Quedius afrofuliginosus Gusarov, 1991

Hansen, Aslak Kappel, Brunke, Adam, Simonsen, Thomas & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2022, Revision of Quedius sensu stricto (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 62 (1), pp. 225-299 : 240-241

Quedius afrofuliginosus Gusarov, 1991

( Figs 1 , 3 , 6E , 7A , 11A , 18 )

Quedius afrofuliginosus Gusarov, 1991: 9 [Type locality: Algeria]

Type material. Hඈඅඈඍඒඉൾ: “ Algerie, Raffray / [black circle] / c.A.Yakovleva [in Russian] / Holotypus Quedius afrofuliginosus V.Gusarov 1990 [red label] / Zoological Institute St. Petersburg INS_COL_0002505” (J ZIN). Pൺඋൺඍඒඉൾඌ: same as holotype, except “ Allotypus Quedius afrofuliginosus V. Gusarov 1990 [red label] / Zoological Institute St. Petersburg INS_COL_0002506” (1 ♀ ZIN); same as holotype, except “ Paratypus Quedius afrofuliginosus V. Gusarov 1990 [red label] / Zoological Institute St. Petersburg INS_COL_0002507-000250710” (3 JJ 1 ♀ ZIN).

Additional material examined. FRANCE: Cඈඋඌൾ: Col de Bravella, [41.83, 9.26], 490m, 25.VII.1994, leg. Zerche (1 J SDEI). ITALY: Sൺඋൽංඇංൺ: Aritzo, Mte.Gennargentu,[39.94, 9.17], leg.C. Krüger (2JJ NMW); Ottana, [40.23, 9.04], 11.X.1974 (1 ♀ cBor); MOROCCO: Ain Leuh, [33.28, -5.33], 17.V.1925, leg. M. Escalera (1 ♀ MNCN). SPAIN: Cadiz, Laguna de la Janda, [36.24,-5.84], 30.V.1966, leg. Besuchet (1J NMPC).

Redescription. Measurements JJ (n = 6): HW = 1.78– 1.89 (1.84); HL = 1.54–1.58 (1.56); HL/HW 0.82–0.89 (0.85); PW = 2.24–2.44 (2.36); PL = 2.11–2.22 (2.16); PL/PW 0.89–0.96 (0.92); EW = 2.33–2.68 (2.59); EL = 2.40–2.51 (2.47); EL/EW 0.90–1.03 (0.95); EL/PL 1.10–1.19 (1.14); PW/HW 1.44–1.57 (1.51); forebody length 6.10–6.29 (6.19). ♀♀ (n = 3): HW = 1.84–1.89 (1.87); HL = 1.56–1.62 (1.59); HL/HW 0.84–0.86 (0.85); PW = 2.38–2.40 (2.39); PL = 2.04–2.24 (2.17); PL/PW 0.86–0.94 (0.91); EW = 2.69–2.73 (2.72); EL = 2.36–2.58 (2.48); EL/EW 0.88–0.94 (0.91); EL/PL 1.06–1.26 (1.15); PW/HW 1.47–1.53 (1.50); forebody length 6.18–6.36 (6.24).

Large species; body black ( Fig. 7A ).

Head black, distinctly transverse, with microsculpture of head transverse waves, four punctures between anterior frontal punctures, one additional unique puncture on either side posterior of these ( Fig. 6E ), eyes very large (EyL/TL = 3.17–3.91 (3.68)) and clearly protruding; antennae and palpi pale reddish, all anntennomeres elongate.

Thorax: pronotum black, slightly wider than long, clearly wider than head, with microsculpture of transverse waves, three punctures in dorsal row, two punctures in sublateral row with posteriormost puncture reaching level of middle puncture of dorsal row; scutellum smooth and glabrous; elytra black, uniformly pubescent, quadrate or slightly wider than long, slightly longer than pronotum; legs dark brown with inner face of tibia darkened and tarsi paler.

Abdomen black, tergites uniformly punctured, slightly iridescent.

