Notes on Michael Schülke’s pselaphine collections from China. – Tyrini. I. genera Labomimus Sharp, Linan Hlaváč and Pselaphodes Westwood (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae)

Abstract This paper is the first of a series that deals with Dr. Michael Schülke’s collection of Pselaphinae from China. The tyrine genera Labomimus Sharp, Linan Hlaváč and Pselaphodes Westwood are chosen for the first part. The study revealed fourteen new species, all described and illustrated: Labomimus cognatus Yin & Li, sp. n. (Yunnan), Labomimus dabashanus Yin & Li, sp. n. (Hubei, Shaanxi), Labomimus mirus Yin & Li, sp. n. (Yunnan), Labomimus paratorus Yin & Li, sp. n. (Shaanxi), Labomimus sarculus Yin & Li, sp. n. (Yunnan), Labomimus schuelkei Yin & Li, sp. n. (Shaanxi), Labomimus vespertilio Yin & Li, sp. n. (Yunnan), Linan tendothorax Yin & Li, sp. n. (Yunnan), Pselaphodes distincticornis Yin & Li, sp. n. (Yunnan), Pselaphodes erlangshanus Yin & Li, sp. n. (Sichuan), Pselaphodes flexus Yin & Li, sp. n. (Yunnan), Pselaphodes tibialis Yin & Li, sp. n. (Yunnan), Pselaphodes venustus Yin & Li, sp. n. (Yunnan) and Pselaphodes zhongdianus Yin & Li, sp. n. (Yunnan). Pselaphodes jizushanus Yin, Li & Zhao is recorded from a new locality in Yunnan and its aedeagus is newly illustrated; new province records for Pselaphodes nomurai Yin, Li & Zhao is provided. Labomimus torus (Yin, Li & Zhao), comb. n. is moved from Pselaphodes after an examination of the holotype. Species represented only by unassociated females are listed with label data.


Introduction
The Asian species of the Pselaphodes complex of genera (sensu Hlaváč 2002) belonging to the tribe Tyrini are most diverse in the east to southeast Oriental region (Hlaváč and Chandler 2005). Despite recent works (Hlaváč 2002;Hlaváč and Nomura 2001;Bekchiev 2010;Yin et al. 2010Yin et al. , 2011aYin et al. , 2011bYin et al. , 2011cYin et al. , 2012a 2012bp; Yin and Li in press) describing a number of new genera and new species from that region, the complex is considered still inadequately studied at both the generic and species levels.
Recent access to the pselaphine collection of M. Schülke, which contains specimens collected during several expeditions by M. Schülke (Berlin, staphylinidologist) and D. W. Wrase (Berlin, carabidologist) to China, provided us an opportunity to work on a large number of yet undescribed tyrine species from that country. In this paper, members of the genera Labomimus Sharp, Linan Hlaváč and Pselaphodes Westwood are treated. The results are fourteen new species, one new record of known species and one new combination; sixteen species are represented only by female specimens, and are listed with their collecting data for future study. This information is reported herein.

Material and methods
The material referred to in this study is housed in the following public institution and private collection: The Michael Schülke collection will eventually be moved to Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin (MNB).
Labels of the examined material are quoted verbatim if not mentioned otherwise; a slash (/) is used to separate lines on the same label, and a double slash (//) is used to separate different labels.
The terminology of the foveal system follows Chandler 2001, except for using 'ventrite' instead of 'sternite' when discussing the meso-and metathoracic structures.
Measurements are in millimeters. The following acronyms are used in the text: AL-length of the abdomen along the midline; AW-maximum width of the abdomen; BL-length of the body (= HL + PL + EL + AL); EL-length of the elytra along the sutural line; EW-maximum width of the elytra; HL-length of the head from the anterior clypeal margin to the occipital constriction; HW-width of the head across eyes; PLlength of the pronotum along the midline; PW-maximum width of the pronotum. Diagnosis. Reddish brown; length 3.18-3.48; postgenae nearly rounded; antennomeres IX-XI enlarged, IX-X modified in the male; pronotum with lateral margins moderately angularly expanded laterally; with short blunt metaventral processes; metacoxae spinose; aedeagus with symmetric median lobe.

