Sunius tenerifensis ( FRANZ 1979)

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 : 42-44

4.10. Sunius tenerifensis ( FRANZ 1979) (Figs 21-22)

Hypomedon tenerifensis FRANZ 1979: 67 .

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holotype 3: "Tenerife, Teide, N-Hang, 1000-1600 m / Sp 1281 [overleaf] / Kanarische Inseln leg. H. Franz / Medon tenerifensis m. det. H. Franz / Holotypus / Sunius tenerifensis det. V. Assing 2007" (NHMW). Paratypes: 5 exs.: "Tenerife, Teide, N-Hang, 1000-1600 m / Sp 1281 [overleaf] / Hypomedon tenerifensis m. det. H. Franz Paratypus / Sunius tenerifensis det. V. Assing 2007" (NHMW, cAss).

C o m m e n t: The original description is based on a holotype male and five paratypes from "Tenerife im degradierten Lorbeerwald an der von Aguamansa zum Portillo führenden Strasse in ca. 1000 Seehöhe" ( FRANZ 1979). Remarkably, FRANZ (1979) compared the species with (his interpretation of) S. canariensis , i. e. probably macropterous specimens of the completely different S. brevipennis , rather than with the similar S. microphthalmus .

Figs 19-26: Sunius microphthalmus (FRANZ) (19-20), S. tenerifensis (FRANZ) (21-22), S. palmi (FRANZ) (23), and S. fernandezi (HERNÁNDEZ & GARCÍA) (24-26): (19, 21, 23, 25) aedeagus in lateral view; (20, 22, 26) male sternite VIII; (24) forebody. Scale bars: 24: 1.0 mm; 20, 22, 26: 0.2 mm; 19, 21, 23, 25: 0.1 mm.

D i a g n o s i s: 2.7-3.3 mm. Whole body uniformly pale reddish. Head with pronounced microsculpture. Eyes strongly reduced, almost as minute as in S. microphthalmus , with or without pigmentation. Abdominal tergite VII without palisade fringe.

3: sternite VII unmodified; sternite VIII similar to that of S. microphthalmus (Fig. 22); aedeagus as in Fig. 21.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: Sunius tenerifensis is endemic to Tenerife, Canary Islands. The types were collected by sifting leaf litter and moss at an altitude of approximately 1000 m ( FRANZ 1979).