Sunius berberus ( COIFFAIT 1961)

Assing, V. & A, North, 2008, A revision of the Sunius species of the Western Palaearctic region and Middle Asia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (1), pp. 5-135 : 91-92

4.53. Sunius berberus ( COIFFAIT 1961) (Figs 128-129, Map 20 )

Hypomedon berberus COIFFAIT 1961: 39 .

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d Holotype 3 [aedeagus missing]: "Hippone, 12.17 /

Holotype / Hypomedon berberus Coiff. , det. H. Coiffait 1961 / Sunius berberus (Coiffait) det. V.

Assing 2007" ( MNHNP). Paratypes: 13, 2♀♀ [1♀ labelled as allotype]: same data as holotype

( MNHNP); 1♀: "Bone, 12.17, 231" ( MNHNP) .

A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Algeria: 1 ex., Annaba ["Bona"], leg. Desbrock ( DEI) ; 1 ex., Guelma, leg. Fauvel (cAss) .

C o m m e n t: The original description is based on a holotype male and an unspecified number of paratypes from "Hippone" and "Bône" ( COIFFAIT 1961). The aedeagus of the holotype is missing.

D i a g n o s i s: The highly distinctive aedeagus of S. berberus somewhat resembles that of S. confusus from southern Spain. From this species it is distinguished by slightly larger body size, a less slender head (1.00-1.05 times as long as wide, in S. confusus distinctly oblong), slightly larger eyes, a less slender pronotum (1.00-1.05 times as long as wide, in S. confusus distinctly oblong), somewhat darker coloration (reddish brown, in S. confusus reddish yellow), and the male sexual characters.

3: sternite VII with weakly concave posterior margin, pubescence not modified; sternite VIII with rather broad, but not very deep posterior excision, otherwise unmodified (in S. confusus with distinctive obliquely projecting process); aedeagus of highly distinctive shape, without sclerotised internal structures (see figures in COIFFAIT 1961, 1984).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: The known distributon is confined to the environs of Annaba in the northeast of Algeria ( Map 20 ).

Figures

Map 20: Distributions of species of the S. seminiger group in Algeria: Sunius berberus (COIFFAIT) (filled circles), S. baboricus nov.sp. (open circle), S. mouzaianus nov.sp. (filled square), S. vaulogeri (COIFFAIT) (open square), and S. rectus nov.sp. (open square).