Leptotyphlus minator, Fancello & Hernando & Leo, 2009

Fancello, Luca, Hernando, Carles & Leo, Piero, 2009, The endogean beetle fauna of the Marganai-Oridda-Valle del Leni area (SW Sardinia), with description of seven new species of Staphylinidae Leptotyphlinae (Coleoptera) *, Zootaxa 2318, pp. 317-338 : 327-328

Leptotyphlus minator sp. nov.

( Figs 17, 24–26)

Diagnosis. A Leptotyphlus of large size, with robust punctuation and microreticulation, close to L. solarii Coiffait, 1957 , but strongly differing from the latter in the shape of the male and female genitalia.

Type locality. SW Sardinia, Carbonia-Iglesias prov., Iglesias, Nebida .

Type series. Holotype ♂: “SW Sardinia, Iglesias (Carbonia-Iglesias), Nebida , 25.I. 1987, 120 m, leg. L. Fancello & P. Leo ” ( MSNG) . Paratypes: Carbonia ( Carbonia-Iglesias prov. ), Monte Sirai , 120 m, 22.XII.1990, leg. L. Fancello & P. Leo, 1 ♂ ( CLF-PL). Domusnovas (Carbonia-Iglesias prov.), Gutturu di Monte Nieddu, 290 m, 1.X.1985, leg. L. Fancello & P. Leo, 2 ♂♂ and 2 ♀ (1 ♂ and 2 ♀ CLF-PL, 1 ♂ CNBFVR) . Fluminimaggiore ( Carbonia-Iglesias prov. ), near grotta Su Mannau, 200 m, 19.III.1989, leg. P. Leo, 1 ♂ ( CLF-PL). Narcao (Carbonia-Iglesias prov.), 310 m, 5.I.1990, leg. L. Fancello & P. Leo, 1 ♀ (CLF- PL) . Iglesias ( Carbonia-Iglesias ), Nebida , 25.I. 1987, 120 m, leg. L. Fancello & P. Leo 1 ♂ ( CLF-PL). Villacidro (Medio Campidano prov.), paese [= in town], 260 m, 27.IV.1986, leg. P. Leo, 1 ♀ ( CLF-PL). Villacidro (Medio Campidano prov.), San Sisinnio, 250 m, 15.III.1987, leg. P. Leo, 1 ♀ ( CLF-PL) .

Description. Total length 1.35–1.50 mm. Body robust, of reddish colour, slightly shiny, with obvious microreticulation throughout. Head large, wider than pronotum distally, slightly rounded at sides, with frontal carinas slightly diverging posteriorly; punctuation strong and deep; labrum bifid ( Fig. 25); mandibles ( Fig. 26) with a few indistinct small teeth between retinaculum and premolar tooth; antennae somewhat elongated, much longer than head. Pronotum about as wide as long, with two longitudinal grooves from base of pronotum to anterior ¼; punctuation large, as on head. Elytra with sparse, robust punctuation, less strong than on head and pronotum. First five abdominal segments slightly flattened on disc. Aedeagus as in Fig. 17, lying to the left of abdomen and with a strongly developed basal bulb carrying an obvious chitinized nodule on upper surface; sternal lamina in lateral view strongly arched upwards. Female genital armature weakly chitinized, structured as in Fig. 24.

Observations. Leptotyphlus solarii (described from Aritzo, central Sardinia) is the only species that show some affinity with Leptotyphlus minator sp. nov.: this species, ascribed by Coiffait (1972) and Pace (1996) to subgenus Subhesperotyphlus Coiffait, 1972 , can be easily distinguished by its smaller size and the shape of the male copulatory organ and female genital armature (cf. Coiffait 1972: fig. 172; Pace 1996, fig. 176).

Ecological notes. The new species, relatively widespread but always rare in the study area, was found in soil samples taken from a wide range of habitats: Mediterranean maquis with Pistacia lentiscus dominance, Quercus ilex woodland, degraded areas at the base of Ficus carica and Olea europaea trees. The sampling localities are situated on a range of soil types: Palaeozoic granites, limestones and argilloschists, and Cenozoic basaltic trachytes. The following endogean beetles were collected in association with the new species: Bathysciola damryi (Leiodidae) , Eudesis aglena , Mayetia sp. , Entomoculia carbonaria sp. nov., E. shardana sp. nov., Leptotyphlus villacidrinus sp. nov. ( Staphylinidae ), Torneuma sp. (Curculionidae) , Alaocyba carinulata , Raymondiellus sardous sardous (Raymondionymidae) .

Etymology. Named after the mining activities which took place across the centuries in the area of occurrence of the new species.