Xantholinus (Helicophallus) moreanus, Assing, 2006

Assing, V., 2006, New species and records of Staphylinidae from Greece, with two new synonymies (Insecta: Coleoptera), Linzer biologische Beiträge 38 (1), pp. 333-379 : 351-352

Xantholinus (Helicophallus) moreanus sp.n. ( Figs 47-54 , Map 1 )

Holotype 3: GR. Pelopónnisos, 40 km SE Tripoli , SW Ag. Petros, 1160 m, 37°18'51N, 22°31'10E, 22.III.1997, V. Assing / Holotypus 3 Xantholinus moreanus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2005 (cAss). Paratypes: 13: same data as holotype (cAss) ; 13, 3♀♀: same data, but 37°18'49N, 22°30'37E, 1100 m (cAss) ; 13: GR-Peloponnes, 40 km SO Tripoli, Ag. Petros-Karies , 1100 m, Quercus, 22.3.97, P. Wunderle (cWun) ; 13: GR: Peloponnes, Lakonia, 40 km SO Tripoli, Strasse zw. Agios Petros u. Karies , 1100 m, W-Hang, alte / Eichen , Erica arborea, Moos , 37°18'49N, 22°30'37O, 22.3.1979 [sic], leg. L. Zerche ( DEI) ; 13, 1♀: GR: Peloponnes, Lakonia, 40 km SO Tripoli, Strasse zw. Agios Petros u. Karies , 1160 m, W-Hang, Tanne , / Eiche , Moos , 37°18'51N, 22°31'10O, 22.3.1979 [sic], leg. L. Zerche ( DEI) ; 13: GR. Pelopónnisos, nördl. Taygetos , W Perivolia, 1300 m, 37°08'44N, 22°16'03E, 24.III.1997, V. Assing (cAss) ; 13: GR: Peloponnes, Lakonía, Taigetos- Geb., Giátrissa bei Kastania , 1090 m, 21.IV.1998 / 36°51'07N, 22°23'12E, unter Steinen, leg. Behne ( DEI) ; 1♀: GR, S-Peloponnes, E Kardamíli, oberhalb Saidóna, Abies , 900 m, leg. W. Schawaller, 28.IX.2004 ( SMNS) ; 13: GR: Peloponnes, Arkadía, Parnon-Geb. , SW Kastanitsa, 1380 m / 37°14'25N, 22°37'16E, 16.IV.1998, Kiefern-Tannen-Wald, leg. Zerche (cAss) ; 233, 1♀: GR: Peloponnes, Arkadía, Parnon-Geb., SW Kastanitsa, 1385 m, 37°12'07N, 22°37'52E / 19.IV.1998, Tannen-Kiefern-Wald, Schneefelder, leg. Zerche & Behne ( DEI, cAss) ; 1♀: GR: Peloponnes, Lakonía, Parnon-Geb., Agios Pétros , 1150 m, 37.16.44N, 22.35.03O / 18.IV.1998, Kiefern-Tannen-Wald, Schneefelder, leg. Zerche ( DEI) ; 1♀: GR: Ahaïa, Panahaiko, oberh. Shuli , Plateau , 29.III.2000, 1500 m, Igelsträucher , / Schneerand , 38°11'N, 21°51'E, leg. Zerche ( DEI) ;.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Species of intermediate size, 8.0- 9.2 mm (abdomen fully extended). Coloration variable, ranging uniformly rufous to distinctly bicoloured, with the head and abdomen blackish brown to blackish, and pronotum and elytra rufous; legs rufous; antennae with the basal three antennomeres rufous, antennomeres IV-X reddish brown, and XI apically testaceous.

