Allotyphlus (Moreotyphlus) foedatus ASSING, 2019

Assing, Volker, Brachat, Volker & Meybohm, Heinrich, 2019, Monograph of the Staphylinidae of Crete (Greece). Part II. Descriptions of new species (Insecta: Coleoptera), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 69 (2), pp. 239-289 : 261-262

Allotyphlus (Moreotyphlus) foedatus ASSING spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:42A89E7C-F33A-43C8-A301-296D27AD2BBF

( Figs 65–70 , 174 )

Type material: Holotype ♂: “GR – Crete [7], SW Chania , Mavros stream valley, 35°24'10"N, 23°53'53"E, 290 m, 18.III.2018, V. Assing / Holotypus ♂ Allotyphlus foedatus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2018” (cAss). Paratypes: 13 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀: same data as holotype (cAss, MNB); 15♂♂, 11 ♀♀: “GR – Crete [5], SW Chania, W Lakki , 35°23'37"N, 23°55'08"E, 600 m, soil washing, 17.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss, MNB); 1♂, 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [6], S Chania N Theriso , 35°24'52"N, 23°59'14"E, 610 m, soil washing under Platanus , 17.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 12 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀: “GR – Crete [8], SW Chania, Mavros stream valley, 35°23'42"N, 23°54'04"E, 400 m, 18.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 2♂♂, 4 ♀♀: “GR – Crete [9], SW Chania, Mavros stream valley, 35°23'27"N, 23°54'07"E, 470 m, 18.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 7 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀: “GR – Crete [11], SW Ch ania, Mavros stream valley, 35°23'56"N, 23°53'46"E, 380 m, 18.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss, MNB); 1 ♂: “GR – Crete [17], S Kissamos, NE Sirikari , 35°24'44"N, 23°38'36"E, 500 m, soil washing, 19.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1♂: “GR – Crete [21], SW Chania, WSW Chliaro , 35°24'26"N, 23°53'15"E, 210 m, soil washing, 20.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [22], SW Chania, W Prases , 35°22'33"N, 23°49'25"E, 650 m, soil washing, 20.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 3 ♀♀: “GR – Crete [24], SW Chania, SW Prases , 35°21'32"N, 23°49'28"E, 740 m, soil washing, 20.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 6 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀: “GR – Crete [25], SW Chania, SW Prases , 35°21'43"N, 23°49'24"E, 640 m, soil washing, 20.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1♂, 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [26], SW Chania, SW Prases , 35°21'43"N, 23°49'28"E, 650 m, soil washing, 20.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 2 ♂♂: “GR – Crete [28], S Kissamos, Archontico , 35°19'25"N, 23°39'11"E, 580 m, soil washing, 21.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♂: “GR – Crete [30], S Kissamos, Strovles , 35°21'47"N, 23°40'24"E, 470 m, soil washing, 21.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♂, 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [38], SW Chania, S Nteres , 35°24'15"N, 23°50'58"E, 330 m, soil washing, 22.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [45], SW Chania, S Nteres , 35°24'48"N, 23°50'46"E, 280 m, soil washing, 24.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀: “GR – Crete [46], SW Chania, N Nteres , 35°27'40"N, 23°50'19"E, 170 m, soil washing, 24.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♂: “GR – Crete [50], E Kandanos, Anisaraki , 35°19'53"N, 23°45'34"E, 560 m, soil washing, 25.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [52], SE Kandanos, 35°19'17"N, 23°45'33"E, 670 m, old oak tree, soil washing, 25.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [43], S Asigonia, E Kallikratis , 35°14'58"N, 24°16'38"E 770 m, soil washing, 23.III.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♂, 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [1], SW Chania, WSW Lakki , 35°23'54"N, 23°54'47"E, 430 m, stream valley, 22.XII.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss, MNB); 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [2], SW Chania, WSW Lakki , 35°23'53"N, 23°54'38"E, 390 m, stream valley, 22.XII.2018, V. Assing ” ( MNB); 7 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀: same data, but “[2a]” (cAss, MNB); 1 ♂: same data, but “[2b]” (cAss); 1 ♂: “GR – Crete [5], S Kissamos, Elos , 35°21'33"N, 23°38'21"E, 580 m, old chestnut, soil washing, 23.XII.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀: “GR – Crete [10], SW Chania, Mavros stream valley, 35°24'10"N, 23°53'53"E, 290 m, 24.XII.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss, MNB).

Etymology: The specific epithet is the past participle of the Latin verb foedare (to deform) and alludes to the strongly asymmetric male sternite VIII and aedeagus.

Description: 1.2–1.6 mm (abdomen extended), length of forebody 0.44–0.60 mm; males on average slightly larger than females. Colour of body dark-yellowish.

External characters as in Allotyphlus candicus ASSING, 2018 , except for the slightly less pronounced microsculpture of the head.

♂: posterior margin of tergite VIII strongly convex; sternite VIII strongly asymmetric, with a pronounced postero-median impression and a posterior excision of distinctive shape ( Figs 65–66 ); median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 67–70 ) approximately 0.25 mm long; ventral process strongly asymmetric.

♀: tergite VIII with weakly convex posterior margin; sternite VIII strongly convex posteriorly.

Comparative notes: Allotyphlus foedatus is reliably distinguished from the externally nearly identical A. candicus from East Crete by the completely different shape of the male sternite VIII, by the shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus, as well as by the shapes of the female tergite and sternite VIII. For illustrations of A. candicus see ASSING (2018b).

Distribution and natural history: This species is evidently quite common and widespread in West Crete eastwards to the Askifou plateau (to the west of Lefka Ori). The specimens were collected from soil in a variety of habitats, mostly in permanent and temporary stream valleys and on moist slopes with Platanus orientalis , chestnut, and oak trees, often with Rubus and/or fern undergrowth; the type locality is illustrated in Fig. 174 . The altitudes range from 140 to 770 m. In two localities, they were found together with Kenotyphlus virgatus , in one with Cretotyphlus chanianus . The sex ratio is balanced.

Figures

Figs 57–70: Typhlocyptus creticus (57–60), T. pandellei (61–62), Geomitopsis cretica (63–64), and Allotyphlus foedatus (65–70): aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (57–58, 61–64, 67–70); ventral process of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (59–60); male sternites VI–VIII (65); male sternite VIII (66). Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 174–175: Type localities of Cretotyphlus chanianus and Allotyphlus foedatus in Mavros stream valley, West Crete (above), and