Afropselaphus trispinosus, Brachat & Assing, 2021

Brachat, Volker & Assing, Volker, 2021, The Afropselaphus fauna of South Turkey and the Middle East (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 53 (2), pp. 545-568 : 563

Afropselaphus trispinosus nov.sp. ( Figs 23-25 , Map 2 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype ♁: " N36°58'49 E36°17'43 (39) TR Umgeb. Osmaniye Str. Erzin → Zorkun 960 m, 5.V.2007 leg. Meybohm & Brachat " / Afropselaphus trispinosus spec. nov. ♁ det. Brachat 2021 / Holotypus " (cBra) . Paratypes: 3♁♁, 2♀♀: "TR - Osmaniye Nur Dağlarɪ Str. Osmaniye → Zorkun 550-850 m, 25.IV.2002 leg. Meybohm & Brachat " (cBra); 1♁, 1♀: " N36°57'´58 E36°15'37 (36) TR Umgeb. Osmaniye 7 km E Erzin ; 600-650 m, 4.V.2007 leg. Meybohm & Brachat" (cBra).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet (adjective) alludes to the presence of three spines in the internal sac of the aedeagus.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 1.70-1.80 mm. Other measurements (in mm): HL: 0.34-0.36; HW: 0.24-0.26; AL♁: 0.84-0.90; AL ♀: 0.81-0.84; PpL: 0.35-0.38 mm; PL: 0.30; PW: 0.28-0.29; EL: 0.37-0.40; EW: 0.62-0.64; AedL: 0.38-0.41.

Head approximately 1.3 times as long as broad. Eyes composed of 5-7 ommatidia. Antennae slender; all antennomeres usually oblong, antennomeres IX and X in one female paratype as broad as long. Apical club of maxillary palpomere IV slightly more than half as long as total length of palpomere IV. Pronotum weakly oblong and slightly broader than head, with distinct and relatively large median ante-basal fovea.

♁: metaventrite more convex than in female, with two series of setae in postero-median portion; sternite IV with a circular medio-basal impression extending to middle of sternite, lateral margins of this impression with a series of short setae; aedeagus ( Figs 23- 24 ) apically weakly curved ventrad; internal sac with three spines.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Afropselaphus trispinosus is distinguished from the similar A. spoliatus by a distinct median ante-basal fovea on the pronotum and by the internal structures of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: The specimens were collected in Nur Dağlarɪ near Osmaniye, Osmaniye province, central southern Turkey ( Map 2 ), by sifting litter under bushes in deciduous forests at altitudes between 550 and 960 m.

Figures

Map 2: Distributions of Afropselaphus sinuatus (black triangle), A. adanicus (white circle), A. latibasalis (black star), A. trispinosus (black circles), A. kizilicus (white diamonds), and A. inaequalis (black diamond).

Figs 23-28: Afropselaphus trispinosus nov.sp. (23-24), A. bispinosus nov.sp. (25-26) from South Hatay (25) and from Kɪzɪldağɪ (26), A. kizilicus nov.sp. (27), and A. meybohmi nov.sp. (28): aedeagus in dorsal view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.