Frischianus keralensis Frisch, sp. nov. (Figs 59, 190–192, 233, 234, 246, 268) Type specimens: India, Kerala: Holotype ♂, Nelliampathi Hills, 900 m, 30.XI.1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard (MHNG). Paratypes (94 specimens): 11 ♂, 78 ♀, same data as holotype (MFNB, MHNG); 1 ♂, 2 ♀, 10 km SW Kumily: Vallakadavu (Cardamom Hills) (09°31'N, 77°7'E), 1000 m, 24.XII.1993, leg. Boukal & Kejval (NHMW); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Periyar, 800 m, 13.I.1972, leg. Mussard (MHNG). Description: Habitus (Fig. 59). Macrophthalmous, macropterous with palisade fringe of abdominal tergite VII. Body color reddish medium brown with darker brown head and lateroposterior angles of elytra up to dark brown body with black head and blackish brown elytra; tip of abdomen, antennae, palps, and legs light brown to medium brown. Labral denticulation type 1 or 2 (cf. Figs 10–12). Forebody surface microsculpture type 4 (Fig. 4), but cephalic punctation finer than in Fig. 4a and pronotal furrows and ridges finer and denser than in Fig. 4b, indistinct. Sutural elytral row of punctures shallow, occupying about anterior half of sutural length with densely arranged punctures; medial and lateral row of punctures reduced to few punctures. Total body length 2.4–2.7 mm; forebody length 1.4–1.5 mm. Male: Abdominal sternite VII with median strip of ventral surface flattened and somewhat widened toward shortly emarginate median third of posterior margin delimited by strongly sclerotized, lateroposterior angles (Fig. 233). Abdominal sternite VIII in about posterior 0.15 of length with wide, triangular emargination with straight, strongly sclerotized lateral margins and obtuse-angled anterior end (Fig. 234). Aedeagus (Figs 190–192) symmetrical. Dorsal lobe short, not protruding apex of ventral process distally, in lateral view thin with moderately dilated, round apical end (Fig. 190), in dorsal view about as wide as aedeagus, but in apical portion on both sides concavely narrowed toward broad, transversely rectangular apical end (Fig. 192). Ventral process very close to postforamen, directed distoventrad, and reaching apex of dorsal lobe; in lateral view, distal third of ventral process somewhat curved dorsad, dorsally convexly widened, and gradually tapered toward acute apical end (Fig. 190); ventral process in ventral view almost as wide as aedeagus, subparallel, and in apical third gradually tapered toward subacute apical end (Fig. 191). Endophallic sclerite in lateral view oblong with tapered, subacute distal and proximal ends (Fig. 190), made up of three lateral, paired, elongate sclerites (Fig. 192) extended into processes directed toward each other visible in ventral view (Fig. 191): outer paired sclerites both extended into thin spine aligned distomedially; distal, inner paired sclerites short, lobiform, and aligned longitudinally; proximal, inner paired sclerites both extended into stout, apically round process aligned distomedially. Aedeagus strongly convex dorsally and with ventral margin distal of ventral process almost obtuse-angled curved (Fig. 190), in dorsal view narrow with subparallel lateral margins (Fig. 192). Length of aedeagus 0.34–0.37 mm. Female:Gonocoxal plate enlarged basally, but without huge, oval, hyaline, laterally spinulose anterior portion of other species of F. strigatocollis group; gonocoxal plate from wide, deeply emarginate proximal portion gradually tapered toward subparallel, setose posterior third with emarginate posterior margin; basal ridge delimiting deep, anterior emargination of gonocoxal plate, strongly sclerotized only at proximolateral angles and shortly laterad of middle of sclerite; anterior emargination of gonocoxal plate filled membranously and exhibits two lateral, medioposteriorly curved straps followed proximally by lateral, strongly sclerotized, shortly ribbed strips (Fig. 268). Distribution: Frischianus keralensis is native to southwestern India and recorded from the Nelliampathi Hills in the north as far south as the Cardamom Hills. Etymology: The epithet keralensis (adjective, Latin: from Kerala) refers to the distribution of this new species in the Indian federal state of Kerala.

Published as part of Frisch, Johannes & Herman, Lee, 2025, Frischianus gen. nov., a new genus of the Scopaeina Mulsant & Rey, 1878 from the Oriental Region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Lathrobiini), pp. 217-290 in Megataxa 17 (2) on pages 274-276, DOI: 10.11646/megataxa.17.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/18484125