Acrotona oxypodoides ( BRUNDIN 1952)

Assing, V., 2010, Four new species and additional records of Staphylinidae from Spain, primarily from the south (Insecta: Coleoptera), Linzer biologische Beiträge 42 (2), pp. 1105-1124 : 1115

Acrotona oxypodoides ( BRUNDIN 1952)

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Spain: M u r c i a: 3 exs., Jumilla , El Portichuelo, Olmeda, 575 m, 28. VI.2006, leg. Lencina (cAss, cFel) ; 1 ex., Jumilla, El Portichuelo, 38°31'N, 1°23'W, 575 m, 4. VI.2009, leg. Lencina (cFel). A n d a l u c í a 8 exs., San Pedro de Alcantara , 7.IV.2010, leg. Shavrin & Anishchenko (cSha, cAss). B a l e a r e s: 1 ex., Mallorca , Son Carrió , VI.2001, leg. Feldmann (cFel). Morocco: 1 ex., Haut Atlas , 40 km SSE Marrakech, Arhbalou, 31°19'N, 7°45'W, 1330 m, stream valley, litter of Populus and Rubus sifted, 28.XII.2002, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 2 exs., Haut Atlas , SE Asni, Oukaimeden, 31°13'N, 7°50'W, 2500 m, pasture, under stones, 28.XII.2002, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 16 exs., Haut Atlas , SE Asni, Oukaimeden, 31°13'N, 7°50'W, 2500 m, pasture, grass roots sifted, 28.XII.2002, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 12 exs., Haut Atlas , NE Tizi-n-Test, 30°54'N, 8°19'W, 1710 m, stream bank, floated and debris sifted, 29.-30.XII.2002, leg. Assing (cAss) .

C o m m e n t: This species was originally attributed to Acrotona THOMSON 1859 , at that time a subgenus of Atheta THOMSON 1858 ( BRUNDIN 1952). According to SMETANA (2004), it was subsequently moved to the Atheta subgenus Paradilacra BERNHAUER 1909 . Based on a study of type material, however, GUSAROV (2003) discovered that Atheta densissima BERNHAUER 1909 , the type species of Paradilacra, in fact refers to the subtribe Tachyusina , which today is doubtfully placed in the Oxypodini . A comparison of the sexual characters of Acrotona oxypodoides with the illustrations of Atheta densissima provided by GUSAROV (2003) leaves no doubt that the two species are not congeneric. Like its close relative, Acrotona pellucida (FAUVEL 1878) , A. oxypodoides clearly belongs to the Athetini , with which it shares an athetal bridge of the aedeagus (absent in A. densissima ) and numerous other characters. Although the sexual characters suggest that A. oxypodoides and A. pellucida may not be congeneric with the type species of Acrotona either, both species are moved from Paradilacra and tentatively placed in Acrotona again.

Originally described from Tunisia, A. oxypodoides has subsequently been recorded also from Italy, France, Morocco, and Algeria ( SMETANA 2004). The above specimens from Spain represent new country records.