Medon sericellus ( FAIRMAIRE 1860)

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 : 128-129

7.2. Medon sericellus ( FAIRMAIRE 1860)

Hypomedon troglophilum [sic] JEANNEL & JARRIGE 1949: 367 f.; nov.syn.

Hypomedon besucheti BORDONI 1980c: 217 f.; nov.syn.

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holotype 3 [head and pronotum missing]: " Tunisie, Tunis, Belvedère, 3.IV.62, Cl. Besuchet / Holotypus / Hypomedon besucheti n. sp. det. Bordoni 1980 / Medon sericellus (Fairmaire) , det. V. Assing 2007" (MHNG). Paratypes: 233: same data as holotype (MHNG).

C o m m e n t s: Hypomedon troglophilus was described from two syntypes from "Rhar-Adhid, ou Dar el Oued, grotte sur le littoral, entre Bougie et Djidjelli, près de Ziama, comm. de Tababort" (JEANNEL & JARRIGE 1949). The types were not found by the curator in charge at the MNHNP (TAGHAVIAN, e-mail 17.IX.2007). However, the illustration of the aedeagus and the morphological details indicated in the original description, as well as the redescription of the type specimens by COIFFAIT (1984) leave no doubt that the type specimens are conspecific with Medon sericellus , a species of the Medon apicalis group and distributed in Algeria and Tunisia ( ASSING 2006c).

The original description of Hypomedon besucheti is based on a holotype and 3 paratypes from " Tunisia, Tunisi Belvedere" ( BORDONI 1980c). An examination of the holotype and 2 male paratypes revealed that H. besucheti , too, is conspecific with – and consequently a junior synonym of – M. sericellus .