Habitus of forebody as in Fig. 47-48 . Head approximately 1.25 times as long as wide, weakly dilated posteriad; eyes very small, approximately 1/5 the length of postocular region; puncturation moderately sparse and relatively fine; microsculpture absent. Pronotum 0.9 times as wide as head and approximately 1.45 times as long as wide; dorsal rows of punctures composed of about 10 punctures; microsculpture absent. Elytra short, approximately 0.55 times as long as pronotum; puncturation relatively dense, rather coarse, and well-defined, interstices on either side of suture much narrower than diameter of punctures; microsculpture absent. Hind wings reduced; when fully unfolded, apices just protruding from under the elytra. Abdomen with fine and moderately sparse puncturation; microsculpture distinct, transverse everywhere; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

3: posterior segments without conspicuous modifications. Aedeagus basally with two series of distinctly scerotised spines, one with ca. 15 long spines, and one with more numerous smaller spines ( Figs 49-53 ); long spines present also in anterior part of aedeagus ( Fig. 54 ).

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Lat., adj.) is derived from Morea, the Latin name of what is the Pelopónnisos today.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The geographically closest species of the subgenus Helicophallus is X. bulgaricus COIFFAIT from the Bulgarian Stara Planina, which, based on the original description, as well as on an examination of the holotype from the Coiffait collection ( MNHNP) and a non-type male from the Stara Planina, is distinguished from the new species by the distinctly microsculptured elytra with almost indistinct puncturation, by the less slender (shorter and relatively broader) head and pronotum, by the smaller aedeagus (0.75-0.80 times the length of that of X. moreanus ), and by the shorter and less massive proximal spines in the aedeagus. For an illustration of the aedeagus of X. bulgaricus see figure 98A in COIFFAIT (1972).

C o m m e n t: KORGE (1973) reports X. bulgaricus also from the Parnon range in the

Pelopónnisos, stating he had found only negligible differences between the material from the Parnon and the original description of X. bulgaricus . As emphasised above, however, there are differences both in external morphology and in the internal structures of the aedeagus. In addition, there are other arguments suggesting that the populations from the Stara Planina and from the Pelopónnisos represent distinct species. First, aedeagal character divergence is generally low in the subgenus, so that striking differences like those in many other species groups of Xantholinus are not to be expected. Second, both X. bulgaricus and X. moreanus are micropterous and have small eyes, from which one can infer that dispersal power is low and the distributions are very likely to be restricted. Finally, despite much increased collecting activity in various parts of Greece in the past decade, no further records of Helicophallus have become known. Korge´s material was not examined, but it may hypothesised that it is conspecific with X. moreanus .

It was not possible to examine the aedeagus of the – evidently slightly teneral – holotype of X. bulgaricus ("Bulg. St.planina, Midzur, 2150-2168 m, 26.10.1968, P. Beron leg. / Préparation microscopique / Holotype / Xantholinus (Helicophallus) bulgaricus H. Coiffait 1971 "), since it is apparently kepts separately (see labels). The transverse microsculpture of the head emphasised in the original description is visible only in the lateral parts; the dorsal median area is free of microsculpture. Fortunately, a male from the Stara Planina in the collections of the DEI was available for examination, which confirmed that X. bulgaricus and X. moreanus are indeed different species. The collection data of this specimen are: Stara Planina, Etropolska Planina, Murgana peak, 42°42N, 24°03E, 1600-1630 m, 11.V.2001, leg. Zerche & Behne.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: The species is known only from several localities in the Pelopónnisos ( Map 1 ), where it is probably endemic, as can be inferred from the absence of records from other Greek localities, as well as from the reduced eyes and wings. It was collected in oak and mixed forests (oak, fir, maple, pine) at altitudes of 1100-1300 m.

Figures

Map 1: Distribution of Xantholinus moreanus sp.n. in southern Greece.

Figs 47-53: Xantholinus moreanus sp.n. (47-48) forebody; (49-52) aedeagus of 433; (53) spine series in internal sac (proximal part of aedeagus). Scale bars: 47-48: 1.0 mm; 49-53: 0.5 mm.

Figs 54-59: Xantholinus moreanus sp.n. (54) and X. creticus sp.n. (55-59). (54) internal tube of aedeagus, anterior part; (55) forebody; (56) aedeagus; (57-58) posterior part of aedeagus; (59) membranous tube of aedeagus. Scale bars: 55: 1.0 mm; 56-57: 0.5 mm; 54, 58-59: 0.25 mm.