Leptusa (Roubaliusa) piciformis, Assing, 2009

Assing, V., 2009, New species, new synonymies, and additional records of Leptusa from Turkey and Iran (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1285-1305 : 1300

Leptusa (Roubaliusa) piciformis nov.sp. ( Figs 35-38 , 43 , Map 4 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " Iran, Gilan [IR08-29], Fuman County, Tales Mts., N- Slope, Masuleh-Khalkhal road, 4 km NW Masuleh, leaves debris, sifted, 1404 m, 37°10'34.8"N, 48°58'76.6"E [recte: 37°10.348'N, 48°58.766'E], 1458 m, 08.VI.2008, leg. A. Pütz / Holotypus 3 Leptusa piciformis sp. n. det. V. Assing 2009" (cPüt). Paratype ♀: same data as holotype (cAss).

C o m m e n t: Since the type localities of L. piciformis and the highly similar L. flagrifera are identical, the above female was identified only based on its coloration.

D e s c r i p t i o n: External characters ( Figs 35-36 ) highly similar to those of L. soriciformis , distinguished only as follows:

Head not darker than pronotum. Pronotum larger and broader, almost 1.3 times as wide as long.

3: posterior margin of sternite VII strongly concave in the middle, on either side of this concavity obtusely produced and with conspicuous long setae ( Fig. 37 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII convexly produced (not pointed or angled) in the middle and with dense marginal setae ( Fig. 38 ); median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 43 ) approximately 0.44 mm long, with moderately long and moderately curved flagellum and apical structures of characteristic shape.

♀: spermatheca not distinctive.

E t y m o l o g y: The name (adjective) alludes to the shape of the apical internal structures of the aedeagus, which somewhat resemble the head of a woodpecker (Latin: picus).

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Leptusa piciformis is reliably distinguished from other Iranian representatives of Roubaliusa by the morphology of the aedeagus, particularly by the shape of the ventral process in lateral view, the shape and length of the flagellum, and the shape of the apical internal structures, as well as by the deeply concave posterior margin of the male sternite VII, and the posteriorly convexly produced posterior margin of the male sternite VIII. The shape of the flagellum and of the ventral process (lateral view) are somewhat similar to those of the externally similar L. sengleti . From this species, L. piciformis is separated only by the different shape of the apical internal structures of the aedeagus ( L. sengleti : apex shorter, shaped like the head of a dolphin, similar to that of L. delphiniformis ), by the slightly shorter flagellum and by the slightly different shape of the contours of the median lobe in lateral view (angle between ventral process and basal portion of median lobe more acute and more deeply excavate, ventral process longer in relation to basal portion of median lobe). For illustrations of the aedeagus of L. sengleti see Figs 53-54 and PACE (1984, 1989).

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 type locality is situated in the Tales mountain range in Gilan province, northwestern Iran ( Map 4 ). The type specimens were collected by sifting moist and deep leaf litter near a stream at the margin of a beech forest at an altitude of approximately 1400 m.

Figures

Map 4: Distributions of the Leptusa species of the subgenus Roubaliusa SCHEERPELTZ in northern Iran: L. sengleti PACE (filled square), L. piciformis nov.sp. (open circle), L. flagrifera nov.sp. (open circle), L. delphiniformis nov.sp. (filled circle), and L. soriciformis nov.sp. (open square). Localities where only females were found are omitted.

Figs 31-40: Leptusa delphiniformis nov.sp. (31-34), L. piciformis nov.sp. (35-38), and L. flagrifera nov.sp. (39-40): (31, 35) habitus; (32, 36) forebody; (33, 37, 39) male sternite VII; (34, 38, 40) male sternite VIII. Scale bars: 31, 35: 1.0 mm; 32, 36: 0.5 mm; 33-34, 37-40: 0.2 mm.

Figs 41-48: Leptusa delphiniformis nov.sp. (41-42), L. piciformis nov.sp. (43), L. flagrifera nov.sp. (44-45), and L. soriciformis nov.sp. (46-48): (41, 43-44, 46-48) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (42, 45) spermatheca. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

Figs 49-54: Leptusa ionopolitana PACE (49-51), L. amisensis PACE (52), and L. sengleti PACE (53- 54): (49, 53) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (50-52) spermatheca; (54) male sternite VII. Scale bars: 54: 0.2 mm; 49-53: 0.1 mm.