Speleogona, Assing, 2007

Assing, V., 2007, A new genus and species of Aleocharinae from a cave in Georgia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 39 (1), pp. 33-38 : 34-35

Speleogona nov.gen. ( Figs 1-16 )

T y p e s p e c i e s: Speleogona cavernicola nov.sp.

E t y m o l o g y: The name is composed of the Greek words for "cave" (spelaion) and

"born" (gonos).

D e s c r i p t i o n: In general appearance (body size and shape) similar to species of

the genus Leptusa KRAATZ ( Fig. 1 ).

Head completely anophthalmous, not even eye rudiments present ( Fig. 4 ); genal carinae pronounced, in lateral view conspicuously angled ( Fig. 4 ); maxilla with relatively short lacinia and galea; maxillary palpus 4-jointed, preapical palpomere rather large, almost 3 times as long as wide ( Fig. 5 ); labial palpus 3-jointed, rather slender; ligula very long and slender, apically deeply bifid; mentum moderately transverse and of trapezoid shape ( Fig. 6 ); labrum large, moderately transverse, with long whitish setae, and with weakly convex anterior margin. Antenna distinctly incrassate apically ( Fig. 3 ).

Pronotum transverse, wider than head ( Fig. 2 ); pubescence directed caudad along midline and diagonally latero-caudad in lateral areas; pronotal hypomera broadly visible in lateral view; prosternum with pronounced carina in the middle.

Elytra distinctly sinuate near posterior angles ( Fig. 2 ). Mesosternum without carina; mesosternal process large and long, apically broadly rounded, almost reaching posterior margin of mesocoxae; mesocoxal cavities delimited from metasternum by fine carina. Legs moderately slender; tarsal formula 4, 5, 5.

Abdomen widest at segments IV-V ( Fig. 1 ), segments VI-VIII weakly tapering; tergites III-V with distinct anterior impressions; tergite VI without anterior impression; tergite VIII without appreciable sexual dimorphism, its posterior margin truncate to indistinctly concave in both sexes ( Figs. 7, 9 ); sternite VIII with weakly pronounced sexual dimorphism ( Figs. 8 , 14 ).

Ƌ: median lobe of aedeagus rather small; internal sac with moderately long flagellum, but without distinctly sclerotised additional structures ( Figs 10-11 ); apical lobe of paramere relatively short, with two very long median and two short apical setae ( Fig. 14 ).

♀: spermathecal duct very long and with numerous helical coils ( Figs 15-16 ).

T r i b a l p l a c e m e n t a n d c o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Based on the morphology of the mouthparts and the tarsal formula, the genus is assigned to the Athetini . It is readily distinguished from all other athetine genera distributed in the Palaearctic region by the resemblance to the homalotine genus Leptusa, the pronounced and in lateral view conspicuously angled genal carinae, the complete absence of eyes, the conspicuously long and deeply bifid ligula, the large, long, and apically rounded meso- sternal process, the chaetotaxy of the apical lobe of the paramere, as well as by the dis-

tinctive morphology of the spermatheca.

Figures

Figs 1-9: Speleogona cavernicola nov.sp.: (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) head and pronotum; (4) head in lateral view; (5) maxilla; (6) labium; (7) male tergite VIII; (8) male sternite VIII; (9) female tergite VIII. Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2-4: 0.5 mm; 7-9: 0.2 mm; 5-6: 0.1 mm.

Figs 10-16: Speleogona cavernicola nov.sp.: (10-11) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (12) paramere; (13) apical lobe of paramere; (14) female sternite VIII; (15) spermathecal capsule and distal part of duct; (16) proximal part of spermathecal duct. Scale bars: 14: 0.2 mm; 10-13, 15-16: 0.1 mm.