Sunius sardus, 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 : 97-98

4.59. Sunius sardus nov.sp. ( Figs. 147-153, Map 21)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " Sardinien, Asuni, Krausse / Holotypus 3 Sunius sardus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2007" ( MNHUB) . Paratypes: 1♀: same data as holotype (cAss) ; 233: " Sardinia, Assuni , leg. Dr. Krausse, Coll. O. Leonhard / seminiger" ( DEI, cAss) ; 1♀: " Lav. Oliena, X.61, Sard. / sardous Dod. / Coll. J. Ochs in Coll. M. Curti, MHNG-1991" ( MHNG) .

D e s c r i p t i o n: Small species, 2.5-2.7 mm. External appearance as in S. tuniseus and allied species ( Figs 147-148), but of somewhat darker coloration; forebody reddish brown to dark brown, abdomen blackish.

3: sternite VIII oblong, median area weakly elevated, but without dense pubescence ( Figs 149-150), posterior incision shallow; aedeagus as in Figs 151-152; internal sac with four distinctly sclerotised stout spines ( Fig. 153).

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Latin, adjective) refers to the fact that the species is probably endemic to Sardinia.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The species is distinguished from other small micropterous Mediterranean congeners especially by the morphology of the aedeagus and by the morphology of the male sternite VIII, from most species also by the darker coloration. The only other small Italian Sunius species without a palisade fringe at the posterior margin of tergite VII are S. puglianus from Puglia and S. georgii ADORNO & ZANETTI from Sicily. For detailed illustrations of the male primary and secondary sexual characters of these species see ADORNO & ZANETTI (2003).

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 known distribution is confined to Sardinia ( Map 21), where the species is probably endemic. One of the types was collected in October ; additional bionomic data are not available.