Protamaurops macrophthalmus (J. Müller, 1944 )

Bekchiev, Rostislav & Hlaváč, Peter, 2020, Endogean and Cavernicolous Coleoptera of the Balkans. XX. Notes on the genus Protamaurops J. Müller, 1944 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) with the description of a new species from Bulgaria, Zootaxa 4779 (3), pp. 367-378 : 374-375

Protamaurops macrophthalmus (J. Müller, 1944)

Figs 1a, b , 3c , 5

Amaurops (Protamaurops) macrophthalma J. Müller, 1944: 85 . Type data: Holotype, unknown sex, in Albania septentrionali. Loc. class.: Mal Sheit , Merdita , Nördalbanien ( Nord Albania, Mal Sheit, Merdita).

Amaurops (Protamaurops) macrophthalma beieri J. Müller, 1944: 87 . Type data: Holotype, unknown sex, Ein etwas abweichendes Stück bei Nisista , Xerovuni (Epirus) in 700-800 m Seehöhe ( Greece, Nisista, Xerovuni (Epirus) new synonymy

Paramaurops (Protamaurops) macrophthalma beieri : Karaman 1958: 223 (redescription, illustration of habitus)

Protamaurops macrophthalmus: Nonveiller & Pavićević, 2008: 258 (diagnosis)

Protamaurops beieri : Karaman, 1961: 167 (redescription illustration of aegeagus, Fig. 16)

Type material studied: Protamaurops macrophthalmus beieri : Holotype, ♂: Nisista, Xerovuni, Erip., 700-800 m,

19.V.–6.VI.33, Beier ( NHMW). Other material : 1♂: Alban. Mer. Tomor: Tomor , Mai, 1931, leg. Winkler ( NHMW) ; 1♂: Albania, Exped. Kula Ljums , 18-28.V.1981 ; Albania, Voskopoje , N40.65029 E20.58303, 16.06.2013, leg. R. Bekchiev ( NMNHS) ; 1♂: North Macedonia, Sar Mt., Carevelivade , 22.06.1972, leg. Karaman ; 1♂: Greece, Make- donia, 10 km S. Florina, NE Drosopigi, N. exp. Eichenwald , N40 ◦ 41ꞌ E21 ◦ 28ꞌ, 23.IV.2000, leg. Wunderle ( MHNG) ; 2♂♂: 1♂: Greece, Ipiros, Bez. Ioanina, Umg. Metsovo , 1400-1500 m, 25-27.5.87, leg. Brachat ; 3♂♂, 5♀♀: Greece, Ipiros, Bez. Ioanina, n/w Metsovo ca. 1400 m, u. Steinen , 26.5.1998, leg. Brachat ( NMNHS, PCVB) ; 1♂: Greece n., above Metsovo , deciduous forest, 1400 m, leaf litter sifting, 39.776595N, 21.170988E, 16.VI.2017, M. Kocian lgt. ( PCPH)

Redescription: Body ( Fig. 1a ) slightly shiny, reddish-brown, densely pubescent, covered with long golden setae; legs, antennae and maxillary palpi slightly lighter, length: 2.30–2.45 mm; maximum width of elytra 0.68–0.70 mm. Head slightly, 1.05 times wider than long, eyes usually composed from 20-30 ( Fig 1a ) or about five ( Fig. 1b ) ommatidia located around small ocular spine; clypeus large, round; frons with large, deep, rectangular excavation that is slightly prolonged anteriorly, forming angle at apex; vertex elevated, forming relatively flat hump with one well-defined long medial carina remote from margin of frontal excavation and extending two-thirds of head length ( Fig. 1b ); vertexal pits separated, distant from lateral margin of head; surface between carinae almost glabrous; antennae long 1.08–1.10 mm, scape as long as wide, pedicel about 1.5 times as long as wide, antennomeres III–VII elongate (III 1.65 times, IV-VII 1.35 times as long as wide), VIII transverse, IX trapezoidal, 1.25 times as wide as long, antennomere X trapezoidal, 1.1 times as wide as long, terminal antennomere triangular, 1.65 times as long as wide. Pronotum about 1.25 times as long as wide, longer than head, with flat longitudinal excavation in middle; lateral carinae long and weekly prominent, with small triangular dent in basal part, median antebasal and lateral foveae well-defined. Elytra simple, wider than long, at sides round, widest in middle.Abdomen slightly narrower than elytra, first visible tergite (IV) large, distance between lateral carina and median carina 0.20 mm; distance between median carinae 0.20 mm. Legs long and slender, simple, metatrochanters with one small medium, ventral spine. Aedeagus ( Fig. 3c ) 0.38-0.39 mm long.

Synonymic note: Protamaurops macrophthalmus beieri from Greece was described as a subspecies of P. macrophthalmus from Albania in the same paper ( Müller, 1944) based mainly on the geographical separation from the nominal species. Based on the examined material there is no significant difference between these two subspecies and therefore we place place here P. macrophthalmus beieri as a synonym of P.macrophthalmus .

Distribution: Albania, Greece, North Macedonia.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus and head of Protamaurops—a) P. macrophthalmus (male), scale—1 mm; b) head with the carina, scale— 0.5 mm; c) P. bulgaricus sp. n., head with the carinae (male, holotype), scale—0.5 mm.

FIGURE 3. Aedeagi of Protamamaurops, ventral view (Scale: 0.1 mm)—a, b) P. macedonicus—a. Bos Dag Mts., b—Belasitsa Mts; c) P. macrophthalmus; d) P. winneguthi; e) P. bulgaricus sp. n. Scale: 0.1 mm

FIGURE 5. Distribution of Protamaurops.