Labomimus cognatus
Description. Male (Fig. 1A). Length 3.18-3.41. Head longer than wide, HL 0.71-0.78, HW 0.65-0.71; eyes each composed of about 40 facets. Antennal clubs as in Fig. 2A. Pronotum (Fig. 2B) slightly longer than wide, PL 0.71-0.75, PW 0.66-0.71, with lateral margins moderately angularly expanded laterally. Elytra wider than long, EL 0.84-0.90, EW 1.12-1.35. Short metaventral processes with rounded apices (Fig. 2C). Protrochanters with small ventral spine, profemora with large ventral spine (Fig. 2D), protibiae with small apical tubercle (Fig. 2E) Comparative notes. This is placed as a sister species of Labomimus vespertilio sp. n. described below. The two species share a similar general appearance, short metaventral process, similar placement of spines on the legs and a close aedeagal form. The two species can be readily separated by the smaller size, the symmetric antennomeres IX with a disc-like process and the median lobe has a narrower apex in L. cognatus, while L. vespertilio is larger in size, has strongly asymmetric antennomeres IX and has the aedeagus with median lobe much broader at apex.
Distribution. Southwest China: Yunnan. Biology. Individuals were sifted from leaf litter in deciduous forests. Etymology. The Latin word 'cognatus' means 'related', indicating a close relationship between the new species and Labomimus vespertilio described below.   Comparative notes. The new species is closest to L. shibatai K. Sawada, 1961 by sharing the laterally expanded postgenae and rounded pronotal lateral margins. Apart from the clearly different aedeagal form, the two species can be separated by the much smaller body size, the transverse antennomeres X, and the elongate antennomeres IX being angularly expanded at anteromedial margin in L. dabashanus. Labomimus shibatai is much larger in size (3.5-3.8 mm), has elongate antennomeres X and enlarged and unmodified antennomeres IX.
Description. Male (Fig. 1C).  Diagnosis. Reddish brown; length 3.55-3.87; postgenae rounded; antennomeres IX-XI enlarged, IX modified in the male; pronotum with lateral margins slightly angularly expanded laterally; metaventral processes roundly broadened apically; metacoxae simple; aedeagus with asymmetric median lobe. Female. Unknown. Comparative notes. A reexamination of the holotype of Pselaphodes torus Yin, Li & Zhao clearly showed the presence of a median metaventral fovea in that species, a character state that is shared by Labomimus, Linan, and Indophodes Hlaváč of the Pselaphodes-complex. Combined with the short tarsomeres II not extending to beneath the III, the distinct frontal and vertexal foveae, and the presence of a pronotal median antebasal fovea, P. torus is here moved to Labomimus, comb. n. Labomimus paratorus is placed closest to L. torus, they share a similar general appearance, the placement of spines on the legs, and even similar aedeagal form. The two species can be separated only by reddish-brown body coloration and the short apical projections of pro-and mesotibiae in L. paratorus, in contrast Labomimus torus has black body coloration and much longer apical projections of the first two pairs of tibiae.
Distribution.   Comparative notes. This species is placed near L. cognatus and L. vespertilio described below by sharing a similar habitus, the short median metaventral process and the protuberant metacoxae. Labomimus sarculus can be readily separated from both species by the unique modified antennomeres IX, longer apical spur of protibiae and the aedeagus has the median lobe medially straight at the apex, not concave.
Distribution. Southwest China: Yunnan. Biology. Individuals were sifted from leaf litter and mixed deadwood and mushrooms in a devastated primary and secondary forest.
Female. Unknown. Comparative notes. Labomimus schuelkei is placed close to L. sichuanicus by sharing the postgenae being largely expanded laterally with a thickened posterior margin, and the strongly elongate antennomeres V-VIII. The two species can be readily separated by the large body size, the strongly modified antennomeres IX-X, and the aedeagus with the median lobe narrow dorsal-ventrally in L. schuelkei, while L. sichuanicus is much smaller (3.05-3.20 mm), has simple antennomeres IX-X, and has the aedeagus with a much broader median lobe (Hlaváč et al. 2000).
Distribution. Northwest China: Shaanxi. Biology. Probably sifted from leaf litter in a forest. Etymology. Named after Michael Schülke, a well-known specialist in Staphylinidae, who kindly provided all the material used in this paper. Diagnosis. Reddish brown; length 3.34-3.52; postgenae nearly rounded; antennomeres IX-XI enlarged, VIII-X modified in the male; pronotum with lateral margins moderately angularly expanded laterally; with short blunt metaventral processes; metacoxae spinose; aedeagus with symmetric median lobe.
