Aleochara (Xenochara) inescata, Assing, 2011

Assing, V., 2011, A new species of the Aleochara laevigata group from Spain, with notes on A. rambouseki LIKOVSKÝ and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (1), pp. 283-290 : 285-287

Aleochara (Xenochara) inescata nov.sp. ( Figs 1-10 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: "N-Spanien (27), Biesca [recte: Biescas], Taubenmist, 14.VI.91, P. Wunderle / Holotypus Aleochara inescata sp.n. det. V. Assing 2010" (cAss). Paratypes: 1, 1: same data as holotype (cFel, cWun).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 4.2-5.0 mm. Coloration: head, pronotum, and abdomen blackish; elytra blackish-brown, posteriorly near sutural angle at most indistinctly paler, without reddish spot; femora and tibiae blackish-brown, tarsi brown; antennae blackish, with antennomeres I-III dark-brown; maxillary palpi dark-brown, with palpomere IV (including apical pseudosegment) reddish.

Habitus relatively slender ( Fig. 1 ). Whole dorsal aspect of body without microsculpture ( Figs 2, 4-5 ). Head with very fine and sparse punctation. Eyes large, but weakly convex, somewhat longer than postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 2 ). Maxillary palpomere III moderately slender, approximately 2.5-3.0 times as long as broad. Antennae short ( Fig. 3 ), approximately 0.8 mm long; antennomeres V-X strongly transverse.

Pronotum approximately 1.35 times as wide as long and 1.6 times as wide as head; posterior angles rounded, indistinct ( Fig. 2 ); punctation fine, but less so than that of head, and sparse ( Fig. 4 ).

Elytra approximately 0.71-0.75 times as long as pronotum; posterior margin not distinctly sinuate near lateral angles; punctation much coarser and denser than that of pronotum ( Fig. 5 ). Hind wings fully developed.

Abdomen somewhat narrower than pronotum; punctation rather dense and coarse.

: posterior margin of tergite VIII concave in the middle; posterior margin of sternite VIII weakly and obtusely produced in the middle, with fringe of long thin marginal setae; median lobe of aedeagus shaped as in Figs 6-8 , base of ventral process somewhat bulging in lateral view; apical internal structures very weakly sclerotized, barely noticeable ( Fig. 9 ).

: posterior margin of tergite VIII very indistinctly concave; posterior margin of sternite VIII broadly convex and with fringe of shorter and stouter marginal setae; spermatheca as in Fig. 10.

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is the past participle of the Latin verb inescare (to bait) and refers to the circumstances of collection.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The new species is readily distinguished from A. laevigata by the shorter antennae, somewhat less oblong maxillary palpomeres III, the different coloration of the elytra (in A. laevigata posteriorly usually with a distinct reddish spot), the shape of the spermatheca (shorter proximal portion of the capsule, differently shaped distal portion), and particularly the morphology of the aedeagus (shapes of ventral process, flagellum, and apical internal structures).

The aedeagus most resembles that of A. falcata ( Russia) , from which A. inescata is distinguished by the more slender body, the distinctly shorter antennae ( A. falcata : approximately 1.1 mm) with much more transverse antennomeres V-X, the less oblong maxillary palpomeres III ( A. falcata : more than three times as long as wide), the coloration of the elytra ( A. falcata : posteriorly with reddish spot), and by the more weakly sclerotized and differently shaped apical internal structures of the aedeagus.

The habitus (including the morphology of the antennae) and coloration are most similar to those of A. lonae (southern Balkans), from which A. inescata is separated by the different morphology of the aedeagus (broader apex and less bulging base of ventral process in lateral view; differently shaped crista apicalis; weakly sclerotized and differently shaped apical internal structures).

For illustrations of the previously known species of the A. laevigata group see ASSING (2009).

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Thetypelocalityissituatedin Aragón, Western Pyrenees, northern Spain. The specimens were baited with pigeon dung at an altitude of approximately 900 m.

Figures

Figs 1-10: Aleochara inescata nov.sp.: (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) antenna; (4) median portion of pronotum; (5) sutural portion of elytra; (6-7) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (8) apical portion of ventral process of aedeagus in lateral view; (9) apical internal structures of aedeagus in lateral view; (10) spermatheca. Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2: 0.5 mm; 3-7: 0.2 mm; 8-10: 0.1 mm.