Scydmaenus ( Cholerus ) excaviceps Lhoste, 1937

Scydmaenus ( Cholerus) excaviceps Lhoste View in CoL

( Figs 1‒14 View FIGURES 1–2 View FIGURES 3–4 View FIGURES 5–14 )

Scydmaenus ( Cholerus) excaviceps Lhoste, 1937: 408 View in CoL .

Scydmaenus ( Cholerus) excaviceps Lhoste, 1938: 126 View in CoL . As new; synonymic homonym. Material studied. 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Sri Lanka, Inginiyagala , 12.02.1970, leg. Mussard, Besuchet, Löbl ; 2 ♂♂, Sri Lanka, Kantalai , 02.077.1970, leg. Mussard, Besuchet, Löbl ; 1 ♂, Sri Lanka, Rajakadaluwa , 31.01.1970, leg. Mussard, Besuchet, Löbl ; 1 ♀, Sri Lanka, Alut Oya , 03.02.1970, leg. Mussard, Besuchet, Löbl ; 1 ♂, Sri Lanka, Habarana , 7- 8.02.1962, under bark, leg. Brinck, Andersson, Cederholm ; 1 ♀, Sri Lanka, Wilpattu N.P. Maradan Maduwa, 23 mls W Anuradhapura , 02.02.1962, leg. Brinck, Andersson, Cederholm ; 2 ♀♀, Sri Lanka, Habarana , 16.03.1981, leg. Rogemont ; 1 ♀, Sri Lanka, without detailed data ( NHMW, cPJ) .

Revised diagnosis. Male with strongly modified frontovertexal region of head, with deep transverse posterior cavity and large rhomboidal anterior impression composed of five asetose areoles separated by setose ridges, anterior margin of frons subtriangular and projecting anterad, posterior cavity incompletely divided into lateral halves by elongate arrow-shaped asetose process projecting posterad; aedeagus in dorsal view divided by broad constriction near middle into elongate basal capsule and much broader, elongate and subtrapezoidal distal region, ostium with pair of elongate processes of unequal lengths, in lateral view aedeagus broadest in subapical region.

Redescription. Body of male ( Fig. 1 View FIGURES 1–2 ) strongly elongate and moderately strongly convex, moderately dark brown, covered with light brown setae; BL 1.88‒2.03 mm.

Head ( Figs 3, 4 View FIGURES 3–4 ) distinctly transverse and from anterior margins of eyes to occipital constriction subrectangular in shape, broadest slightly behind eyes, HL 0.35‒0.38 mm, HW 0.40‒0.45 mm; frontovertexal region strongly modified ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 3–4 ), with deep transverse and asetose posterior cavity broadest anteriorly and narrowing posterad, incompletely divided into lateral halves by elongate arrow-shaped median asetose process projecting posterad, and with large rhomboidal anterior impression composed of five asetose areoles separated by setose ridges; anterior margin of frons subtriangular and projecting anterad, supraantennal tubercles not developed; eyes small, finely faceted, in dorsal view not projecting from head silhouette and distinctly shorter than tempora. Punctures on lateral areas of frontovertexal region outside median modified area unevenly distributed, large and dense behind antennal fossae, fine and dense just mesad each eye, and fine and sparse posterad eyes; impressed areas impunctate; setae unevenly distributed outside modified median area, those behind antennal fossae and those flanking posterior cavity long and dense, setae on ridges of anterior impressions slightly shorter and sparser, those on lateral regions of head short and sparse. Antennae slender, with trimerous clubs, AnL 1.03‒1.05 mm; antennomeres 1‒3, 5, 9 and 11 each strongly elongate, 4 and 10 weakly elongate, 7 and 8 each about as long as broad and slightly asymmetrical, 11 much shorter than 9 and 10 combined, about 1.8 times as long as broad.

Pronotum ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 3–4 ) inversely subtrapezoidal, broadest near anterior fourth; PL 0.53‒0.58 mm, PW 0.48‒0.50 mm; anterior margin strongly rounded and confluent with lateral margins, which are anteriorly strongly rounded and posteriorly nearly straight; posterior corners obtuse-angled and rounded; posterior margin weakly arcuate; base with two pairs of small and shallow pits, inner pair separated by much wider space than that between inner and outer pit. Punctures on pronotal disc small but distinct, those in middle separated by spaces 1‒2 times as wide as diameters of punctures; setae moderately long, sparse and suberect.

Elytra together oval, broadest slightly anterior to middle; EL 1.00‒ 1.10 mm, EW 0.73‒0.75 mm, EI 1.37‒1.47; humeral calli weakly elevated, basal impressions virtually absent; elytral apices separately rounded. Punctures and setae similar to those on pronotum.

Legs long and slender, lacking modifications.

Aedeagus ( Figs 5‒13 View FIGURES 5–14 ) strongly elongate, AeL 0.43 mm, in dorsal view divided by broad submedian constriction into elongate basal capsule and much broader, elongate and subtrapezoidal distal region, ostium with pair of elongate processes of unequal lengths, in lateral view aedeagus nearly straight, broadest in subapical region, with ostium flanked by weakly sclerotized walls which are elevated and projecting ventrad; apex lacking setae; flagellum in lateral view with particularly thick and large proximal loop.

Female ( Fig. 2 View FIGURES 1–2 ). Externally similar to male but with unmodified head, slightly shorter body and antennae slightly shorter in relation to BL. BL 1.83‒1.90 mm; HL 0.35 mm, HW 0.38 mm, AnL 0.90‒0.95 mm; PL 0.48‒0.50 mm, PW 0.45‒0.48 mm; EL 1.00‒ 1.05 mm, EW 0.73‒0.75 mm, EI 1.38‒1.40.

Spermatheca ( Fig. 14 View FIGURES 5–14 ) 0.15 mm in length (from base of ductus spermathecae to opposite wall), weakly elongate, with small accessory gland.

Distribution. SE India and Sri Lanka.

Remarks. Lhoste (1937, 1938) and Franz (1982) accurately illustrated the aedeagus of this species ( Figs 10‒ 13 View FIGURES 5–14 ), and the error made in Lhoste (1937) was easy to detect based on his 1938 publication. This, and the Lhoste’s illustrations of the male head made it possible to identify specimens that Franz used in his 1982 paper as belonging to S. excaviceps . The shape of the aedeagus is unique and not similar to any other Cholerus , but the spermatheca is unremarkable and similar to that of many other species, not only Cholerus (pers. obs.).

Scydmaenus femoralis was redescribed based on the type specimen in Jałoszyński (2025a), and it is clear that S. excaviceps does not belong to the same subgenus, and that it is a separate species. The name S. excaviceps is here resurrected as valid.