Sunius tricoliensis, Hernando, 2023

Hernando, Carles, 2023, Two new micropterous species of the genus Sunius from Andalusia (Spain) (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 63 (1), pp. 207-212 : 207-209

Sunius tricoliensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–5 )

Type locality. Spain, Andalusia, Granada, Loja,Sierra Gorda,small sinkhole near Pico de Cabras, 37°06′42.64″N 4°09′49.20″W, 1,503 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( MCNB), “ SPAIN, Granada , Loja , Sa Gorda / circa Pico de Cabras, 1503 m / 37º06’42.64’’N 4º09’49.20’’W / Under stones buried deep in the soil / 18.IV.2022, C. Hernando leg.”, plus red holotype label . PARATYPES: 4 JJ 5 ♀♀ ( CHCB), same data as holotype, plus red paratype labels.

Description. Male. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Body length: 3.1–3.5 mm.

Colouration. Forebody uniformly reddish brown ( Fig. 2 ); abdomen dark brown; legs and antennae yellowish brown.

Head slightly longer than wide (0.41/ 0.39 mm), distinctly dilated posteriorly; with coarse, sparse punctation; lacking microsculpture; length of eyes less than half of length of postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 2 ). Length of antennae: 0.8 mm.

Pronotum as long as head and slightly narrower than head (0.36 mm), slightly oblong, evenly narrowing posteriad, with posterior margin narrower than anterior one; punctation less impressed than that of head, but denser ( Fig. 2 ); lacking microsculpture.

Elytra as wide (0.35 mm) and distinctly shorter than pronotum (0.37 mm); punctation somewhat finer than pronotum, dense and weakly defined, surface between punctures somewhat rugose. Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen about 1.1 times as wide as elytra, widest at segment VI; punctation fine and moderately dense; surface with shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe. Sternite VII with weakly concave posterior margin, pubescence unmodified; sternite VIII with broad U-shaped incision at its posterior margin ( Fig. 3 ).

Aedeagus ( Figs 4–5 ) with ventral process distinctly longer than basal part of aedeagus; endophallus with small series of stout sclerotized spines on basal lobe ( Fig. 4 ) in lateral view, with two internal preapical structures with falciform apices ( Fig. 5 ) in ventral view.

Female. General appearance as male, except for unmodified sternite VIII.

Differential diagnosis. Using the key of ASSINǤ (2011), this species would key out at couplet 85 together with the Betic-Rifean species with spines on the endophallus; however, it is easily separated from all of them by a very small and poorly developed group of spines ( Fig. 4 ). Based on the general shape of the aedeagus, S. tricoliensis sp. nov., is quite similar to S. nevadensis (Coiffait, 1980) and S. tronqueti Assing, 2008 , both from Sierra Nevada, from which it is distinguished by the different shape of the aedeagus and the structures of the endophallus. For illustrations of S. nevadensis and S. tronqueti see ASSINǤ (2008a, b). Although apparently not closely related, it differs from the sympatric species described below, which lives at lower altitudes, in having smaller eyes, pronotum with the posterior margin clearly narrower than the anterior one, and in a very different shape of the aedeagus ( Figs 4–5 , 9–10 ). Etymology. In reference to Tricolia, the name given to the city of Loja in Roman times due to its settlement on three hills, in whose municipal district the type locality lies; the name is an adjective.

Distribution and bionomics. The known distribution is limited to the high plateaus near Pico de Cabras, the second-highest altitude in the Sierra Gorda de Loja. Type specimens were collected under stones buried deep in the soil in a doline with herbaceous vegetation and tufts of Asphodelus sp. , at an altitude above 1,500 m ( Fig. 11 ), together with Geostiba (Trachyglutosipalia) baetica Pace, 1983 , Scydmaenus sp. (both Staphylinidae ), and the endogean ant Stigmatomma gaetulicum (Baroni Urbani, 1978) .

Figures

Figs 1–5.Sunius tricoliensis sp. nov.J. 1– habitus in dorsal view; 2 – forebody; 3 – sternite VIII; 4 – aedeagus in lateral view; 5 – aedeagus in ventral view.

Figs 6 –10.Sunius lauxaensis sp. nov.,J. 6 – habitus in dorsal view; 7 – forebody;8 –sternite VIII; 9 – aedeagus in lateral view; 10 – aedeagus in ventral view.

Figs 11–12. Habitat of Sunius in Sierra Gorda de Loja. 11 – type locality of Sunius tricoliensis sp. nov.; 12 – type locality of Sunius lauxaensis sp. nov.