New and little known species of Quedius from West Palaearctic (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) Yu, A. Solodovnikov Zootaxa 2005 902 1 13 4R3C9 Korge, 1971 Korge 1971 [264,796,283,310] Insecta Staphylinidae Quedius Animalia Coleoptera 3 4 Arthropoda species walteri Microsaurus   Material examined. TURKEY: 6 ɗ, 5 Ψ "Borcka, Anat. b. [northern Anatolia] 1.­ 3.6.[19]60 leg. F. Schubert" ( NMW, FMNH); 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, “ Turkey, Artvin, Karçal Daği, subalpine zone, 26.06.1998, leg. I. Belousov” ( FMNH); 1 ɗ, “ Turkey, Artvin, Karçal Daği, forest, 2425.06.1998, leg. I. Belousov” ( ZIN); 1 ɗ, “ Turkey, Rize, Gül Daği, Çağlayan River valley, 1000 m, AlnusRhododendronforest, 20. VI.1998, leg. A. Solodovnikov” ( ZIN); 1 ɗ, “Caucasus Armen. [ Armenien] Geb. [Gebirge] Leder Reitter /  Quedius obliqueseriatusEpp. Coll. Reitter” ( HNHM).   Discussion.This species from north­eastern Turkeyis known only from few records ( Korge 1971a, Smetana 1995) and nothing was reported on its binomics. Morphologically,  Quedius walteriis so distinct that it is difficult to affiliate it with any lineage of  Quedius. Korge (1971a)tentatively placed it in the subgenus  Microsauruswhat was followed by Coiffait (1978). Smetana (1995)moved it to the subgenus  Raphirus,but recently ( Smetana 2004) back to  Microsaurus.There was neither an analysis to reveal phylogenetic relationships of  Q. walteri, nor an attempt to elaborate a sound subgeneric system of  Quedius. Thus, in the subgeneric placement of this species I tentatively follow Smetana (2004), the latest published assignment. It should be noted however that it is basically a habitus of  Q. walteri(relatively small eyes, anteriorly narrowed pronotum, short elytra), which makes this species similar to some  Microsaurus. In fact,  Q. walterishares major features of the body structure, and generally similar shape of the aedeagus (especially of the median lobe) with  Q. transsylvanicus Weise, 1875(species currently in the subgenus  Raphirus). Based on that similarity, I tentatively assume that  Q. walteriand  Q. transsylvanicusare closely related. However, even assuming their phylogenetic affinity one has to accept that they have undergone significant independent evolution since the time of divergence. There are significant morphological differences between them:  Q. transsylvanicushas a different shape of the pronotum and the microsculpture of its upper body surface is transversal; it has no additional punctures near the posterior frontal punctures; its paramere is without inner lamellae but with sensory peg setae. Also, the distributions of the two species are restricted to the relatively remote mountain regions (  Q. transsylvanicusis endemic to the Carpathians). Detailed bionomic data for  Q. walteriare recorded only for one specimen from Gül Daği (see above), where it was collected in leaf litter of Alnus­Rhododendronforest at elevation of 1000 m. In Karçal Daği  Q. walteriwas collected both in the forest and subalpine altitudinal belts. Apparently the species is primarily a forest inhabitant, but, as many other montane forest species in very similar areas of the north­western Caucasus ( Solodovnikov 1998), it penetrates into the subalpine zone. Male genitalia of this species are illustrated in Smetana (1995, Figs. 12–17)and here in Figs. 14–17. Habitus is provided here in Fig. 4.