Alevonota (Alevonota) hierroensis, Wunderle, 2008

Wunderle, Volker Assing Paul, 2008, On the Alevonota species of the Western Palaearctic region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Athetini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 58 (5), pp. 145-189 : 171-172

Alevonota (Alevonota) hierroensis sp. n. ( Figs 69-73 )

Type material:

Holotype : “Hierro, 22-II-2006, Cueva Longueras, P. Oromí / Holotypus  Alevonota hierroensis sp. n. det. V. Assing 2008” ( DZUL) . Paratype  [teneral]: same data as holotype (cAss).

Description:

2.0- 2.2 mm; RL: 1.1-1.2 mm. Coloration of whole body pale yellowish. Habitus as in Fig. 69 .

Head distinctly oblong, HL/HW: 1.2; puncturation extremely fine and sparse, barely visible; microsculpture very shallow, integument glossy ( Fig. 70 ). Eyes reduced to minute, barely visible rudiments without ommatidia and pigmentation. Antenna rather long and slender, reaching posterior margin of elytra when directed caudad; antennomere IV approximately as long as wide;

V weakly transverse; V-X gradually and weakly increasing in width; X less than 1.5 times as wide as long ( Fig. 71 ).

Pronotum approximately as wide as long and 1.2 times as wide as head, widest in anterior half, distinctly narrowed caudad; posterior angles weakly marked; puncturation extremely fine, barely visible; microsculpture slightly more distinct than that of head ( Fig. 70 ).

Elytra approximately 0.80-0.85 times as long as pronotum; puncturation fine, but more distinct than that of pronotum; microsculpture slightly more pronounced than that of pronotum. Hind wings completely reduced. Metatarsomere I approximately as long as II or slightly longer.

Abdomen distinctly broader than forebody, approximately 1.3 times as wide as pronotum, widest at segments V/VI; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: posterior margin of tergite VIII broadly and distinctly concave, that of sternite VIII strongly convex; median lobe of aedeagus with ventral process distinctly curved in lateral view ( Fig. 72 ); ML: 0.35 mm.

: posterior margin of tergite VIII very weakly concave, almost truncate; posterior margin of sternite VIII weakly convex; spermatheca with moderately enlarged capsule and with short, apically truncate duct ( Fig. 73 ).

Etymology: The name (Latin, adjective) is derived from the name of the island, where the type locality is situated.

Distribution and bionomics:

Alevonota hierroensis is doubtlessly endemic to the Canarian island El Hierro, where it is the only known representative of the genus. As can be inferred from the adaptive reductions of the eyes, the pigmentation, and the wings, as well as from its habitus (moderately slender body with moderately long appendages), the species is probably microcavernicolous. The type specimens were collected with pitfall traps in a cave in February. The male paratype is teneral.

Figures

Figs 64-73: Alevonota vitalei (BERNHAUER) (64-68) and A. hierroensis sp. n. (69-73): forebody of specimen from Israel (64); head of lectotype in lateral view (65); median lobe of aedeagus of lectotype in lateral view (66); spermathecae of females from Israel (67-68); habitus of holotype (69); head and pronotum of holotype (70); antenna of paratype (71); median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view (teneral and somewhat deformed) (72); spermatheca of holotype (73). Scale bars: 64, 69-70: 0.5 mm; 65, 71: 0.2 mm; 66-68, 72-73: 0.1 mm.