Xantholinus (Paracyclinus) procerus Erichson, 1839

Assing, Volker, 2007, On the Xantholinini of Turkey and adjacent regions (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Zootaxa 1474, pp. 1-54 : 41-43

Xantholinus (Paracyclinus) procerus Erichson, 1839 a

( Figs. 101–103 )

Type material examined. Lectotype, present designation: ɗ, "Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ), Nr. 5855, Xantholinus procerus Erichs., German. bor., Schmidt, Zool. Mus. Berlin / Syntypus Xantholinus procerus Erichson, 1839 , labelled by MNHUB 2006 / Lectotypus ɗ Xantholinus procerus Erichson desig. V. Assing 2006" / Xantholinus procerus Erichson det. V. Assing ( MNHUB). Paralectotype: ɗ, " procerus [handwritten] / 5855 / procerus Er., Germ. b. Schmidt [handwritten] / Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ), Nr. 5855, Xantholinus procerus Erichs., German. bor., Schmidt, Zool. Mus. Berlin / Syntypus Xantholinus procerus Erichson, 1839 , labelled by MNHUB 2006 / Paralectotypus ɗ Xantholinus procerus Erichson desig. V. Assing 2006" / Xantholinus procerus Erichson det. V. Assing ( MNHUB).

Additional material examined: TURKEY: Bolu: 3 exs., Bolu, 13.VIII.1975, leg. Schubert ( NHMW); Ankara/Çankırı: 1 ex., S Çerkeş, Işık Daġı geç. [ca. 40°41'N, 32°46'E], 12.VI.1989, leg. Schönmann & Schillhammer (cAss). ROMANIA: 1 ex., "Süd-Ungarn", leg. Merkl ( NHMW). BOSNIA-HERZEGOV- INA: 1 ex., Čelić, leg. Reiss ( NHMW). ALBANIA: 1 ex., Elbasan, leg. Mader ( NHMW); 1 ex., "Ruskuli", leg. Mader ( NHMW). UKRAINE: 3 exs., Chernivtsi ["Czernowitz"] ( NHMW); 1 ex., L´viv ( NHMW). RUS- SIAN FEDERATION: 2 exs., Zhelesnovodsk [44.14°N, 43.02°E], 650–1400 m, 1.VII.1966, leg. Muche (cAss).

Comment. The original description of X. procerus is based on an unspecified number of syntypes collected "in Germania boreali, Dom. Schmidt, in Hispania, Mus. Dr. Waltl, in Sardinia, Mus. Reg. Taurin" ( Erichson 1839a). Two male syntypes from " Germania " were found in the collections of the MNHUB. Since they are conspecific with the interpretation of previous authors (e. g., Coiffait 1972; Bordoni 1973b, 1975a; Szujecki 1976; Toth 1989), one of them is here designated as the lectotype. Based on the current state of knowledge regarding the distribution of X. procerus (see discussion below), the syntypes from Sardinia and Spain doubtlessly refer to other species, so that a lectotype designation is indispensable in the interest of nomenclatural stability. The syntypes from Spain were looked for, but not found, in the collections of the NHMW, where the Waltl material is kept (Schillhammer, pers. comm. 2006), and the types from Sardinia are currently not at disposal for loan due to lack of staff at the Torino museum (Daccordi, pers. comm. 2006).

The distribution of X. procerus has been subject to considerable confusion in the literature, despite its remarkable size and the distinctive morphology of its aedeagus. According to Kraatz (1857), the types from " Germania " were collected in "Stettin", today Szczecin in Pomerania, northwestern Poland. Other records from central Europe were either doubtful or unknown to him. Hochhuth (1849) recorded the species from what is today Azerbaijan and Georgia. Up until the middle of the 20th century, the species was unequivocally indicated from Central Europe, Italy, and Spain; for a list of references see Herman (2001). In central Europe, Reitter (1909) reported it from Bohemia (now in Czech Republic) and Pomerania, but there is no mention of X. procerus in the key to Central European Staphylinidae by Lohse (1964), nor in Horion (1965), nor is it listed for the Czech Republic by Boháč (1993). According to the synopsis of Western Palaearctic Xantholinini by Coiffait (1972), the distribution was confined to Central Europe, which in his interpretation included " Hongrie meridionale" (now part Romania and Serbia) and "Bukovine" (today part of Romania and Ukraine); records from Spain and Sardinia were considered doubtful. Bordoni (1972a, 1982) and Tóth (1989) excluded X. procerus from the fauna of Italy (where it is replaced by the similar X. proceroides Coiffait ) and of Hungary, respectively. According to Bordoni (1973b, 1975a) the range was confined to Central Europe (without reference to the complete omission in Lohse (1964)), Romania, and possibly southern Russia. In Poland, the species has been reported only from Pomerania ( Burakowski et al. 1980, Szujecki 1976), the records probably all relating to the syntypes. Raitschev (1986) and Petrenko (1986) reported the species from Bulgaria and Ukraine, respectively.

In view of the literature data outlined above, it seems quite remarkable that, according to the recent catalogues by Herman (2001) and Smetana (2004), the distribution of X. procerus is confined to Romania, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the Russian South European territory, although the type localities indicate a completely different distribution, and although no lectotype had been designated. Based on reliable or at least zoogeographically plausible literature records, as well as on the material examined above, the range of the species includes Romania, Bosnia-Herzogovina (first record), Albania (first record), Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Caucasus region (Russian South European territory sensu Smetana (2004), Georgia, Azerbaijan), and Turkey (first record). Considering the general distribution and the fact that X. procerus has never been recorded again from anywhere near northwestern Poland, it would seem most likely that the indication of " Germania boreali" ( Erichson 1839a) and "Stettin" ( Kraatz 1857) as the type locality is the result of a misunderstanding, a confusion, and/or erroneous labels.

The strikingly low number of records, despite its formidable body size, suggests that X. procerus is extremely rare. Practically nothing is known about its habitat requirements (see also Burakowski et al. 1980). The species is readily identified by its large size and by the morphology of the aedeagus ( Figs. 101–103 ).

Figures

FIGURES 101 – 107. Xantholinus procerus Erichson (101 – 103; 101 – 102: lectotype; 103: paralectotype) and X. puthzi Bordoni, holotype (104 – 107): 101, 104 — habitus; 102 – 103, 106 — aedeagus in dorsal view; 105 — forebody; 107 — distal part of internal structures of aedeagus. Scale bars: 101: 2.0 mm; 104 – 105: 1.0 mm; 102 – 103, 106: 0.5 mm; 107: 0.1 mm.