Oxypoda islandica KRAATZ 1857

Assing, V., 2008, Nine new species and additional records of Staphylinidae from southern Spain, with new synonymies (Insecta: Coleoptera), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1301-1325 : 1311-1313

Oxypoda islandica KRAATZ 1857 ( Figs 49-53 , Map 2 )

Oxypoda islandica KRAATZ 1857: 285 .

Oxypoda edinensis SHARP 1871: 188 .

Oxypoda steineri SCHEERPELTZ 1958 ff.: 198; nov.syn.

Oxypoda castillana FAGEL 1958: 244 f.; nov.syn.

Oxyoda lativentris FAGEL 1958: 245 f.; nov.syn.

Oxyoda insidiosa PACE 1988: 68 ; nov.syn.

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Lectotype, present designation: " Island, Staudinger

/ islandica mihi, Island, Stauding. / coll. Kraatz / Syntypus / Lectotypus / coll. DEI Müncheberg /

Lectotypus Oxypoda islandica Kraatz , desig. V. Assing 2008 / Oxypoda islandica Kraatz , det.

V. Assing 2008" (DEI). Paralectotypes: 3 exs. [mounted on same pin]: "Typus / Island / Syntypus /

O. islandica Kr., Kr. [sic] / coll. Stierlin / coll. DEI Müncheberg" (DEI).

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: Tunisia:seeA SSING (2005). Spain [see also ASSING (2003b)]: C a s t i l l a y L e ó n: 2 exs., Sierra de Ancares , ENE Puerto de Ancares, peak of Miravalles, 42°53'N, 6°47'W, 1960 m, N-slope, grass, moss, etc., sifted, 15. VII.2004, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 5 exs., Sierra de la Demanda , Sierra de Urbión, Sierra de Freguela, Peña Negra, 42°03'N, 02°46'W, 1750-1950 m, pine forest, 15.X.2003, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 2 exs., Sierra de la Demanda , E Neila, Cabeza Herrera, 42°05'N, 02°58'W, 1580 m, E-slope, mixed oak, beech, and pine forest, 16.X.2003, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Sierra de la Demanda , ca. 40 km ESE Burgos, S Valmala, Trigaza peak, 42°15'N, 03°15'W, 1950 m, N-slope, Pinus litter, Vaccinium, Juniperus, Calluna, 17.X.2003, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Sierra de Gredos , ca. 60 km SW Avila, ca. 5 km S Hoyos del Espino, 40°18'N, 05°13'W, 1470 m, stony grassland in stream valley, under stones, 24.III.2007, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Sierra de Gredos , ca. 60 km SSW Avila, ca. 10 km SSW Burgohondo , 40°21'N, 04°49'W, 1250 m, stream valley, floated, 25.III.2007, leg. Assing (cAss). Italy: S i c i l i a: 11 exs., 12 km NE Randazzo, Bosco Malabotta, 37°57'N, 15°03'E, 1300 m, oak forest margin, grass, moss, and litter sifted, 24.XII.2007, leg. Assing & Wunderle (cAss, cWun) .

C o m m e n t: The original description of O. islandica is based on several syntypes ["häufig unter todten Vögeln"] from Iceland; a locality is not specified ( KRAATZ 1857). Of the four syntypes located in the collections of the DEI a male is designated as the lectotype. It is conspecific with O. steineri SCHEERPELTZ ; hence the synonymies proposed above. Based on an examination of type material, O. castillana FAGEL and O. lativentris FAGEL had been synonymised with O. steineri by TRONQUET (1999, 2001).

The original description of O. insidiosa is based on two male type specimens from "Teniet-el-Haad" in Algeria ( PACE 1988). The types were not examined, but the illustration of the aedeagus provided with the original description leaves no doubt whatsoever that they are conspecific with O. islandica .

Oxypoda islandica has been attributed to the subgenus Sphenoma MANNERHEIM 1830, whereas O. steineri has been regarded as a species of the subgenus Podoxya MULSANT & REY 1875, and O. insidiosa was originally assigned to Demosoma THOMSON 1859, now a synonym of Bessopora THOMSON 1859. Since the current taxonomic and phylogenetic concept of these subgenera is highly doubtful and requires revision, the subgeneric affiliations of O. islandica are unclear.

The aedeagus of the specimens from Tunisia and Sicily is slightly smaller, has a slightly more curved dorsal internal structure, and a less projecting crista proximalis, but is otherwise highly similar to that of material from Spain ( Figs 49-52 ). Also, the spermatheca is of similar size and shape ( Fig. 53 ). Therefore, the observed differences are attributed to intra- rather than interspecific variation.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Oxypoda islandica appears to have an expansive Atlanto-Mediterranean distribution. It has been recorded, partly as O. steineri , from Tunisia, Algeria, southern Italy, Spain, and France, to Iceland, the British Isles, Scandivia, northwestern Russia (material examined; ASSING 2003b, 2005; GAMARRA 1987; SMETANA 2004; TRONQUET 1999, 2001). The species had already been reported under the correct name from Spain by GAMARRA (1987), a record apparently overlooked by SMETANA (2004). The previous record (as O. steineri ) from the Sierra de Pozo ( ASSING 2003b) is based on two misidentified females and refers to the following species. The distribution in the Western Mediterranean is illustrated in Map 2 .

Figures

Map 2: Distributions of Oxypoda islandica KRAATZ (filled circles: examined records; open circles: reliable literature records) and O. virgata nov.sp. (squares) in the Western Mediterranean.

Figs 49-53: Oxypoda islandica KRAATZ: (49-52) median lobe of aedeagus of males from Aragón (Spain) (49), Cantabria (Spain) (50), Tunisia (51), and Sicilia (52); (53) spermatheca (Aragón, Spain). Scale bars: 0.1 mm.