Quedius (s. str.) curtipennis Bernhauer, 1908

Salnitska, Maria & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2018, Revision of the Quedius fauna of Middle Asia (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 65 (2), pp. 117-159 : 119

Quedius (s. str.) curtipennis Bernhauer, 1908

Quedius fuliginosus var. curtipennis Bernhauer, 1908, 335 (original description)

Quedius curtipennis : Herman 2001, 3134 (summary of literature); Assing and Schülke 2012, 457, 458 (diagnosis, distribution and bionomics, aedeagus illustration).

Type material examined.

Syntypes (all in FMNH): Faroe Islands: 1 ♂, “Suderö Faroer Ins./ Dr. Cornu 1907/ v. curtipennis Brh. Typus [handwritten]/fuliginosus Grav. Scheerp. [handwritten]/ Chicago NHMus M. Bernhauer Collection [printed]/ D. Drugmand det. 1994 Quedius (s. str.) curtipennis Brnh. [preprinted handwritten]"; 1 ♂, “Nördl. Faroer Ins./ Dr. Cornu 1907/ v. curtipennis Brh. Typus [handwritten]/ fuliginosor Scheerp. [sic!] det. [illegible] [handwritten]/ Chicago NHMus M. Bernhauer Collection [printed]/ D. Drugmand det. 1994 Quedius (s. str.) curtipennis Brnh. [preprinted handwritten]"; Uzbekistan: 1 ♂, "v. curtipennis Buchara Bang Haas det. Bernh. [preprinted handwritten]/ Chicago NHMus M. Bernhauer Collection [printed]".

Comments on taxonomy, distribution and bionomics.

Bernhauer (1908) described Q. curtipennis as a variety of Q. fuliginosus without clear information on the type material. In addition to the morphological diagnosis of a new variety Bernhauer (1908) mentioned that it is common on the Faroe Islands and also occurs in "Vorarlberg, Buchara and Böhmen (Wrana. Moldau)". Interestingly, revision of the type material has never been published for this common widespread species since its original description. We have examined three male syntypes of Q. curtipennis kept at the FMNH, two from Faroe Islands and one from ‘Buchara’ in Uzbekistan, all listed above. Our examination of the syntypes confirms that they are conspecific and matching current interpretation of this species (e.g. in Assing and Schülke 2012). Quedius curtipennis is a common species widely distributed in the forests and humid microhabitats of the open landscapes of the Western Palaearctic ( Herman 2001; Assing and Schülke 2012). Because of the strong morphological similarity, Q. curtipennis can be easily confused with Q. fuliginosus . As a result, current broad distributions for both species as recently summarized in Assing and Schülke (2012), especially outside Europe, need revision. A male syntype of Q. curtipennis from “Buchara” (Uzbekistan) collected more than a century ago (see below) and overlooked in the subsequent literature is the only specimen of this species known from Middle Asia. Since the original description Q. curtipennis has not been recorded from any of the countries of Middle Asia.