Pseudomedon obscurellus ( ERICHSON 1840)

Assing, V., 2008, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Paederinae and Xantholinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1237-1294 : 1253-1255

Pseudomedon obscurellus ( ERICHSON 1840) (Figs 14-27)

Lithocharis obscurella ERICHSON 1840: 624 .

Scymbalium minimum EPPELSHEIM 1888: 408 f.; nov.syn.

Medon apfelbecki BERNHAUER 1899: 25 ; nov.syn.

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d L. obscurella : Syntype: "6387 / obscurella Er., Sardin. Gené / Syntypus Lithocharis obscurella Erichson, 1840 , labelled by MNHUB 2008 / Pseudomedon obscurellus (Erichson) det. V. Assing 2008" (MNHUB).

S. minimum : see ASSING (2008a).

M. apfelbecki : see ASSING (2008a).

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: Morocco: 1 ex., Haut Atlas , 40 km SSE Marrakech, Arbbalou, 31°19'N, 7°45'W, 1030 m, 28.XII.2002, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Haut Atlas, NE Tizi-n-Test, 30°54'N, 8°19'W, 1710 m, 30.XII.2002, leg. Assing & Wunderle (cAss). Portugal: Madeira: see ASSING & SCHÜLKE (2006). Spain: 1 ex., Castilla-La Mancha, Sierra de Segura , 10 km N Yeste, Rio Tús , 38°25'N ; 2°19'W, 10.IV.2003, leg. Assing & Wunderle (cAss); 6 exs., Andalucía, Puerto de Galis env., road to Alcalá de Guadaira , 36°32'N, 5°38'W, 400 m, stream valley, 20.II.2000, leg. Meybohm (cAss) ; 1 ex., Andalucía, Puerto de Galis env., Cerro de la Novia , 36°36'N, 5°29'W, 500 m, stream valley, 19.II.2000, leg. Meybohm (cAss) ; 1 ex., Andalucía, Valle de Ojen , 36°11'N, 5°35'W, 300 m, oak forest, 20.II.2000, leg. Lompe (cAss) ; 1 ex., Cádiz, Sierra de Bermeja, Jubrique , 500 m, 26.III.1994, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Cádiz, Jimena de la Frontera, 5.- 6.VI.1991, leg. Wrase (cSch). Italy: 2 exs., Lombardia, SE Pavia , 8.X.1961, leg. Rosa ( NHMW, cAss) ; 3 exs., Friuli-Venezia Giulia, SE Vilesse, bank of Isonzo river , 45°51'N, 13°27'E, 10 m, flood debris, 13.IX.1998, leg. Schülke (cSch) ; 3 exs., Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Codroipo, bank of Tagliamento river , 45°57'N, 12°55'E, flood debris, 12.IX.1998, leg. Schülke (cSch) ; 5 exs., Sardegna, Monti Sette Fratelli , leg. Krüger ( NHMW, cAss) ; 1 ex., Sicilia, Taormina env., 25.III.2006, leg. Hlaváč (cAss) ; 1 ex., E Cesaró, gravel bank of Cutó river, 37°50'N, 14°48'E, 2.IV.2001, leg. Schülke (cSch). Germany: 4 exs., Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hürth near Köln , waste dump Ville , 27.III.1989, leg. Köhler (cSch, cAss) ; 1 ex., Niedersachsen, Hannover, Eilenriede , carnet, 1.IV.1991, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Hannover env., Kananohe , car-net, 11.VII.1991, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 10 exs., Berlin-Spandau, Deponie Hahneberg , sifted from wood and compost, 24.VIII.2004, leg. Wrase (cSch, cAss) ; 1 ex., Sachsen, Chemnitz, waste dump, 24.X.1987, leg. Peschel (cSch). Croatia: 1 ex. [" apfelbecki " morph], Metkovi ( NHMW). Bosnia-Herzegovina [see also ASSING (2008a)]: 1 ex. [" apfelbecki " morph], Sarajevo (cAss) ; 1 ex. [" apfelbecki " morph], " Sutorina " [?], leg. Apfelbeck (cAss) ; 1 ex. [" apfelbecki " morph], locality not specified ( NHMW). Albania: 2 exs. [" apfelbecki " morph], Skutari, leg. Mader ( NHMW). Bulgaria: 1 ex., Wasil Lewski , 2.-5.V.1985, leg. Wrase (cSch) ; 1 ex., Strumjani, 30.IV.1985, leg. Wrase (cSch). Greece: 1 ex., Chalkidiki, Kassandra , Policoro , gravel pit, 26.III.1989, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Kassandra, Policoro , 26.III.1989, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Kassandra, Siviri , stream bank, 23.III.1989, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Thessalia, NE Ossa Oros, W Stomia , 39°54'N ; 22°38'E, floodplain forest, 5.IV.1998, leg. Assing (cAss); 2 exs. [intermediate morph], Fokis, 25 km SW Lamia, Stromi , 38°41'N, 22°13'E, 640 m, river bank, 6.IV.2001, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 4 exs. [1 ex. intermediate morph], Fthiotis, SW Lamia, bank of Inachos river , 38°50'N, 22°05'E, 5.IV.2001, leg. Assing, Lompe & Wunderle (cAss) ; 1 ex. [" apfelbecki " morph], Fthiotis, 40 km W Lamia, bank of Sperchios river , 38°56'N, 21°59'E, 16.IV.2000, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Pelopónnisos, NE Kalavrita, bank of Vouraikos river , 38°05'N, 22°10'E, 700 m, 30.III.1997, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Pelopónnisos, Sparta , stream bank, 2.IV.1986, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Crete, Plakias, 31.III.1988, leg. Winkelmann-Klöck (cAss). Ukraine: 1 ex., Crimea, Evpatoria region, VII.1999 (cSch). Turkey [see also ASSING (2007b)]: 1 ex., Antalya, Side , 13.III.2000, leg. Esser (cAss) ; 1 ex., Antalya, Manavgat env., 0-50 m, 2.I.1991, leg. Assing (cAss). Georgia: 5 exs., Mzcheta near Tbilisi, flood debris, VI.1987, leg. Wrase (Sch). Chile: 4 exs., Araucania, Cautin province, Termas del Huife , 27 km ENE Pucón, 39°14'S, 71°39'W, compost sifted, 2.I.2006, leg. Schülke (cSch) .

