9–10 strongly asymmetrical. Maxillary palpi with palpomere 4 about 2 times as long as palpomere 3, the latter subcylindrical. Pronotum (fig. 61) with centre moderately convex in frontal view; disc shallowly depressed along lateral portions of anterior and posterior margins, and along lateral edges, the latter slightly raised anteriorly; medial groove very shallow, weakly arcuate in lateral view; hypomera without discal pit, at level of junction with posterior prosternal margin with short ridge, the latter arcuate outward, anterior portion not reaching half of hypomeral width and posterior portion not reaching middle of hypomeron. Proventrite with shallow posteromedial ridge. Protrochanters without longitudinal ridge. Scutellum with anterior margin of disc straight and lateral margins oblique to broadly convex apex. Elytra with disc evenly convex, without notable relief except humeral callus obsolete and moderate depression along anterior portion of lateral edge; lateral edge arcuate in dorsal view, markedly carinate, with anterior portion shallowly serrate, broadly, serration fading posteriorly; sutural margin slightly arcuate in lateral view; posterior margin arcuate toward obtuse inner apical angle. Metaventrite without foveiform impressions in front of metacoxae. Mesofemora as long as metafemora and longer than mesotibiae, with subbasal oblique ridge; metatibiae as long as metafemora and longer than mesotibiae. Male. Protarsomeres 1 lacking tenent setae. Protarsomeres 5 with adventral projecting flat apophysis. Metatarsomeres 1 shorter than metatarsomeres 2–4 combined. Peg-like setae arranged in single row on mesotibiae (fig. 56) and in double row on mesotrochanters (fig. 57). Abdominal sternite IV with medial area markedly swollen, with short transverse medial ridge; tergite VIII as in figs 53–54; sternite VIII as in fig 52; hemitergites IX (fig. 55) with lateral lobe reduced; sternite IX without subbasal medial protuberance. Aedeagus as in figs 48–51. Female. Medial area of abdominal sternite IV flat. Abdominal tergite VIII as in figs 64–65; sternite VIII as in fig. 62. Genital segment as in figs 58–60; gonocoxal plate without dorsal and ventral medial ridges. Comparisons and diagnostic notes. Megarthrus lanka sp. n. is very similar to the southern Indian M. rufomarginatus. These two species are so far the only members of the genus to possess strongly asymmetrical antennomeres nine and ten. They also uniquely share the presence on the fifth protarsomere of a flat adventral projecting apophysis in male. Megarthrus lanka is however uniformly rust brown except apical antennomere yellow, instead of chestnut brown with paler and uniformly coloured appendages for M. rufomarginatus, and the elytral punctation of the latter species is also slightly finer and denser. The shape of the aedeagus and the conformation of its internal sac are diagnostic. Distribution and natural history. The species is known only from the Central Province of Sri Lanka, where it was collected in forest leaf litter at elevations ranging from 750 to 1000 m.a.s.l. Etymology. The specific epithet is based on the name of the island, treated as a Latin singular noun in apposition, nominative case.Published as part of Cuccodoro, Giulio & Liu, Zhiping, 2016, Megarthrus of southern India and Sri Lanka, with notes on their phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae), pp. 530-544 in Zootaxa 4097 (4) on pages 539-541, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4097.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/25906

Megarthrus of China. Part 1. Description of a new species resembling M. antennalis Cameron, 1941 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae)

Liu, Zhiping, Cuccodoro, Giulio (2020): Megarthrus of China. Part 1. Description of a new species resembling M. antennalis Cameron, 1941 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae). Zootaxa 4750 (2): 269-276, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4750.2.1