Astenus (Eurysunius) shavrini, Assing, 2010

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 : 1107-1108

Astenus (Eurysunius) shavrini nov.sp. ( Figs 1-5 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: " Spain, Andalucia, Sierra Magina, Cerro Magina , h 2000- 2100 m, 26- 28.03.2010, Shavrin & Anishchenko leg. / Holotypus Astenus shavrini sp. n. det. V. Assing 2010 " (cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 4.5 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Coloration: forebody reddish; abdomen dark-brown, with the posterior margins of the segments reddish; legs and antennae reddish.

Head strongly transverse, 1.25 times as wide as long, distinctly widened behind eyes ( Fig. 2 ); punctation relatively fine, dense, and granulose; interstices with microsculpture and on average approximately as wide as average diameter of punctures; eyes small, not projecting from lateral contours of head, little more than half as long as postocular region in dorsal view. Antennae short; antennomeres V-VIII only indistinctly oblong ( Fig. 3 ).

Pronotum strongly transverse, 1.35 times as wide as long and 1.1 times as wide as head ( Fig. 2 ); antero-laterally with rather extensive sub-circular impression on either side; anterior and posterior angles each with very long black seta; punctation granulose, denser and more distinctly granulose in lateral than in median portions; interstices without distinct microreticulation and distinctly more glossy than those of head.

Elytra extremely short, approximately 0.5 times as long as pronotum ( Fig. 2 ), posterolaterally with rather extensive and deep impression; lateral margins with numerous long dark setae; punctation coarser than that of pronotum, somewhat granulose; interstices without microsculpture. Hind wings absent. Legs short; tibiae flattened; metatibia approximately 0.45 mm long; metatarsus approximately 0.7 times as long as metatibia.

Abdomen approximately as wide as elytra; punctation dense and moderately fine; interstices without distinct microsculpture and glossy; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: sternite VIII with the usual posterior excision, otherwise unmodified; aedeagus shaped as in Figs 4-5 ; apex of ventral process rounded in ventral view.

E t y m o l o g y: The species is dedicated to Alexey Shavrin, one of the collectors of the holotype.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: In external appearance, A. shavrini somewhat resembles A. latus (ROSENHAUER) from southern Andalucía. It is distinguished from this species by the distinct microsculpture and the different punctation on the head ( A. latus : shallowly areolate), the much more transverse pronotum, the presence of antero-lateral impressions on the pronotum, the even shorter and more transverse elytra, and by the shape of the aedeagus ( A. latus : apex of ventral process concave in ventral view).

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D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: The type locality is situated in Jaén, Andalucía, southern Spain, at an altitude of approximately 2000 m. It seems likely that, like other Eurysunius species, A. shavrini is associated with ants of the genus Tetramorium MAYR ( ASSING 2003b) .

Figures

Figs 1-8: Astenus shavrini nov.sp. (1-5) and Quedius aetolicus KRAATZ, lectotype (6-8): (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) antenna; (4) aedeagus in lateral view; (5) ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view; (6) male sternite VIII; (7) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (8) paramere. Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2-3, 6: 0.5 mm; 4-5, 7-8: 0.2 mm.