Paratyphlus espunae, Assing, 2007

Assing, V., 2007, Four new species and additional records of Staphylinidae from Spain (Insecta: Coleoptera), Linzer biologische Beiträge 39 (2), pp. 761-775 : 764-765

Paratyphlus espunae nov.sp. ( Figs 1-10 )

H o l o t y p e: E - Murcia [12], Sierra de Espuña, Prado Mayor , pasture, 1100 m, 37°53'18N, 01°34'04E, 29.III.2007, C. Andújar / Holotypus Paratyphlus espunae sp.n. det. V. Assing 2007 (cAss). P a r a t y p e s:7, 7, 6 exs.: same data as holotype ( OÖLL, cAnd, cAss) ; 1: E - Murcia [13], Sierra de Espuña, Prado Mayor , pasture, 1140 m, 37°53'11N, 01°33'53E, 29.III.2007, C. Andújar (cAss) .

D e s c r i p t i o n: 1.0- 1.3 mm (abdomen extended); habitus and forebody as in Figs 1-2 .

: sternite VII with shallow median impression in posterior half; tergite VII weakly transverse and with truncate posterior margin ( Fig. 3 ); sternite VIII with rather extensive impunctate median impression, posterior margin with excision of broadly triangular shape ( Fig. 4 ); aedeagus as in Figs 5-7 .

: tergite VIII oblong and with weakly concave posterior margin ( Fig. 8 ); sternite VIII oblong, its posterior margin acutely angled in the middle ( Fig. 9 ).

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The genus Paratyphlus BLACKWELDER 1952 is distributed in the Iberian Peninsula (including the Baleares) and North Africa from Morocco to Tunisia; it currently includes 29 species ( COIFFAIT 1959, 1972; HERNANDO & FANCELLO 2004; SMETANA 2004). 13 species have been recorded from mainland Spain. The geographically closest representatives of the genus are P. mateui COIFFAIT 1955 (Malaga) and P. morandi COIFFAIT 1957 (Alicante) . Species of Paratyphlus can be distinguished only based on the male primary sexual characters, which is why the external morphology of P. espunae is not explicitly described above, apart from the secondary sexual characters. For illustrations of the aedeagi of other Paratyphlus species see COIFFAIT (1959, 1972) and HERNANDO & FANCELLO (2004).

765

E t y m o l o g y: The name (noun, genitive) is derived from the mountain range where the type locality is situated.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: As can be inferred from the restricted distributions of the vast majority of leptotyphlines, P. espunae is probably endemic to the Sierra de Espuña, where the types were collected in a pasture by washing sandy soil between stones and grass roots ( Fig. 10 ) at altitudes of 1100 and 1140 m, together with Meotica andujari nov.sp (see below).

Figures

Figs 1-9: Paratyphlus espunae nov.sp.: (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) male tergite VIII; (4) male sternite VIII; (5-7) aedeagus in lateral view; (8) female tergite VIII; (9) female sternite VIII. Scale bars: 1-2: 0.2 mm; 3-9: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 10: Type locality of Paratyphlus espunae nov.sp.