Sunius behnei, Assing & A, 2008

Assing, V. & A, North, 2008, A revision of the Sunius species of the Western Palaearctic region and Middle Asia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (1), pp. 5-135 : 79-80

4.43. Sunius behnei nov.sp. ( Figs. 91-96 , Map 16 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: E: Andalusia, 26 km E Jaen, Sierra Magina, 37°44'06"N, 03°30'09"W / 1663 m, Kalk: Erinaceus antyllis unter Pinus, 6.X.2005, leg. Behne (9) / Holotypus 3 Sunius behnei sp. n. det. V. Assing 2007" (DEI). Paratype ♀: same data as holotype (cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Small species, 2.5-2.8 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 91 . Coloration: forebody pale reddish brown; abdomen dark brown; legs and antennae reddish yellow.

Head weakly oblong, weakly dilated posteriad; puncturation coarse, sparse in median dorsal area and moderately dense in lateral areas; microsculpture absent; eyes less than half the length of postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 92 ).

Pronotum slightly narrower than head and weakly oblong; puncturation similar to that of head and of variable density ( Fig. 92 ); microsculpture absent.

Elytra approximately as wide and at suture approximately 0.70 times as long as pronotum; puncturation distinctly finer than that of pronotum, dense, and somewhat ill-defined; interstices without distinct microsculpture. Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen approximately 1.1 times as wide as elytra, widest at segment VI ( Fig. 91 ); puncturation fine and moderately dense; interstices with shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

3: sternite VII with weakly modified pubescence ( Fig. 93 ); sternite VIII anterior to posterior excision with small and indistinct subcircular elevation with moderately dense, rather long dark pubescence ( Fig. 94 ); aedeagus shaped as in Figs 95-96 , internal sac without sclerotised structures.

E t y m o l o g y: The species is dedicated to Lutz Behne (DEI), specialist of Curculionidae , who collected the type material.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The species ist distinguished from other small-sized, brachypterous and pale-coloured congeners occurring in southern Spain ( S. nevadensis , S. simoni , S. segurae , S. cazorlae , S. calatravae , S. cordobanus , S. confusus ) especially by the shape of the aedeagus, from most of them also by the absence of sclerotised internal structures, as well as by the morphology and chaetotaxy of the male sternite VIII.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: The species is known only from the Sierra Magina, an isolated mountain range ESE of Jaén, Andalucía ( Map 16 ). The fact that Geostiba jaenica ASSING , the only other endemic staphylinid confined to this region, is present also in the Sierra de la Pandera ( ASSING 2006b) suggests that the same may apply to S. behnei . The two type specimens were sifted in a calcareous pine forest at an altitude of approximately 1660 m.

Figures

Map 16: Distributions of species of the S. seminiger group in southern Spain, based on examined records: Sunius nevadensis (COIFFAIT) (filled circles), S. segurae ASSING (open circle), S. cazorlae ASSING (filled square), and S. behnei nov.sp. (open square).

Figs 91-96: Sunius behnei nov.sp.: (91) habitus; (92) forebody; (93) male sternite VII; (94) male sternite VIII; (95-96) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 91: 1.0 mm; 92: 0.5 mm; 93-94: 0.2 mm; 95-96: 0.1 mm.