Meotica wunderlei ASSING , 2013

Assing, Volker & Vogel, Jürgen, 2019, The mother of synonyms: on the Meotica species of the Palaearctic Region (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae, Oxypodini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 51 (2), pp. 731-772 : 761

Meotica wunderlei ASSING, 2013

( Figs 52 , 59, 76-77)

Meotica wunderlei ASSING, 2013: 118 ff.

Type material examined: SeeASSING (2013).

Additional material examined: TURKEY: 1♂, 2♀♀, Istanbul, road Yalova-Orhangazi, 11.V.1976, leg. Besuchet (cVog).

Comment: The original description is based on ten type specimens from the Turkish province Isparta ( ASSING 2013).

Diagnosis: ♂: sternite VIII ( Fig. 76 ) strongly transverse; posterior margin weakly convex in the middle; median lobe of aedeagus approximately 0.28 mm long and shaped as in Fig. 59 ; apical lobe of paramere blackish.

♀: sternite VIII ( Fig. 77 ) approximately as long as broad, posterior margin broadly produced in the middle; spermatheca as in Fig. 52 .

Though somewhat similar in shape to that of M. moczarskii , the aedeagus is distinguished by distinct and constant differences in the shape and position of the crista apicalis, the shape of the ventral process, and the shapes of the internal structures. However, these differences are not pronounced and the male and female sternites VIII are highly similar. Consequently, the possibility that, if intermediate conditions in the shape of aedeagus should be found, M. wunderlei may eventually have to be synonymized cannot be ruled out. The species is distinguished from the similar M. andujari particularly by the different ventral aspect of the aedeagus.

Distribution: Turkey (Istanbul, Isparta).

Figures

Figs 39-52: Meotica parasita (39-47), M. moczarskii (48-51; 48: lectotype; 49-50: paralectotype), and M. wunderlei (52): (39, 48) male sternite VIII; (40-43) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (44, 49) female sternite VIII (45-47, 50-52); spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 69-79: Meotica andujari (69-73), M. ochsi (74-75), M. wunderlei (76-77), and M. normandi (78-79): (69, 74, 76, 78) male sternite VIII; (70) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (71) apical portion of median lobe in ventral view; (72, 75, 77, 79) female sternite VIII; (73) spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 53-59: Meotica moczarskii (53-58; 53: lectotype; 54-55: paralectotype; 56: North Germany; 57: Morocco; 58: Turkey) and M. wunderlei (59): median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.