Quedius (Raphirus) endogeus, Assing, 2007

Assing, Volker, 2007, Two new species and additional records of " small " - eyed Quedius from the Eastern Mediterranean (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 57 (2), pp. 335-345 : 336-339

Quedius (Raphirus) endogeus sp. n. ( Figs 1-10 , 29 ) 1

Type material:

Holotype : "GR - Etolia-Akarnanía , Oros Oxia, 780 m, rd. Mandrini-Livadáki, 9. VI.06/ 10. VI.2007, lg. Giachino & Vailati / Holotypus  Quedius endogeus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2007" (cAss) . Paratypes: 2  : same data as holotype (cVai, cAss); 3  , 2  : "GR - Evritanía, Oros Kokínias, above Livadáki, 1495 m, 9. VI.06/ 12.VI.2007, lg. Giachino & Vailati" (cVai, cAss, NHMD) .

1 Results of the programm “Research Missions in the Mediterranean Bansin” sponsored by the World Biodiversity Association onlus. XXIII. contribution.

Description:

Measurements (in mm) and ratios (range, arithmetic mean; n=8): HL: 0.98-1.12, 1.04; HW: 1.07-1.24, 1.16; PW: 1.27-1.45, 1.36; PL: 1.30-1.51, 1.41; EL: 0.92-1.06, 0.99; TiL: 1.24-1.48, 1.36; TaL: 1.03-1.15, 1.10; ML: 1.37-1.51, 1.46; TL: 7.2-9.1, 8.0; HW/HL: 1.07-1.13, 1.11; PW/HW: 1.14-1.21, 1.18; PL/PW: 1.02-1.04, 1.04; EL/PL: 0.67-0.73, 0.70; TiL/TaL: 1.19- 1.29, 1.23.

Habitus distinctive ( Fig. 1 ). Coloration: Head blackish; pronotum dark brown to blackish brown, with the lateral margins and sometimes also the anterior and posterior margins more or less narrowly reddish; elytra reddish to reddish brown; abdomen dark brown, with the posterior margins of tergites III-VI, the posterior third of tergite VII, and the posterior half of tergite VIII reddish; legs reddish; antennae dark brown, with the basal 3-4 antennomeres reddish.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) slightly wider than long (see ratio HW/HL); dorsal surface with fine and very shallow transverse microsculpture. Dorsal puncturation (one side only, all punctures setiferous): 1 puncture at anterior margin of frons near antennal pit, 1 puncture at posterior margin of antennal pit; 1 puncture at dorsal margin of eye (approximately in the middle of length of eye); 1 temporal puncture at about 2/5 the distance from posterior margin of eye to posterior margin of head; 1 puncture at about 4/5 the distance from posterior margin eye to posterior margin of head. Eyes of reduced size ( Fig. 3 ), slightly longer than postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna as in Fig. 4 .

Pronotum of conspicuous shape ( Fig. 2 ): slender, slightly wider than head and weakly oblong (see ratios PW/HW and PL/PW); maximal width in anterior half, lateral margins in posterior 3/4 almost straight and weakly converging in dorsal view. Dorsal rows composed of 1+2 punctures. Microsculpture absent in dorsal median area, finely transverse in lateral areas.

Elytra distinctly shorter than pronotum (see ratio EL/PL); puncturation moderately dense, interstices on average as wide as or slightly wider than diameter of punctures; microsculpture absent. Scutellum impunctate and with distinct transverse microstriae. Legs slender (see measurements and ratio TiL/TaL).

Abdomen with very fine and shallow, almost obsolete transverse microsculpture and slightly iridescent; puncturation moderately dense, somewhat denser on anterior than on posterior tergites; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

: posterior margin of sternite VIII with deep and rather broad posterior excision of triangular shape; aedeagus long and slender, paramere reaching apex of median lobe or extending slightly beyond it ( Figs 5-10 ).

Comparative notes:

Based on the morphology of the aedeagus, this species refers to the group of Quedius limbatus (HEER 1839) and allied species of the the subgenus Raphirus . From all its Western Palaearctic consubgeners, Q. endogeusendogeus is readily distinguished by its conspicuous external appearance alone, especially the reduced eye size (somewhat resembling that of species of the subgenus Microsaurus )) and the shape of the pronotum, which is more similar to that of species of Philonthus STEPHENS, 1829 than to that of other QuediusQuedius species. The only other endogean Quedius known from Greece is Q. bernhaueri RAMBOUSEK, 1915 , whose distribution is confined to Macedonia and northern Greece and which, according to SOLODOVNIKOV (2005), is doubtfully attributed to Microsaurus . From this species, Q. endogeus is at once separated by smaller body size, the more convex body ( Q. bernhaueri : pronotum, elytra, and abdomen conspicuously flattened), the more slender head and pronotum, the slightly larger eyes ( Q. bernhaueri : eyes approximately as long as postocular region in dorsal view), the absence of microsculpture in the median dorsal area of the pronotum and on the elytra (in Q. bernhaueribernhaueri with fine microreticulation), the distinctly longer and relatively broader elytra ( Q. bernaueri less than 0.6 times as long as, and slightly narrower than pronotum), and the much more slender aedeagus. For illustrations of the habitus and the genitalia of Q. bernhaueribernhaueri see ASSING & WUNDERLE (2001).

Etymology: The name (adjective) refers to the evidently endogean habitat of this species.

Distribution and bionomics:

This remarkable species was discovered in two localities near the border between Evritanía and Etolia-Akarnanía, where the types were collected with subterranean pitfall traps baited with cheese at a depth of approximately 50 cm below the soil surface (GIACHINO pers. comm.). The locality at 1495 m, a calcareous roadside slope, is illustrated in Fig. 29 .

The circumstances of collection, the absence of previous records, as well as the conspicuous morphological adaptations - i. e. the reduced eye size, the derived shape of the pronotum, the short wings, and the long legs - leave little doubt that the species is confined to an endogean habitat.

Figures

Figs 1-10: Quedius endogeus sp. n.: habitus (1); head and pronotum (2); head in lateral view (3); antenna (4); median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (5-6); paramere (7); apex of median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (8-9); apex of paramere (10). Scale bars: 1-4: 1.0 mm; 5-7: 0.5 mm; 8-10: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 29: Locality where five paratypes of Quedius endogeusendogeus sp. n. were found; the subterranean traps were placed in the calcareous roadside slope (photo: P. M. Giachino & D. Vailati).