Sunius basalis ( REITTER 1899)

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 : 105

4.64. Sunius basalis ( REITTER 1899) ( Fig. 206 , Map 22 )

Medon basalis REITTER 1899: 282 .

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d Syntype ♀: "Caucasus, Araxesthal Leder. Reitter. / coll. Reitter / Holotypus Medon basalis Reitter 1899 / Sunius basalis (Reitter) det. V. Assing" (HNHM).

C o m m e n t: The original description is based on an unspecified number of syntypes (possibly only a single specimen) from "Transkaukasien: Araxesthal bei Ordubad " ( REITTER 1899).

D i a g n o s i s 4.2 mm; slender species ( Fig. 206 ). Coloration distinctive: head and pronotum reddish; elytra bicoloured, yellowish, with the basal third dark; abdomen dark brown; legs and antennae reddish yellow.

Head oblong, approximately 1.1 times as long as wide; puncturation coarse and dense, interstices on average narrower than diameter of punctures, without microsculpture. Eyes little more than half the length of postocular region in dorsal view. Antennae moderately slender; antennomere III approximately 2.5 times as long as wide; IV shorter than III, about 2.0 times as long as wide; V-VI weakly oblong; VII-X of decreasing length; X weakly transverse.

Pronotum approximately 1.1 times as long as wide and 0.95 times as wide as head; puncturation dense and rather coarse, but less coarse than that of head; without distinct impunctate midline.

Elytra almost 1.2 times as wide and approximately as long as pronotum; puncturation similar to that of pronotum, but shallower and less defined. Hind wings apparently developed. Legs slender; metatibia longer than width of abdomen.

Abdomen almost as wide as elytra; puncturation fine; microsculpture shallow; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

3: unknown.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: The species has become known only from the type locality in Azerbaijan ( Map 22 ).

Figures

Map 22: Distributions of species of the S. viator group in the Caucasus region and Middle Asia, based on examined records: Sunius claviceps (REITTER) (filled circles), S. acutissimus nov.sp. (open circles), S. basalis (REITTER) (open square), and S. splendidulus (BOHÁČ) (filled square).

Figs 203-206: Sunius pennatus nov.sp. (203-205) and S. basalis (REITTER), syntype (206): (203, 206) forebody; (204) aedeagus in lateral view; (205) internal structures of aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 206: 0.5 mm; 203: 0.2 mm; 204-205: 0.1 mm.