Sunius goektepensis, Assing, 2005

Assing, Volker, 2005, On the Turkish species of Sunius. V. New species, additional records, a new synonymy, and an updated key to species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Paederinae)., Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 55 (2), pp. 109-121 : 112-114

Sunius goektepensis sp. n. (Figs. 1-5, Map 3)

Type material:

Holotype 3: TR Mersin (45), Kirobasi-Giizeloluk , E Sanaydin, 1500 m / 36°45'33N, 33°56'36E (45), 7-5.2004, leg. Brachat & Meybohm / Holotypus 3 Sunius goektepensis sp. n. det. V. Assing 2004 (cAss) . Paratype: I <3: TR Mersin (38), road to Giizeloluk , S Aydinlar, 1380 m / 36°44'34N, 34°8E (38), 4.5.2004, leg. Brachat & Meybohm (cAss) .

Small species, 2.5-2.9 mm (abdomen extended). Forebody uniformly ferrugineous, head not darker than pronotum; abdomen (except for the slightly lighter apex) dark brown to blackish brown, distinctly contrasting with the forebody; legs and antennae testaceous.

Head weakly oblong, approximately 1.1 times as long as wide (length measured from anterior margin of clypeus) (Fig. 1); puncturation coarse and well-defined, in central dorsal area sparse, with the interstices usually about 1.5-2.5 times as wide as punctures; in lateral areas rather dense (Fig. 1); microsculpture absent; eyes small, weakly projecting from lateral outline of head, postocular region in dorsal view approximately 2.5-3.0 times as long as eyes (Fig. 1).

Figs. 1-5: Suniusgoektepensis sp. n.: forebody (1); c? sternite VIII (2); aedeagus in lateral view (3, 4); internal structures of aedeagus in lateral view (5). Scale bars: 1: 0.5 mm; 2: 0.2 mm; 3-5: 0.1 mm.

Pronotum approximately 0.9 times as wide as head and 1.1 times as long as wide; microsculpture absent; puncturation variable, usually somewhat denser than that of head (Fig. 1).

Elytra approximately as wide and at suture about 0.75 times as long as pronotum; puncturation somewhat ill-defined (Fig. 1); microsculpture indistinct. Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen about 1.1 times as wide as elytra, widest at segment VI; puncturation very fine and moderately dense; microSculpture very shallow on tergites III-VI, and somewhat more distinct on posterior tergites; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

c?: sternite VII unmodified; sternite VIII with patch of dense pubescence near posterior incision (Fig. 2); aedeagus of similar general morphology as in other species of the S. tuberiventris group, internal sac with a row of semitransparent spines (Figs. 3-5).

Etymology: The name (adj.) is derived from Goktepe Dagi, the name of the mountain range where the type locality is situated.

Comparative notes and systematics:

As can be inferred from the morphology of the male sternite VIII and the general morphology of the aedeagus, S. goektepensis doubtlessly belongs to the S. tuberiventris species group, which, in Turkey, is distributed in the Taurus range from Mugla in the west to Mersin in the east and previously comprised five described species, all of them apparently local endemics (from west to east): S. aculeatus A s s in g, S. brachati A s s in g, S. tuberiventris A s s in g, S. wunderlei A s s in g, and S. balkarensis A s s in g; for a distribution map see A ssin g (in press). A reliable identification of species belonging to this group is possible only based on the male sexual characters. Regarding the shape of the aedeagus, S. goektepensis is most similar to S. balkarensis (type locality: ((lamlryayla), but distinguished from that species by the broader and ventrally straight apex (lateral view) and by the larger spines in the internal sac. From S. tuberiventris and S. wunderlei , it is readily separated by the much shorter and stouter apex of the aedeagus, and from S. brachati and S. aculeatus by the different shape of the aedeagal apex and by the presence of sclerotised spines in the internal sac, from S. aculeatus also by the completely different modifications of the male sternite VIII.

Distribution and bionomics:

The type localities are situated in the Goktepe Dagi, to the northwest of Erdemli in Mersin (Map 3), where the types were found at altitudes of 1380 and 1500 m .