Description. Male (Fig. 6C). Length 3.34-3.52. Head longer than wide, HL 0.70-0.75, HW 0.63-0.65; eyes each composed of about 30 facets. Antennal clubs as in Fig. 9A. Pronotum (Fig. 9B) slightly longer than wide, PL 0.71-0.74, PW 0.65-0.70, with lateral margins moderately angularly expanded laterally. Elytra wider than long, EL 0.75-0.81, EW 1.23-1.28. Short metaventral processes with rounded apices (Fig. 9C). Protrochanters with small ventral spine, profemora with large ventral spine (Fig. 9D), protibiae with distinct apical tubercle ( Comparative notes. This is placed as a sister species of L. cognatus, sharing with it a number of character states (see comparative notes under L. cognatus). The two species can be separated by the larger body size, the strongly asymmetric antennomeres IX, and the aedeagus with much broader apex in L. vespertilio, while L. cognatus is smaller in body size, has symmetric antennomeres IX with a disc-like process, and has the aedeagus with a much narrower apex. Other than the aforementioned characters, the two species also share with L. sarculus the lateral rows of dense setae extending from frontal rostrum base to head base, and the three species seem to form a small species-complex. For separation of L. sarculus from L. cognatus and L. vespertilio see the comparative notes under that species.
Distribution. Southwest China: Yunnan. Biology. Adults were from sifted leaf litter in a scrub forest with pines and bamboo. Etymology. The Latin word 'vespertilio' means 'a bat', referring to the bat-like apical part of the aedeagal median lobe.
Distribution. Southwest China: Yunnan. Biology. Individuals were sifted from mixed litter, moss, debris and dead wood in primary or secondary deciduous forests.
Comparative notes. The unmodified antennal clubs are shared in P. fengtingae Yin, Li et Zhao (Zhejiang, Jiangxi) and P. parvus Yin, Li et Zhao (Guizhou). Pselaphodes distincticornis can be separated from both species by the larger size, the simple protrochanters and profemora, and the distinctively asymmetric and elongate median lobe of the aedeagus. Both P. fengtingae and P. parvus have the protrochanters with a small ventral spine, and the profemora with a larger spine at the ventral margin, and have the aedeagus with an asymmetric but much shorter median lobe.
Distribution. Southwest China: Yunnan. Biology. Species were sifted from leaf litter under pines and shrubs in a ruderal pasture. Etymology. Species name combined from Latin stems 'distinct' and 'corn', referring to the large median metaventral processes of the new species. Diagnosis. Reddish brown; length 3.29-3.78; postgenae nearly rounded; antennomeres IX-XI enlarged, IX modified in the male; pronotum with lateral margins slightly angularly expanded laterally; with long metaventral processes apically narrowed; metacoxae simple; aedeagus with asymmetric median lobe.
Female. Unknown. Comparative notes. This species may be related to P. flexus and P. zhongdianus (both described below) by sharing a similar general habitus, elongate antennomeres IX-XI, and a somewhat similar aedeagal form. Pselaphodes erlangshanus can be readily separated from P. flexus by the larger size, the mesotrochanters with two ventral spines, and quite different form of the metaventral processes. The form of the antennomeres IX and aedeagus provide a quick separation of the new species from P. zhongdianus.
Female. Unknown. Comparative notes. As discussed above, this species may be related to P. erlangshanus and P. zhongdianus by sharing a similar general habitus, elongate antennomeres IX-XI, and a somewhat similar aedeagal form. Pselaphodes flexus can be separated from P. erlangshanus by the smaller size, the mesotrochanters with single ventral spine, and much thinner metaventral process. The nearly symmetrically cylindrical antennomeres IX of P. flexus readily separate it from P. zhongdianus, whose antennomeres IX are strongly roundly and projecting anterolaterally.
Female. Unknown. Comparative notes. The resemblance in general habitus, antennal modification, placement of spines on the legs, and the shared modified pro-and mesotibiae place P. tibialis closest to P. venustus sp. n. described below. The two species can be separated by the smaller body size, the metaventral process being much thinner, and different aedeagal form in P. tibialis, while P. venustus is larger in size (3.07-3.34) and the metaventral process are much stouter.
Comparative notes. The differences in body size and forms of the tibial modifications between P. venustus and P. tibialis were thought to be intraspecific variation before suspicions arose, and dissections of the genital segments of both species were done. Now it is clear that P. venustus represents a distinct species. It can be readily separated from P. tibialis by the larger size, the much stouter metaventral processes and, primarily, the aedeagal form.
Distribution. Southwest China: Yunnan. Biology. Species were sifted from leaf litter and moss in a mixed forest. Etymology. The Latin word 'venustus' means 'attractive in appearance', with regard to the strong modifications of the pro-and mesotibiae. Diagnosis. Reddish brown; length 3.23; postgenae round laterally; antennomeres IX-XI enlarged, IX modified in the male; pronotum with lateral margins slightly angularly expanded laterally; with metaventral processes apically narrowed; metacoxae simple; aedeagus with asymmetric median lobe.

Female. Unknown.
Comparative notes. Placed near P. erlangshanus and P. flexus as discussed above, readily separated from both species by the unique antennomeres IX being strongly roundly projecting at the anterolateral margin.
Distribution. Southwest China: Yunnan. Biology. Individuals was sifted from bamboo leaf litter and mushrooms in a secondary mixed forest.
Etymology. The new species is named after the type locality, Zhongdian.