Astenus nigromaculatus (MOTSCHULSKY, 1858)

Assing, V., 2014, On the Staphylinidae of Israel II, with a revision of some species of Dinusa SAULCY (Insecta: Coleoptera), Linzer biologische Beiträge 46 (2), pp. 1179-1210 : 1182-1183

Astenus nigromaculatus (MOTSCHULSKY, 1858)

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Israel: 1, Ma'agar Yeroham, 450 m, pitfall, 30°59'N, 34°54'E, 14.III.2011, leg. Drees (cAss).

C o m m e n t: According to SMETANA (2004), this species is widespread in the Mediterranean region, but was previously unknown from Israel.

Astenus (Eurysunius) platynotus (SAULCY, 1865) ( Figs 1-9 ) Sunius platynotus SAULCY, 1865b: 653 . T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d Neotype, present designation: " Jerusalem Pal. P. Nadar / platynotus Saulcy / Neotypus Sunius platynotus Saulcy , desig. V. Assing 2014 / Astenus platynotus (Saulcy) , det. V. Assing 2014" ( MNHNP). A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: West Bank: 3, same data as neotype

(MNHNP). Israel: 1, N-Golan, Mount Hermon Reserve, 1100-1400 m, 16.IV.1987, leg. Heinz

(cAss).

C o m m e n t: The original description of A. platynotus is based on "Un seul mâle, trouvé a Naplouse [= Nablus]" ( SAULCY 1865b). According to the curator in charge at the MNHNP, where the Saulcy collection is housed ( HORN et al. 1990), a careful search for the holotype proved unsuccessful; it yielded only four non-type specimens in the Jarrige collection (TAGHAVIAN e-mail 27 May, 2014). Thus, like many other types of species described by Saulcy, the holotype of A. platynotus is most likely lost. This species belongs to a group of very similar, possibly myrmecophilous species, at least three of which are represented in Israel. In the interest of the stability of nomenclature, therefore, one of the four males from Nablus in the Jarrige collection is designated as the neotype. The specimen is in agreement with the original description and was collected only some 50 km from the original type locality of A. platynotus .

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 3.6-4.8 mm; length of forebody 2.0- 2.5 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Coloration: body black, with the posterior margins of the elytra occasionally indistinctly and narrowly paler; legs dark-yellowish; antennae reddish.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) 1.15-1.20 times as broad as long; posterior margin strongly concave; punctation shallow, very dense, and umbilicate; interstices reduced to narrow ridges. Eyes approximately as long as postocular region. Antenna ( Fig. 3 ) 1.1-1.2 mm long; antennomeres IV-X of distinctly conical shape and very weakly oblong.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) approximately as broad as long and 0.9 times as broad as head, laterally or antero-laterally usually with a very shallow impression on either side; lateral margins straight to weakly convex in dorsal view, distinctly converging posteriad; anterior and posterior angles each with a long black seta (often broken off) of approximately half the length of lateral margin; posterior margin convexly produced in the middle; punctation similar to that of head.

Elytra ( Fig. 2 ) 0.62-0.66 times as long as pronotum; humeral angles moderately marked; punctation distinctly granulose; interstices glossy. Hind wings completely reduced.

Abdomen 1.00-1.10 times as broad as elytra; punctation very dense on anterior tergites, gradually decreasing in density from tergite III to tergite VIII, moderately dense on tergites VII and VIII; posterior margin of tergite VII with narrow rudiment of a palisade fringe.

: sternite VIII shaped as in Fig. 4 ; aedeagus approximately 0.7 mm long, shaped as in

Figs 5-9.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y The confirmed distribution is confined to Israel and West Bank. The species has been reported also from Lebanon ( SMETANA 2004), but this record requires revision. The external morphology (broad body; short antennae) suggests that A. platynotus may be associated with ants of the genus Tetramorium MAYR, 1855.

Figures

Figs 1-9: Astenus platynotus (SAULCY) (1-6: neotype; 7-9: male from Mt. Hermon): (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) antenna; (4) male sternite VIII; (5, 8) aedeagus in lateral view; (6, 9) apical portion of aedeagus in ventral view; (7) apical portion of aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 1-2: 1.0 mm; 3- 6, 8-9: 0.2 mm; 7: 0.1 mm.