Sunius spinosissimus, 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 : 72

4.35. Sunius spinosissimus nov.sp. ( Figs. 79-82 , Map 14 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " Liban, Cèdres Barouk, 31.III. 75, 1800 m, Besuchet / Sunius spinosissimus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2007" (MHNG). Paratypes: 13, 2♀♀: same data as holotype (MHNG, cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: External morphology as in S. renouardi ; distinguished only by the male sexual characters:

3: sternite VIII with shallow posterior excision, pubescence in median posterior area slightly denser than in lateral areas, without carina or tubercle ( Fig. 82 ); aedeagus of similar morphology as in S. renouardi , but ventral process of slightly different shape in lateral view and internal sac with distinctly larger and more strongly sclerotised spines ( Figs 79-81 ).

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Latin, adjective, superlative of spinosus: with spines) refers to the conspicuous spines in the internal sac of the aedeagus.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: From S. renouardi , evidently its sister species and the only other small micropterous Sunius species known from Lebanon, S. spinosissimus is distinguished only by the different shape and chaetotaxy of the male sternite VIII and by the morphology of the aedeagus, especially the large dark internal spines.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: The species was discovered in the southwestern outliers of the Lebanon range ( Map 14 ), where the types were collected at an altitude of 1800 m.

Figures

Map 14: Distributions of species of the S. seminiger group in the Middle East: Sunius renouardi (COIFFAIT) (filled circles), S. hypogaeus (FAUVEL) (open circles), S. spinosissimus nov.sp. (filled square), and S. klapperichi (COIFFAIT) (open square).

Figs 76-82: Sunius renouardi (COIFFAIT) (76-78) and S. spinosissimus nov.sp. (79-82): (76, 79-80) aedeagus in lateral view; (77, 81) aedeagus in ventral view; (78, 82) male sternite VIII. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.