Quedius (Raphirus) pseudonigriceps Reitter, 1909

Salnitska, Maria & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2018, Revision of the Quedius fauna of Middle Asia (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 65 (2), pp. 117-159 : 128-129

Quedius (Raphirus) pseudonigriceps Reitter, 1909 Fig. 3F, 11

Quedius kirklarensis Korge, 1971, syn. n.

Quedius pseudonigriceps : Herman 2001, 3247 (summary of literature); Assing and Schülke 2012, 473, 474 (diagnosis, distribution and bionomics, aedeagus illustration); Solodovnikov 2004, 223 (characters, synonymy, notes).

Quedius kirklarensis Korge, 1971, 52 (original description); Coiffait 1978, 257 (notes, distribution records).

Material examined.

Kazakhstan: 1 ♀, Altai, Bukhtarma River, Uryl-Chingistai, 13.VI.1987, V.A. Kastcheev leg. (ZIN); 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Saur Mt. Ridge, 15 km S Kindirlik, 2000 m a.s.l., 10.VII.1962, L.V. Arnoldi leg. (ZIN); 1 ♂, Almaty Area, Dzhungarskiy Alatau Mts, 7 km E Lepsinsk, Chyornaya River canyon, 1200-1400 m a.s.l., 45°31'N, 80°43'E, Betula sp., Malus, Populus etc. forest, 13-15.VI.2001, S.I. Golovatch leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Dzhungarskiy Alatau Mts, upper reaches of Sarydzhaz River, 3500 m a.s.l., 13.VII.1991, V.A. Kastcheev leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, W part of Dzhungarskiy Alatau Mts, N slope, upper reaches of Aktau River S of Glinovka, 2500-2800 м, 06.VIII.1991, A.V. Tishechkin leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Dzhungarskiy Alatau Mts, Е slope of Sandyktas Mt., right side of Mynteke River, leaf litter, 2100 m a.s.l., 11.VIII.1991, A.V. Tishechkin leg. (cRyv); 2 ♂, Lle-Alatau NP Talgar env., SW slope, leaf litter sifting, 2745 m a.s.l., 43.24846N, 77.40380E, 10-11.V.2014, M. Kocián leg. (cKoc); 1 ♂, Almaty Area, Talgar district, Ak-Bulak, 2700 m a.s.l., 43.1454N, 77.2404E, 24.V.2014, O. Nakladal leg. (cKoc); 3 ♂, Zailiyskiy Alatau Mts, 2300 m a.s.l., Levyi Talgar River, 22.VIII.2009, V.A. Kastcheev leg. (cRyv); 2 ♂, Almaty Area, Zailiyskiy Alatau Mts, ca. 20 km Turgen, Turgen River canyon, near Batun, 1750 m a.s.l., 43°14'N, 77°46'E, Picea, Betula, Salix, etc. forest, 25.V.2001, S.I. Golovatch leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Almaty Area, Uygurskiy District, Ketmen Mts, 5 km SE Kyrghyzsay (=Podgornoye), 1500-1900 m a.s.l., 43°17'N, 79°31'E, Picea, Betula, Populus, etc. forest, 01-02.VI.2001, S.I. Golovatch leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Tastau, 2-3 km up-stream of river mouth, leaf litter, 09.VIII.1991, A.V. Tishechkin leg.(cRyv); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Ketmen Mts, near Ketmen, 2500 m a.s.l., 28.VII.1991, S.V. Saluk leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, E Zailyiskiy Alatau Mts., Belshabdar River, 2600 m a.s.l., 26.VI.2002, A.V. Puchkov leg. (cSch); 2 ♂, Zailiyskiy Alatau, Semirechye, Kargalinka valley, 2000-2350 m a.s.l., 01-07.VI.1907, A.[sic!] Jacobson leg.; same locality and collector, but 1 ♀, 1800-2350 m a.s.l., 05.VI.1907 (ZIN); 1 ♂, Kungey-Alatoo Mts, Kulbastau canyon, 20-27.VII.1988, V.A. Kastcheev leg. (ZIN); 2 ♂, Kungey-Alatoo, Chilik River, Sarybastau, 12-15.VI.1988, V.A. Kastcheev leg. (ZIN); Kyrgyzstan: 2 ♂, 2 ♀, Kungey-Alatoo Mts, upper reaches of Tschon-Kemin River, 2200-2500 m a.s.l., VII.1999, J. Frisch leg. (cKoc); 1 ♂, Kungey-Alatoo, Kurmenti River, 09-11.VII.1987, V.A. Kastcheev leg. (ZIN); 2♂, Issyk-Kul’ Area, Kungey-Alatoo Mts, valley of left confluent of Chon-Uryukty River, leaf litter in slope forest with Picea schrenkiana, Sorbus tianschanica, etc, 10.IX.1983, A.B. Ryvkin leg. (cRyv); 1♂, Issyk-Kul’ Area, Terskey-Alatoo Mts, Chon-Kyzyl-Suu River valley near Geographical Field Research Station, 2500 m a.s.l., moss in forest with Picea schrenkiana (He+Hm+C), 02.IX.1983, A.B. Ryvkin leg.; 1 ♂, Terskey-Alatoo Mts, Barskoon Valley, Chuli River, 15.VII.1983, S.K. Alekseev leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Terskey Alatoo Mts, Kochevnikov field research station, meadow, 19.VI.1984, N. Turtseva leg. (cRyv).

Comments on taxonomy, distribution and bionomics.

The latest summary about Quedius pseudonigriceps can be found in Solodovnikov (2004) and Assing and Schülke (2012). Quedius pseudonigriceps is widespread in Southern Europe and Western Asia. We here record it for the first time from Middle Asia: from southern Kazakhstan and northern Kyrgyzstan. It can be easily distinguished from all similar Middle Asian species by the shortened elytra and absence of fine whitish apical seam of palisade fringe on tergite VII.

In Middle Asia Q. pseudonigriceps is brachypterous (Fig. 3F) and characterized by the significant variability in the structure of aedeagus which nevertheless has no geographical pattern and leaves no doubt about species identity (Fig. 11). Solodovnikov (2004) noted that Quedius kirklarensis from Turkey is almost identical with Q. pseudonigriceps from South Europe and Western Asia except for the absence of palisade fringe on abdominal tergite VII in the former. Therefore he suggested that Q. kirklarensis may be a brachypterous form of Q. pseudonigriceps . A new synonymy could not be established back then because of the limited material and also due to the similar species Quedius cohaesus and Quedius turkmenicus from Middle Asia. With more material available here for all relevant taxa we can undoubtedly place Quedius kirklarensis Korge, 1971 in synonymy to Q. pseudonigriceps Reitter, 1909. For details on Quedius cohaesus and Quedius turkmenicus , see below.

In Middle Asia Q. pseudonigriceps usually inhabits moist leaf litter in deciduous and mixed forests and wet ground debris near streams in the mountains at the altitudes up to 2800 m.