Sunius falsus, Assing & A, 2008

Assing, V. & A, North, 2008, A revision of the Sunius species of the Western Palaearctic region and Middle Asia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (1), pp. 5-135 : 52-53

4.19. Sunius falsus nov.sp. ( Figs. 27-30 , Map 9 )

Hypomedon adanensis : COIFFAIT (1961, 1984); misidentification.

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " Israel, Mt. Carmel , Little Switzerland, 28.V.73, Löbl / Holotypus 3 Sunius falsus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2007" ( MHNG) . Paratypes: 38 exs. [partly teneral]: same data as holotype ( MHNG, cAss) ; 9 exs.: " Israel, Golan , Banias [33°15'N, 35°42'E], 2.VI.1973, Löbl" ( MHNG, cAss) ; 1 ex.: " Israel: Galilée , Golan, Banias, 24.IV.1982, Besuchet, Löbl" ( MHNG) ; 1 ex.: " Israel, Golan , 2 km E Banias, 29.V.1973, Löbl" ( MHNG) ; 17 exs.: " Israel, Galilee , Tel Dan [33°15'N; 35°39'E], 29.V.1973, Löbl" ( MHNG, cAss) ; 1 ex.: " Israel: Galilée , Tel Dan, 24.IV.1982, Besuchet, Löbl" ( MHNG) ; 13: " Israel, Tel Dan , 27.X.1987, G. Coulon leg." ( TAU) ; 1♀: " Israel, Tel Dan , 25.V.1988, G. Coulon leg." ( TAU) ; 39 exs.: " Israel, Galilee , au dessous Safad [32°58'N, 35°30'E], 500 m, 14.VI.73, Löbl" ( MHNG, cAss) ; 25 exs. [partly teneral]: same data, but 30.V.73 ( MHNG, cAss) ; 1 ex.: " Israel: Galilée , sous Safad, 500 m, 26.IV.1982, Besuchet, Löbl" (cAss) ; 9 exs. [partly teneral teneral]: " Israel: Galilée , Eilon [33°04'N, 35°13'E], N. Betzet, 22.IV.1982, Besuchet, Löbl" ( MHNG, cAss) ; 12 exs. [partly teneral]: " Israel: Galilée , Montfort [33°03N, 35°14'E], 19.IV.1982, Besuchet, Löbl" ( MHNG, OÖLL, cAss, cSch) ; 4 exs.: " Israel, Hagalil , Umg. Nahariyye, Kabri [33°01'N, 35°09'E], VI.1981, leg. Kiener " ( MHNG) ; 2 exs.: " Israel, Hagalil , Montfort, 25.VI.1981, Keziv River, leg. Kiener " ( MHNG) ; 1 ex.: same data, but 10.VII.1981 ( MHNG) ; 13, 1♀ [♀ teneral]: " Sarona , Palestine, 3 et 5 8.1935, A. Rabinovitch cep / Medon adanensis Lok. det. C. Koch " ( TAU, cAss) ; 13: " Israel: N Kziv [= Nahal Kziv , ca. 10 km NE Nahariyya], 4.vi. 1999 4-3, M. Finkel " ( TAU) ; 1♀: " Liban, Tripoli, H. Coiffait , 25.X.51" ( MNHG) .

D e s c r i p t i o n: Species of moderate size, 3.3-4.2 mm; of similar general appearance as S. bicolor and the macropterous morph of S. adanensis . Coloration: head and abdomen dark brown to blackish; pronotum and elytra reddish, elytra often instinctly infuscate in the middle; legs yellowish; antennae reddish yellow, with the basal and apical antennomeres paler.

Head approximately as wide as long; puncturation coarse and moderately sparse; interstices without microsculpture. Eyes approximately 0.65-0.80 times as long as postocular region in dorsal view.

Pronotum approximately as wide as long, of subquadrate shape, and slightly wider than head; puncturation similar to that of head.

Elytra of variable length and width, in macropterous morph approximately 1.1 times as long and 1.2 times as wide as pronotum, in brachypterous morph 0.90-0.95 times as long and about 1.1 times as wide as pronotum; puncturation denser, shallower, and less defined than that of head and pronotum.

Abdomen with fine and dense puncturation and with fine microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

3: sternite VII of similar shape and chaetotaxy as in S. adanensis , in posterior median area with dark pubescence directed diagonally postero-mediad, posterior margin weakly concave in the middle ( Fig. 39 ); sternite VIII with rather acute posterior excision of distinctly triangular shape, pubescence slightly denser in the middle ( Fig. 40 ); aedeagus with conspicuously stout ventral process and long rod-like structure in internal sac ( Figs 37-38 ).

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Latin, adjective: deceptive, erroneous) refers to the fact that this species has previously been misinterpreted due to confusion with S. adanensis .

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Based on the male primary and secondary sexual characters, the species is closely related to S. adanensis and allied species ( S. khnzoriani , S. rastrifer , S. nurdaghensis , S. akianus ). It is distinguished from all these species by the morphology of the aedeagus. In addition, in contrast to its relatives, the species is usually macropterous; only two females in a total of approximately 160 type specimens are brachypterous.

C o m m e n t: The species is conspecific with the interpretation of S. adanensis of COIFFAIT (1961, 1984).

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: Except for one female from Tripoli Lebanon, all the types were found in Israel ( Map 9 ).

The types were collected in April-August and in October. Teneral beetles were observed in April, May, and August.

Figures

Map 9: Distributions of Sunius adanensis (LOKAY) (open circles) and S. falsus nov.sp. (filled circles), based on examined records.

Figs 27-36: Sunius fulgocephalus (COIFFAIT): (27) habitus; (28) forebody; (29) head; (30) male sternite VII; (31) male sternite VIII; (32-35) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (36) apical part of ventral process in ventral view. Scale bars: 27: 1.0 mm; 28-29: 0.5 mm; 30-35: 0.2 mm; 36: 0.1 mm.

Figs 37-40: Sunius falsus nov.sp.: (37-38) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (39) male sternite VII; (40) male sternite VIII. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.