Sunius sinaicus ( COIFFAIT 1961)

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 : 115

4.71. Sunius sinaicus ( COIFFAIT 1961)

Hypomedon sinaicus COIFFAIT 1961: 29 ff.

Hypomedon punctatum COIFFAIT 1979: 169 ; primary homonym.

Hypomedon punctum COIFFAIT 1983: 346 ; replacement name; nov.syn.

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holotype 3: " Medon peregrinus Fvl. , Sinaï: O. Taba, 3.3.1902 / peregrinus / Coll. Peyerimhoff / Museum Paris / Holotype / Hypomedon sinaïcus Coiff., HC. 59" (MNHNP). Paratype ♀: "Ouady el Ain, 2 (Sinaï) / Ouady Saal, 2 (Sinaï) / Ouady Taba ( Syrie), 2, près Agaba / Coll. et det. A. Fauvel, Medon peregrinus Fauv., R.I.Sc.N.B. 17.479 / Paratype / Hypomedon sinaicus Coiff., HC. 59" (IRSNB).

C o m m e n t s: The original description of S. sinaicus is based on a holotype male from " Sinaï, O. Taha" and an unspecified number of syntypes from " Sinaï " in the Peyerimhoff and Fauvel collections at the MNHNP and the IRSNB, respectively.

Hypomedon punctatus COIFFAIT 1979 , a junior primary homonym of H. punctatus COIFFAIT 1975 , was described from a single female from "El Hair", Saudi Arabia, deposited in the "Musée de Bâle" ( COIFFAIT 1979), without any reference whatsoever to S. sinaicus , and later replaced with H. punctus ( COIFFAIT 1983). The holotype was not examined. However, the non-type female from Saudi Arabia in the Coiffait collection, which was identified by Coiffait himself, is conspecific with the type material of S. sinaicus . There is little doubt that the same applies to the holotype of H. punctatus , so that this name and its replacement name H. punctus are here placed in the synonymy of S. sinaicus .

A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Saudi Arabia: 1 ex. [" Hypomedon punctatum Coiff., H. Coiffait det. 1981"], Wadi Shuqub , 1440 m, 6.IV.1980, leg. Büttiker ( MNHNP). Oman: 1 ex., Dnofar, AL, 6.IX.1994, leg. Rihane (cAss) ; 1 ex., Dnofar, NV, 24.VIII.1994, leg. Rihane (cAss).

D i a g n o s i s: Inexternalappearance(body shape, dense puncturation of the head), somewhat resembling species of Acanthoglossa KRAATZ. Body of moderate size, 3.3-3.8 mm; elytra distinctly longer and broader than pronotum.

3: aedeagus of distinctive morphology; for illustrations see COIFFAIT (1961, 1984).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: The known distribution includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt (Sinai peninsula), and Oman, from where it is recorded for the first time.