Cretotyphlus 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 : 263

Cretotyphlus ASSING gen. nov.

Type species: Cretotyphlus hamatus ASSING spec. nov.; present designation.

Etymology: The name (gender: masculine) is composed of Creta and typhlus (from Greek typhlos: the blind).

Description: Species of intermediate to relatively “large” size. Antenna 11-jointed and moderately incrassate, apical antennomeres without sensorial appendages, the apical three antennomeres larger, longer, forming a club, these antennomeres with dense long pubescence. Mandibles apically bifid. Gular sutures close, but not contiguous anteriorly ( Figs 76 , 87 ). Labrum tridentate, i.e., with a pronounced median tooth and a smaller tooth on either side. Maxillary palpi with palpomeres II and III enlarged and somewhat flattened, III larger than II. Abdominal sternites without transverse sulcus at base ( Fig. 82 ). Procoxal cavities without suture anteriorly. Tarsi three-jointed.

♂: posterior sternites (V–VIII or VI–VIII) each with extensive median impression, these impressions gradually becoming more pronounced towards sternite VIII ( Fig. 82 ); sternite VIII ( Figs 77 , 85, 88 ) symmetric (or nearly so) and with modified pubescence; aedeagus with long, slender, and apically acute ventral process, with slender dorsal portion, and without parameres.

♀: sternite VIII angularly produced posteriorly; genital segment with more or less distinct pair of sclerotized internal structures ( Figs 80 , 91 ).

Comparative notes: Based on the morphogical characters indicated above, Cretotyphlus is assigned to the Metrotyphlini . Using the key to West Palaearctic Leptotyphlinae in COIffAIT (1972), Cretotyphlus would key out together with Gynotyphlus COIffAIT, 1955, a genus currently including two species of doubtful status from Corfu and the north of mainland Greece, as well as a common and widespread polymorphic and parthenogenetic species, G. perpusillus (DODERO, 1900) . The new genus is distinguished from Gynotyphlus by larger body size, longer, less compact, and less incrassate antennae with less transverse antennomeres, longer mandibles, the ventral aspect of the head ( Gynotyphlus : gular sutures distinctly contiguous anteriorly), and the absence of sulci on the pronotum.

Distribution: The genus currently includes three endemic species in Crete, all of them apparently very local and rare.

Figures

Figs 71–84: Kenotyphlus virgatus (71–73), Cretotyphlus hamatus (74–80), and C. idanus (81–84): male sternite VIII (71, 77); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral, or in latero-ventral view (72–73, 78–79, 83–84); habitus (74, 81); forebody in dorsal view (75); forebodyin ventral view (76); femalegenital segment (80);male meso-and metathorax and abdomen in ventralview (82). Scale bars: 74, 81–82: 0.5 mm; 71–73, 75–80, 83–84: 0.1 mm.

Figs 85–99: Cretotyphlus idanus (85), C. chanianus (86–91), Pseudobium creticum (92–96), and Gabrius candicus (97–99): male sternite VIII (85, 88, 94); habitus (86, 92, 97); forebody in ventral view (87); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (89–90, 95–96, 98–99); female genital segments (91); forebody (93). Scale bars: 92–93, 97: 1.0 mm; 86: 0.5 mm; 98–99: 0.2 mm; 85, 87–91, 94–96: 0.1 mm.