Astenus (Astenus) gracilis (PAYKULL 1789)

Assing, V., 2008, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Paederinae and Xantholinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1237-1294 : 1241

Astenus (Astenus) gracilis (PAYKULL 1789) ( Figs 1-2 )

Astenus rutilipennis REITTER 1909: 151 ; 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: "Hungaria bor., Kesmark / coll. Reitter / Paratypus Astenus rutilipennis Reitter 1909 [curator label] / Astenus rutilipennis [sic] Rtt., V. I. Gusarov det. 1993 / Lectotypus Astenus rutilipennis Reitter , desig. V. Assing 2008 / Astenus gracilis (Paykull) det. V. Assing 2008" ( HNHM) . Paralectotypes: 1 [dissected prior to present study]: "Kesmark / Hu. bor. / coll. Reitter / rutilipennis m. 1907 / Holotypus Astenus rutilipennis Reitter 1909 [curator label]" ( HNHM) ; 1: "Manglis 1879" (HNHM); 1: "Manglis 1880" (HNHM); 1: "Caucasus, Araxesthal, Leder.Reitter" (HNHM).

C o m m e n t: The original description of A. rutilipennis is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from " Ungarn: Kesmark [today Kežmarok in Slovakia]; Kaukasus (Manglis), Araxesthal" ( REITTER 1909). Five of them were found in the Reitter collection at the HNHM, two males from "Kesmark" and three females from "Manglis" and "Araxesthal". One of the males is designated as the lectotype. Like the male paralectotype, it is conspecific with A. gracilis (PAYKULL) ; the same is probably true of the female paralectotypes. The coloration of the elytra of the examined types differs from the usual condition in A. gracilis in that the blackish markings are reduced to a darker scutellar area and sometimes to an additional dark spot near the middle of the lateral margins, but the aedeagus is identical; for illustrations of the aedeagus of the male paralectotype of Astenus rutilipennis see Figs 1-2 . Consequently, A. rutilipennis is placed in the synonymy of A. gracilis .

Figures

Figs 1-5: Paralectotype of Astenus rutilipennis REITTER (1-2) and Lectotype of Lithocharis vilis KRAATZ (3-5): (1-3) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (4) male sternite VII; (5) male sternite VIII. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.