Entomoculia (Entomoculia) villascemae, Fancello & Hernando & Leo, 2009

Fancello, Luca, Hernando, Carles & Leo, Piero, 2009, The endogean beetle fauna of the Marganai-Oridda-Valle del Leni area (SW Sardinia), with description of seven new species of Staphylinidae Leptotyphlinae (Coleoptera) *, Zootaxa 2318, pp. 317-338 : 320-322

Entomoculia (Entomoculia) villascemae sp. nov.

( Figs 7, 12)

Diagnosis. An Entomoculia Croissandeau, 1891 ascribable to the nominal subgenus for its robust build, the presence of chitinized thickenings on the male genital segment and for the characters of the male and female genitalia; well-differentiated from its congeners by the shape of the aedeagus and female copulatory plates.

Type locality. SW Sardinia, Medio Campidano prov., Villacidro, Rio Bidda Scema .

Type series. Holotype ♂: “SW Sardinia, Villacidro (Medio Campidano), Rio Bidda Scema , 330 m, 20.IX.1986, leg. P. Leo ” ( MSNG) . Paratypes: Villacidro ( Medio Campidano prov. ) Rio Bidda Scema , 330 m, 20.IX.1986, leg. P. Leo, 1 ♀ ( CLF-PL) . Villacidro ( Medio Campidano prov. ), Foresta Demaniale di Montimannu , 280 m, 8.V.1986, leg. P. Leo, 2 ♀ ( CLF-PL) ; 8.VI.1986, leg. P. Leo, 2 ♀ ( CLF-PL, CNBFVR) ; 8.XI.1986, leg. P. Leo, 1 ♀ ( CLF-PL) ; 13.X.1991, leg. P. Leo, 1 ♂ ( CLF-PL) .

Description. Total length 1.10–1.15 mm. Head subparallel-sided, with short but prominent frontal carinas; microreticulation distinct but superficial; punctuation weak and sparse. Pronotum about as long as wide, shiny, with indistinct microreticulation; punctuation as on head; median longitudinal dimples lacking. Elytra shiny with slight microsculpture and sparse punctuation. Aedeagus as in Fig. 7 with, in lateral view, a short, thin and slightly downcurved sternal lamina; left paramere small, curved. Female genital armature complex, structured as in Fig. 12.

Observations. Four species of subgenus Entomoculia were known so far for Sardinia, three from the central-northern part and one from the south (cf. Coiffait 1972; Pace 1996): E. sassariensis Pace, 1978 (type locality: surroundings of Sassari (Sassari prov.); both sexes known), E. sardoa Coiffait, 1959 (type locality: Ozieri (Sassari prov.); known only from females), E. gardinii Pace, 1994 (type locality: surroundings of Cuglieri (Oristano prov.); known only from males), E. iknusa Coiffait, 1959 (type locality: San Sperate (Cagliari prov.); known only from females). The new species is easily distinguishable from the above by the conformation of the male and female genitalia, and shows no obvious affinities with any other species of the genus.

Ecological notes. The specimens were collected by washing soil from mixed woods dominated by Quercus ilex . The sampling localities are situated on granitic (Rio Bidda Scema) and argilloschist (Montimannu) Palaeozoic soils. The following endogean beetles were collected in association with the new species: Bathysciola damryi ( Abeille de Perrin, 1881) (Leiodidae) , Octavius sardous Coiffait, 1965 (Staphylinidae) , Langelandia reitteri Belon, 1882 (Zopheridae) , Torneuma sp. (Curculionidae) , Alaocyba carinulata Perris, 1869 , Raymondiellus sardous sardous ( Perris, 1869) (Raymondionymidae) .

Etymology. Named after the type locality.