Philhygra palustris Kiesenwetter 1844

Philhygra palustris (Kiesenwetter, 1844)

(Figs. 1 C, 4A–H)

Homalota palustris Kiesenwetter, 1844: 318.

Microdota (Philhygra) palustris: Mulsant & Rey, 1873b: 309 (as valid species).

Atheta (Philhygra) palustris: Fenyes, 1920: 201; Yosii & Sawada, 1976: 29; Paśnik, 2001: 206; (as valid species). See Gusarov (2003), Smetana (2004) and Gouix & Klimaszewski (2007) for more synonymies.

Description. Body length 2.2–2.9 mm. Body (Fig. 1 C) relatively narrow and elongate in dorsal aspect. Head almost black; antennae, pronotum and elytra dark brown, elytra paler than pronotum; abdominal tergites II–V dark brown and VI–VIII brownish black; legs yellowish brown. Head surface glossy, with fine punctation, distance between punctures 1–3 times longer than their diameter; head about as wide as long, widest at across eyes; eyes slightly prominent, about 1.25 times longer than tempora; antennomeres 4–5 slightly elongate, 6–10 about as long as wide, 11 about as long as preceding two combined (Fig. 4 A); labrum (Fig. 4 B) emarginate in anterior margin; asensillum relatively long; medial pseudopores absent, lateral pseudopores present in prementum. Pronotum transverse, approximately 1.2 times as wide as long, widest at apical third; pubescence in midline directed anteriorly; punctation finer than on head, distance between punctures 1–2 times longer than their diameter; metanotal scutum with one long setae and about 3–6 short setae on each side of midline; mesoventral process elongate and slightly pointed at apex, longer than isthmus; metaventral process little shorter than isthmus (Fig. 4 C). Elytron approximately 1.8 times as long as wide; postero-lateral margin nearly straight; flabellum composed of about 14 setae. Abdominal tergites glossy, with fine punctation, distance between punctures 0.5–1 times longer than their diameter; male tergite VIII (Fig. 4 D) with 4 macrosetae on each side of midline, posterior margin emarginate; male sternite VIII (Fig. 4 E) truncate in posterior margin, with conspicuously long marginal setae; female tergite VIII similar to male tergite VIII; posterior margin of female sternite VIII convex, more or less round, with moderately long marginal setae. Aedeagus as in Figs. 4 F–H.

Material examined. KOREA: Chungnam prov.: 4 ex., Asan-si, Shinchang-myeon, Gangcheong-ri, N36°50′ 0 8.9″ E126°56′ 15.4″ 155 m, 6 vi 2006, SJ Park, DH Lee, decaying vegetables; Gangwon prov.: 15 ex., Pyeongchang-gun, Bangrim-myeon, Mt. Baekduksan, 12 vii 2001, KJ Ahn, SJ Park, decaying vegetables; Gyeongbuk prov.: 20 ex., Bonghwa-gun, Murya-myeon, Mt. Seondalsan, 23–25 vii 1998, KL You, HJ Lim, FIT; Jeju prov.: 9 ex., Seoguipo-si, Hawon-dong, Seoguipo natural recreation forest, N33°18′ 36″ E126°28′ 9.2″ 665 m, 31 v 2007, DH Lee, YH Kim, leaf litter; Jeonbuk prov.: 17 ex., Muju-gun, Seolcheon-myeon, Mt. Deogyusan, 22–24 v 1998, KL You, HJ Lim; Jeonnam prov.: 7 ex., Hadong-gun, Hwagye-myeon, Mt. Jirisan, Ssanggyesa, 25 v 2000, US Hwang, sifting; 15 ex., Gurye-gun, Toji-myeon, Mt. Jirisan, Piagol, 24–26 v 2000, HK Choi, JH Song, MS Kim, baited trap.

Distribution. Canary Islands, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Madeira Archipelago, Mongolia, Morocco and Russia (Siberia) (Smetana 2004).

Remarks. This species is similar to P. yokkaichiana, but can be distinguished by the characters provided in the key and the shape and structure of aedeagus.