C o m m e n t: The original description of Lithocharis obscurella is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from " Sardinia " and collected by "Dom. Prof. Gené" ( ERICHSON 1840). The single female syntype in the historical collection of the MNHUB is in agreement with the interpretation of LOHSE (1989).

Medon apfelbecki was described from several syntypes collected in the environs of Sarajevo by V. Apfelbeck. According to BERNHAUER (1899), the species is distinguished from Pseudonmedon obscurellus by pale yellowish-red coloration, small eyes, the shape of the pronotum, shorter elytra, and a flatter body. Like Scymbalium minimum , the name was previously treated as a synonym of Pseudomedon dido (SAULCY) ( ASSING 2008a, COIFFAIT 1984, SMETANA 2004).

A comparative study of material from the Balkans matching the original description of P. apfelbecki and of material of P. obscurellus from various regions revealed that, indeed, the external differences - particularly in coloration, eye size, and also the morphology of the antennae - are remarkable. The male sexual characters (morphology of the aedeagus, shape of sternite VIII), however, are completely identical (Figs 24-27). Moreover, some of the specimens examined from Greece are intermediate: coloration and, in some specimens, also the antennae are similar to macrophthalmous specimens from Western and Central Europe, but the eyes are as small and the elytra as short as in P. apfelbecki (Figs 14-23). In addition, the aedeagus is generally highly distinctive in the genus and similar polymorphisms have been observed not only in various other paederine genera (e. g. Micrillus), but also in Pseudomedon (see section on P. huetheri ). These findings suggest that P. obscurellus is polymorphic and that the Balkans material previously identified as P. apfelbecki or P. dido is conspecific with P. obscurellus , but not with the true P. dido (see the following section). Hence, the synonymies proposed above.

The above specimens from Chile represent a new country record, as well as the first record of this species not only from South America, but also from outside the Western Palaearctic region.

Figs 14-28: Pseudomedon obscurellus (ERICHSON) (14-27; 14, 18, 21, 25: macrophthalmous specimens from Germany; 15-16, 19, 22, 26: intermediate morph from Greece; 17, 20, 23-24, 27: " apfelbecki " morph from Bosnia-Herzegovina) and P. dido (SAULCY) (28): (14-17) forebody; (18- 20) antenna; (21-23) head in lateral view; (24) male sternite VIII; (25-28) aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 14-23: 0.5 mm; 24: 0.2 mm; 25-28: 0.1 mm.