Tychus sellarius Kurbatov, 2012

Sabella, Giorgio, Brachat, Volker & Kurbatov, Serguei A, 2012, New species of Tychus from Greece and Turkey (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 119 (2), pp. 195-214 : 206-208

Tychus sellarius Kurbatov sp. n. Figs 9-10, 21-22

HOLOTYPE: MHNG, 3; Turkey, Aydin Prov., N Aydin, Pasayaylasi , 1.460 m, 37°56’ 47’’N 27°53’53’’E; 20.04.2006; H. Meybohm & V. Brachat.

PARATYPE: MHNG, 1♀; Turkey, Aydin Prov., same data as holotype; H. Meybohm & V. Brachat.

FIGS 23-25

Genital plates of Tychus . (23) T. triumphator , paratype from Labou Mili (Lesbos Island). (24) T. nothus , paratype from Kadirli (Kahramanmaras,). (25) T. moecha , paratype from Lepetimnos (Lesbos Island). Scale bar 0.1 mm.

DESCRIPTION: Length 1.60 mm. Apterous. Body reddish brown with abdomen darker, legs yellowish and palpi yellow in male, uniformly yellowish brown with palpi yellow in female.

Head slightly longer (0.285-0. 300 mm) than wide (0.275 mm), frontal rostrum 0.175 mm wide and 0.075 mm long. Apical segment of maxillary palpi 0.200- 0.210 mm long and 0.075 mm wide.

Pronotum slightly longer (0.340 mm) than wide (0.325 mm) in male, as wide as long (0.340 mm) in female, with lateral antebasal foveae in shallow impressions.

Elytra wider (0.575-0. 600 mm) than long (0.450-0.460 mm) with humeri not protruding. Discal fovea joined to discal stria, latter reaching more than elytral midlength.

Abdomen with first tergite 0. 200 mm long, basal impression extending on more than 1/3 of tergal width.

Male: Occipital region of head more convex than in female, eyes large (18 facets), antennae (Fig. 9) 1 mm long, club 0.390 mm long; scape and antennomeres II-V distinctly longer than wide; VI slightly longer than wide, VII longer and wider than VI and distinctly longer than wide, VIII strongly transverse. Posterior margin of mesotrochanters extended into small median spines, mesotibiae and metatibiae each with small apical spurs. Aedeagus as in Figs 21-22, 0.240 mm long.

Female: Eyes poorly developed (8 facets); antennae (Fig. 10) 1 mm long with club 0.390 mm long, similar to that of male.

COMMENTS: Based on external features (especially the antennal shape and the male secondary sexual characters) Tychus sellarius sp. n. resembles species of the Tychus lederi group ( Sabella & Kurbatov, 2002). It is however unique by the peculiar shape of the dorsal apophysis of the aedeagal median lobe, with mesal margin prolonged to form two long spine-like processes extended medially. As we hold the assignment of T. sellarius sp. n. to this group as questionable, we prefer to leave it incerta sedis.