Aleochara (Xenochara) tenuicornis KRAATZ , 1856

Assing, V., 2009, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Aleochara species of the subgenera Xenochara M & R and Rheochara M & R (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 59 (1), pp. 33-101 : 83-84

Aleochara (Xenochara) tenuicornis KRAATZ, 1856 ( Figs 177-178)

Aleochara tenuicornis KRAATZ, 1856: 89 .

Aleochara rufipes MULSANT & REY, 1853: 63 ; primary homonym.

Type material examined:

Lectotype ♂: "tenuicornis mihi, rufipes Muls. Gall. / coll. Kraatz / Syntypus / coll. DEI Müncheberg / Lectotypus ♂ Aleochara tenuicornis Kraatz , desig. V. Assing 2009 / Aleochara tenuicornis Kraatz , det. V. Assing 2009" ( SDEI) . Paralectotypes: 1 ex.: " Corsica / coll. Kraatz " ( SDEI) ; 1 ex.: " Italia / coll. Kraatz " ( SDEI) .

Additional material examined:

Spain: 1 ♀, Andalucía, Huelva, El Rocío, Arroyo la Rocina , 22.IV.2003, leg. Ribera et al. (cAss) ; 1 ♀, Huelva, Acebuche , 28.VII.1971 (cAss) ; 1 ♂, S-Mallorca, Salines de Llevant , 20.III.2003, leg. Ziegler (cAss) .

France: 1 ex., Camarque, Salin de Girault , 27.VI.1991, leg. Stehling (cAss) .

Italy: 1 ex., Puglia, S. Cataldo ( LE), Ris. WWF Le Cesine, 14.-17.VII.1995, leg. Angelini (cAss) ; 1 ex., Sardegna, Budoni ( NU), Cala di Budoni , 3.V.1995, leg. Angelini (cAss) .

Greece: 1 ex., "Lagas", lagunas, 5.VIII.1984, leg. Derra (cAss) ; 1 ♂, Ebros delta, 17.V.1991, leg.Schillhammer (cAss).

Israel: 1 ♂, Central district, Netanya, Breikhat Dora res., wetland, 27.III.2008, leg. Wrase (cSch) ; 1 ex., Golan Heights, Bental reservoir, W Merom Golan, ca. 1000 m, stony wetland near shore, 30.IV.2006, leg. Wrase (cSch) ; 7 exs., same data, but 25.III.2008, leg. Assmann, Wrase ( TAU, cAss, cFel, cSch) .

Russia: 9 exs., Astrakhan region, 30 km ESE Kapustin Yar, Dmitrievka village , 30.-31.V.2000 (cSch, cAss) .

Kazakhstan: 2 exs., 25 km N Beyneu , 8.V.2000, leg. Karalius & Miatleuski (cSch, cAss) .

Locality doubtful: 1 ex., "Cassel / coll. Kraatz " ( SDEI) .

Comment:

KRAATZ (1856) described A. tenuicornis , stating that it was conspecific (and synonymous) with the primary homonym A. rufipes MULSANT & REY, 1853 and that it had been found only "im südlichen Europa". Since he provides characters distinguishing it from A. rufipennis ERICHSON, 1839 (today a synonym of A. haematoptera KRAATZ, 1858 ), his introduction of the name may be regarded as a description, not merely a replacement of a name, and the material seen by him may be considered type material. Three specimens qualifying as syntypes were found in the collections at the SDEI. A male with Kraatz´ original identification label is designated as the lectotype. Its aedeagus is illustrated in Figs 177-178.

In external appearance (size, coloration, coarse punctation of the abdomen), A. tenuicornis is highly similar to A. haematoptera , but at once distinguished by the much more slender antennae. The antennomeres IV and V are somewhat oblong ( A. haematoptera : transverse) and the preapical antennomeres are only weakly transverse ( A. haematoptera : almost twice as wide as long).

The species was previously known only from southern Europe (from Spain to Greece) and North Africa ( SMETANA 2004). It is here reported from Israel, Russia, Kazakhstan and the whole of Middle Asia for the first time. Interestingly, the species appears to be subject to clinal variation in coloration. While the material seen from southern Europe has the elytra yellowish to reddish with the lateral and the anterior margins, as well as the scutellar area narrowly blackish, the black coloration of the specimens from Israel is much more extensive (leaving only a spot on the elytral disc reddish, and the material seen from Russia and Middle Asia has uniformly reddish elytra.