Male. Aedeagus ( Fig. 11A ): paramere broad, rather parallel-sided, reaching apex of median lobe, with sensory peg setae forming two single rows along parameral lateral margins for 2/3 of their length; median lobe on parameral side with clear apical protrusion and two subapical small teeth, the latter positioned near end of peg setae rows of paramere; internal sac with four distal elongate medial sclerites.

Differential diagnosis. Quedius afrofuliginosus can be distinguished from all other Quedius s. str. by the unique head chaetotaxy, with a puncture on either side posterior of the anterior frontal puncture ( Fig. 6E ). Within the fuliginosus -group it is additionally distinguished from Q. fuliginosus by the pale antennae, from Q. levicollis by the impunctate and glabrous scutellum, and from Q. curtipennis by wider head (HW/HL = 0.74 vs 0.85) and aedeagal median lobe with apical protrusion.

Bionomics. Nothing is known about the biology of Q. afrofuliginosus . Based on collecting sites it is most likely occurring in forested areas of medium elevation (450 to 1400 m).

Distribution. Quedius afrofuliginosus was originally described from an unknown locality in Algeria. The new material studied in this paper brought to light additional specimens from Tunisia and Morocco in Northern Africa, as well as the first records of this species from the Mediterranean region in southern Spain and on the southern European islands of Corse and Sardinia ( Fig. 18 ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Phylogenetic tree of Quedius s. str. based on preliminary target capture molecular dataset of Bඋඎඇĸൾ et al. (2021) and Hൺඇඌൾඇ et al. (in prep). Species groups shown in color. Q. altanai Hansen & Brunke, sp. nov. of the Q. molochinoides-group was not included in the dataset. Habitus sketch is of Q. fuliginosus (Gravenhorst, 1802). Lettering denotes species distribution within their respective groups.

Fig. 3. Phylogeny of Quedius s. str. based on Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) analyses of COI barcodes (part 1). BI posterior probabilities (PP), ML ultrafast bootstrap support (UFB) and ML SH-aLRT test are shown. Nodes coloured as: green, PP ≥ 0.90, and either UFB ≥ 95 or SH-aLRT ≥ 80; yellow, one of PP ≥ 0.90, UFB ≥ 95 or SH-aLRT ≥ 80; red, PP <0.90, UFB <95 and SH-aLRT <80.

Fig.6. Head and pronotal chaetotaxy of Quedius s. str.A – general scheme; B – Q. curtipennis Bernhauer, 1908, C – Q. fuliginosus (Gravenhorst, 1802); D – Q. levicollis Brullé, 1832; E – Q. afrofuliginosus Gusarov, 1991; F – Q. molochinus- and Q. laticollis-groups; G – Q. molochinoides-group. Abbreviations as follows: anterior frontal puncture (AFP); basal punctures (BP); interocular punctures (IOP); lateral puncture (LP); lateral row (LR); posterior frontal puncture (PFP); parocular punctures (POP); sublateral row (SLR).

Fig. 7. Habitus of Quedius s. str. A – Q. afrofuliginosus Gusarov, 1991; B – Q. curtipennis Bernhauer, 1908; C – Q. fuliginosus (Gravenhorst, 1802); D – Q. levicollis Brullé, 1832; E – Q. unicolor Kiesenwetter, 1847; F – Q. subunicolor Korge, 1961.

Fig. 11. Aedeagus ofQuedius s. str. A – Q. afrofuliginosus Gusarov, 1991; B – Q. levicollis Brullé, 1832; C – Q. curtipennis Bernhauer, 1908; D – Q. fuliginosus (Gravenhorst, 1802). I – parameral view of whole aedeagus; II – apices of paramere in antiparameral view with peg setae; III – lateral view of whole aedeagus; IV – apices of median lobe at an angle between parameral and lateral view.

Fig. 18. Distribution of Quedius afrofuliginosus Gusarov, 1991 (top), Q. curtipennis Bernhauer, 1908 (middle) and Q. fuliginosus (Gravenhorst, 1802) (bottom).