Sunius ulcerosus, Assing, 2011

Assing, V., 2011, A revision of Palaearctic Sunius XIV. Three new species from Turkey and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (2), pp. 1159-1168 : 1166-1167

Sunius ulcerosus nov.sp. ( Figs 16-23 , 26 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: "TR [25] - Isparta, 23 km ESE Eğirdir , 1820 m, 37°43'29''N, 31°18'39''E, pasture, under stones, 25.IV.2011, V. Assing / Holotypus Sunius ulcerosus sp.n. det. V. Assing 2011" (cAss) . Paratypes: 3, 7: same data as holotype (cAss, MNHUB, OÖLL) ; 6 exs.: same data, but leg. Wunderle (cWun) .

D e s c r i p t i o n: In external morphology highly similar to S. aequus , distinguished only by the male primary and secondary sexual characters:

: sternite VIII posteriorly with a median subcircular protuberance, this protuberance with a cluster of denser pubescence ( Figs 16-17 ), posterior incision not very deep ( Fig. 16 ); aedeagus approximately 0.40 mm long, ventral process subapically not dentate (lateral view), apical portion of ventral process shorter and weakly curved (lateral view), subapically broader in ventral view; internal sac with row of slightly longer spines ( Figs 18-23 ).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet (Latin adjective: with ulcers, with bumps) alludes to the presence of a distinct protuberance on the male sternite VIII.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The similarly derived morphology of the male sexual characters suggests that S. ulcerosus is most closely related to S. aequus . In the key in ASSING (2011a), both species would key out at couplets 69-70. In order to account for them, the key is modified as follows:

69 Abdomen darker, distinctly contrasting with the rufous forebody. Species from the western Taurus and western Anatolia (Antalya, Isparta, Muğla) ....................................69a

- Abdomen more weakly infuscate, less distinctly contrasting with rufous forebody. Species from the eastern Taurus (Mersin and eastwards)..................................................73

69a: sternite VIII posteriorly with median cluster of dense setae or with densely pubescent subcircular tubercle. Southwestern Antalya and Isparta .................................69b

-: sternite VIII with median process or fin-like tubercle. Species with more western distributions.......................................................................................................................71

69b: aedeagus without sclerotized spines in internal sac ( ASSING 2003: figures 19-20). Southwestern Antalya: Ak Dağlar........................................................... S. brachati ASSING

-: aedeagus with approximately 5-7 strongly sclerotised spines in internal sac. Distribution different.........................................................................................................70

70: sternite VIII posteriorly with distinct, densely pubescent protuberance ( Figs 16-17 ); ventral process of aedeagus subapically broader in ventral view, apical portion of ventral process shorter and slightly curved in lateral view ( Figs 18-21 ); internal sac of aedeagus with slightly longer spines ( Figs 22-23 ). Isparta: Dedegöl Dağları. ...................... .............................................................................................................. S. ulcerosus nov.sp.

-: sternite VIII posteriorly only with very indistinctly elevated cluster of dense pubescence ( Figs 9-10 ); apical portion of ventral process more slender in ventral view, longer and straight in lateral view; internal spines of aedeagus slightly shorter ( Figs 11- 15 , 24-25 ). Isparta: Kuyucak Dağı ............................................................ S. aequus nov.sp.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Thetypelocalityissituatedin the Dedegöl Dağları, approximately 5 km to the west of Yenişarbademli, in Isparta, southwestern Anatolia. The specimens were found under stones on a stony calcareous slope with scattered grass vegetation and shrubs at an altitude of 1820 m ( Fig. 26 ).

Figures

Figs 16-25: Sunius ulcerosus nov.sp. (16-23) and S. aequus nov.sp. (24-25): (16) male sternite VIII in ventral view; (17) male sternite VIII in lateral view; (18-19) aedeagus in lateral view; (20-21) aedeagus in ventral view; (22-25) internal structures of aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 16-21: 0.2 mm; 22-25: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 26: Type locality of Sunius ulcerosus nov.sp. (photo: P. Wunderle).

Figs 8-15: Sunius aequus nov.sp.: (8) forebody; (9) male sternite VIII in ventral view; (10) male sternite VIII in lateral view; (11-13) aedeagus in lateral view; (14-15) aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 8: 0.5 mm; 9-15: 0.2 mm.