Tachyusa flavolimbata Eppelsheim, 1877

Pa ṡnik, Grzegorz, 2006, A revision of the World species of the genus Tachyusa Erichson, 1837 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 1146, pp. 1-152 : 110-111

Tachyusa flavolimbata Eppelsheim, 1877 ( Figs. 109–111)

Tachyusa flavolimbata Eppelsheim, 1877: 100 .

Type material. Lectotype (here designated): ♂: Kaukaz, Leder, 91, coll. Eppelsh. ( NMW) . Paralectotype: ♂: same data as lectotype ( NMW) .

Taxonomic notes. Tachyusa flavolimbata , like T. impressa Eppelsheim, 1877 , has been considered as a synonym of T. agilis Baudi, 1863 by Fauvel (1895) and subsequent authors (e.g., Fenyes 1920; Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz 1926; Scheerpeltz 1963). An examination of the types, particularly the genitalia, revealed that T. flavolimbata represented a valid species and it is resurrected from synonymy.

Additional material. Georgia: mouth of the Algeti River, Reitter, 2 exx ( HNHM). Azerbaijan or Armenia: Caucasus, Arax River valley, (“Araxesthal”), Reitter, 2 exx ( CAS); 5 exx ( HNHM); 1 ex ( NMW).

Redescription. Body. Length 2.5–2.9 mm, convex, parallel­sided, glossy; body colour pitchy brown to black; elytra reddish brown with posterior margin yellow, three basal tergites often paler, brown, legs reddish brown, antennae brown with antennomeres 1–3 red,

Head circular in outline; convex, eyes large, moderately protruding from lateral contours of head, length of each seen from above subequal to that of postocular region; surface of head without microsculpture; puncturation fine and dense. Antennae short, clearly increasing in width apically, antennomere 3 shorter than 2, antennomeres 4–8 longer than wide, antennomeres 9–10 quadrate, antennomere 11 nearly conical.

Pronotum transverse, lateral sides gradually narrowed in straight line to obtuse hind angles; before base with small and shallow transverse impression; surface without microsculpture; puncturation fine, moderately dense and asperate; pubescence at midline directed posteriorly.

Elytra subquadrate, at suture as long as pronotal length at midline; surface lacking microsculpture; puncturation fine, dense and asperate.

Abdomen parallel­sided, bases of tergites 3–5 each with deep transverse impression, impressions with 7–8 longitudinal ridges, tergal puncturation fine and moderately dense, punctures moderately small and well visible, surface without microsculpture.

Male. Aedeagus as in Figs. 109–110.

Female. Spermatheca as in Fig. 111.

Remarks. Tachyusa flavolimbata is similar to T. objecta Mulsant & Rey, 1870 , from which it can be readily distinguished by the coarser and sparser pronotal puncturation, the pronotal puncturation distinctly asperate, the finer and sparser pronotal pubescence and by the shape of aedeagus.

Distribution. Tachyusa flavolimbata is known only from the Caucasus.