Aleochara (Xenochara) rubripennis ( FAUVEL , 1872) Assing, 2014

Assing, V., 2014, On the genus Crataraea (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Oxypodini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 46 (2), pp. 1111-1118 : 1114-1116

Aleochara (Xenochara) rubripennis ( FAUVEL, 1872) , nov.comb. ( Figs 5-11 )

Crataraea rubripennis FAUVEL, 1872: 28 f. T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Lectotype, present designation: " Biskra / Coll. R. I. Sc. N. B. / rubripennis Fvl. / Lectotypus Cratraraea rubripennis Fauvel , desig. V. Assing 2014 / Aleochara rubripennis (Fauvel) , det. V. Assing 2014 " (IRSNB). 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, Tougourt (IRSNB). Tunisia: 1

[with labels specifying two localities in Tunisia] (IRSNB); 1 [with labels specifying two localities

in Tunisia] (IRSNB).

C o m m e n t: The original description is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from " Biskra " ( FAUVEL 1872). Only one of the four specimens found in the Fauvel collection at the IRSNB has a label specifying this locality attached to it. This specimen, a female, is designated as the lectotype. An examination of the above type and non-type material revealed that the species belongs to the subgenus Xenochara MULSANT & REY, 1874 of the genus Aleochara GRAVENHORST, 1802 .

The new combination renders Aleochara (Calochara) rubripennis (CASEY, 1906: 150) (original combination: Calochara rubripennis), a species distributed in North America, a secondary junior homonym. The previous synonym Aleochara rubripes BLATCHLEY, 1910 is revalidated to replace the preoccupied name A. rubripennis (CASEY, 1906) .

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 3.0-4.0 mm; length of forebody 1.5-1.7 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 5 . Coloration: head, pronotum, and abdomen blackish-brown; elytra bright reddish, with narrowly infuscate anterior margins; legs reddish-brown with paler tarsi; antennae brown with yellowish antennomeres I-III.

Head ( Fig. 6 ) with very shallow, nearly obsolete microreticulation; punctation rather dense and moderately fine, distinct. Eyes moderately convex, slightly longer than postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna short, approximately 0.9 mm long; antennomere IV weakly transverse; V much broader than IV and distinctly transverse, approximately 1.5 times as broad as long; VI-X weakly increasing in width; X nearly twice as broad as long; XI slightly longer than the combined length of IX-X.

Pronotum ( Fig. 6 ) approximately 1.3 times as broad as long and 1.4 times as broad as head; punctation dense and distinct; interstices without distinct microsculpture.

Elytra ( Fig. 6 ) approximately 0.8 times as long as elytra; posterior margins not sinuate near posterior angles; punctation dense, less defined than that of pronotum. Legs long and slender; metatarsus slightly longer than metatibia; metatarsomere I longer than the combined length of II and III.

Abdomen with dense and coarse punctation, density of punctures decreasing towards posterior tergites; interstices without microsculpture and glossy; posterior margin of tergite VIII ( Figs 7-8 ) with modified short and stout marginal setae.

: sternite VIII ( Fig. 9 ) distinctly transverse, posterior margin distinctly produced and with long dense setae in the middle; median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 10 ) 0.53 mm long and slender.

: spermatheca as in Fig. 11.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: For characters distinguishing A. rubripennis from the similar A. eremita see the comparative notes in the following section.

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: Confirmed records are known from four localities in Algeria and Tunisia (new record). According to SMETANA (2004), the species has also been reported from the South European territory in Russia, but this record is zoogeographically not plausible and most likely based on a misidentification.

Figures

Figs 5-11: Aleochara rubripennis (FAUVEL): (5) habitus; (6) forebody; (7) male tergite VIII; (8) posterior portion of male tergite VIII; (9) male sternite VIII; (10) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (11) spermatheca. Scale bars: 5-6: 1.0 mm; 7, 9: 0.2 mm; 8, 10-11: 0.1 mm.