Cephennium sinuosum ASSING spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: C89E57D1-33EB-4693-BF85-27EAC289A064

(Figs 114–117)

Type material: Holotype ♂: “GR – Crete [20], SW Sitia, W Achladia, 35°09'45"N, 26°02'26"E, 270 m, soil washing, 30.XII.2017, V. Assing / Holotypus ♂ Cephennium sinuosum sp. n. det. V. Assing 2018” (cAss) . Paratypes: 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀: same data as holotype (cAss); 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [18], SW Sitia, NW Makrigialos, 35°03'31"N, 25°56'49"E 70 m, soil washing, 30.XII.2017, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♂: “GR – Crete [25], SW Malia, Gonies env., 35°14'43"N, 25°25'34"E, 220 m, soil washing, 1.I.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss) (cAss) .

Etymology: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective) alludes to the distinctly sinuate internal spines of the aedeagus.

Description: Body length 0.92–0.99 mm; width of pronotum 0.37–0.39 mm; width of elytra 0.39–0.40 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 114. Coloration: body yellowish-red; legs, antennae, and maxillary palpi yellow. Eyes completely absent. Head, pronotum, and elytra without microsculpture. Pubescence very sparse on head and rather dense on pronotum and elytra, rather short on elytra and most of pronotum, long and very dense at and near posterior margin of pronotum, depressed to weakly suberect, pale, and directed posteriad on elytra and most of pronotum, transversely mediad at posterior margin of pronotum. Punctation of head, pronotum, and elytra extremely fine, that of pronotum not more distinct than that of elytra; median portion of head impunctate. Tibiae distinctly club-shaped, rather abruptly dilated in distal two-thirds. Antenna 0.39–0.43 mm long, with distinct club formed by the large antennomeres IX–XI; antennomere VIII much smaller than the neighbouring antennomeres VII and IX; antennomere XI broadly conical, weakly oblong. Pronotum distinctly transverse, approximately 1.2 times as broad as long. Elytra with a rather weakly pronounced antero-lateral fold and with a fine oblique humeral fold on either side.

♂: aedeagus 0.25 mm long; ventral process blade-shaped and apically acute in ventral view; internal sac with two pairs of partly strongly sinuate sclerotized spines (Figs 115–117).

Comparative notes: Cephennium sinuosum is reliably distinguished from other species of the C. sinuosum group only by the shape and internal structures of the smaller aedeagus.

Distribution and natural history: This species is reliably known from two localities in the extreme east of Crete. The record of the male from the environs of Gonies (SW Malia) is regarded as doubtful and requires confirmation; it may be based on an artefact in the extraction procedure. The specimens were found in a valley with a small temporary stream and vegetation composed of Platanus orientalis, bushes, undergrowth, and reed, and in a dry stream valley with old oak and other deciduous trees and undergrowth. All of them were collected by soil washing. The altitudes range from 70 to 270 m.