Pseudomedon, MULSANT & REY, 1878

Assing, V., 2009, On the Pseudomedon species of the Palaearctic region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1175-1189 : 1186-1187

Key to the Palaearctic species of Pseudomedon

1 Pale-coloured species, forebody or whole body yellowish, reddish, or yellowish-brown...2

- Dark-coloured species, at least head and abdomen dark brown to blackish........................8

2 Antennae short, approximately 1.0 mm long; antennomere IV usually less than twice a slong as broad. Distribution: Kazakhstan and Afghanistan.................................................3

- Antennae longer, at least approximately 1.2 mm long; antennomere IV at least twice as long as broad, usually distinctly more slender. W-Palaearctic, eastwards to Iran...............4

3 Aedeagus as in Fig. 8. Kazakhstan............................................... P. kazakhstanicus ASSING

- Aedeagus as in Fig. 9. Afghanistan.................................................... P. afghanicus ASSING

4 Eyes very small, approximately as large as antennomere I in cross-section ( Fig. 13 ). Aedeagus unknown. N-Algeria: Kabylie (Map 2)............................... P. pallidus (FAUVEL)

- Eyes often small, but always larger than antennomere I in cross-section. Distribution different...............................................................................................................................5

5 Species from the Western Mediterranean west of Italy.......................................................6

- Species from the Eastern Mediterranean east of Italy.........................................................7

6 Elytra distinctly shorter, approximately 0.85 times as long as pronotum ( Fig. 16 ). Antennae shorter, approximately 1.3 mm long; antennomeres III-V 2-2.5 times as long as broad. Aedeagus as in Fig. 5. S-Spain: Andalucía (Map 2) ................ P. lecoqi COIFFAIT - Elytra approximately as long as pronotum. Antennae long and slender, approximately 1.5-1.6 mm long; antennomeres III-V approximately 3 times as long as broad or nearly so. Aedeagus as illustrated in COIFFAIT (1984: figures 35G-I). SE-France: Provence (Map 2)................................................................................................ P. chobauti COIFFAIT

7 Aedeagus as in Fig. 7. Eastern Mediterranean, from the Greek islands Karpathos and Lesbos to Iran (Map 1).............................................................................. P. dido (SAULCY)

- Aedeagus as in Figs 1-2. Balkans.......... P. obscurellus (ERICHSON) (brachypterous morph)

8 Antennae conspicuously long and slender; antennomeres III-VI approximately three times as long as broad or nearly so; X weakly oblong. Aedeagus as in Fig. 4. Confirmed records from S-Germany and S-Switzerland.............. P. huetheri (HUBENTHAL)

- Antennae shorter; antennomeres V-VI approximately twice as long as broad; X as broad as long or transverse..................................................................................................9

9 Male sternite VIII with deeply V-shaped posterior incision. Aedeagus highly distinctive, with sickle-shape ventral process (Fig. 6). Known only from the northern parts of the Sahara (S-Algeria, Chad) (Map 2)......................................... P. mirei COIFFAIT

- Male sternite VIII with shallow or moderately deep posterior incision. Ventral process of aedeagus not sickle-shaped. Widespread and common in most of the Western Palaearctic region..............................................................................................................10

10 Male protarsomeres I-IV strongly dilated; posterior margin of male sternite VIII rather shallowly concave ( Fig. 19 ); aedeagus larger, approximately 0.55-0.60 mm long, shaped as in Fig. 3. Body on average of darker coloration, usually blackish-brown to blackish, with dark-brown to blackish-brown legs and antennae. Widespread and rather common in the W-Palaearctic eastwards to Kazakhstan............. P. obsoletus (NORDMANN)

- Male protarsomeres I-IV moderately dilated; posterior margin of male sternite VIII Vshaped ( Fig. 18 ); aedeagus distinctly smaller, 0.35-0.42 mm long, shaped as in Figs 1- 2. Body usually of paler coloration; at least pronotum and elytra usually reddish brown to brown; legs and antennae usually reddish to reddish-brown. Widespread and common in the W-Palaearctic ................ P. obscurellus (ERICHSON) (macropterous morph)

Figures

Figs 10-19: Pseudomedon pallidus (FAUVEL), lectotype (10-13), P. mirei COIFFAIT, holotype (14), P. lecoqi COIFFAIT, paratype (15-17), P. obscurellus (ERICHSON) (18), and P. obsoletus (NORDMANN) (19): (10, 15) habitus; (11, 14, 16) forebody; (12) antenna; (13) head in lateral view); (17) head and pronotum in lateral view; (18) male sternite VIII; (19) posterior portion of male sternite VIII. Scale bars: 10, 15: 1.0 mm; 11-14, 16-17: 0.5 mm; 18-19: 0.2 mm.