Orsunius cuneatus, Assing, 2014

Assing, V., 2014, On Orsunius II. Eight new species and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Medonina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 46 (1), pp. 461-479 : 474

Orsunius cuneatus nov.sp.

( Figs 36-39 , 44-46 , Map 2 )

Type material Holotype: " Laos-C, Khammouan pr., Ban Khoun Ngeun, ~ 200 m, 18°07'N 104°29'E, Pacholátko leg., 24.-29.iv.2001 / Holotypus Orsunius cuneatus sp.n. det. V. Assing 2013" ( NHMB) . Paratypes: 6, 12: same data as holotype ( NHMB, cAss).

Etymology: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective: wedge-shaped) refers to the shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus in ventral view.

Description: External characters ( Figs 36-37 ) as in O. granulosus .

: sternite VII ( Fig. 44 ) of similar shape as in O. granulosus ; sternite VIII ( Fig. 45 ) distinctly oblong and with distinct posterior excision of nearly semi-circular shape ( Fig. 46 ); aedeagus ( Figs 38-39 ) small, approximately 0.35 mm long; ventral process of acutely triangular shape in ventral view; internal sac with a pair of distinctly sclerotized apical structures and with a pair of short, weakly sclerotized basal structures.

Comparative notes: As can be inferred from the practically identical external characters, including the similarly derived punctation of the forebody, as well as from the similarly derived morphology of the aedeagus, O. cuneatus is closely related to O. granulosus , from which it differs by the shape of the posterior excision of the male sternite VIII, by the acutely triangular shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus, and by the shapes of the internal structures of the aedeagus.

Distribution and natural history: The type locality is situated in Central Laos ( Map 2 ) at an altitude of approximately 200 m.

Figures

Map 2: Distributions of Orsunius gladiator (white and black circles), O. latexcisus (black circle), O. flavovirgatus (black circle), O. heissi (black star), O. stimulans (black and grey triangles), O. granulosus (white and grey triangles), O. cuneatus (white diamond), and O. spathulatus (black square).

Figs 36-43: Orsunius cuneatus nov.sp. (36-39) and O. heissi nov.sp. (40-43): (36, 40) habitus; (37, 41) forebody; (38, 42) aedeagus in lateral view; (39, 43) aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 36- 37, 40-41: 1.0 mm; 38-39, 42-43: 0.2 mm.

Figs 44-48: Orsunius cuneatus nov.sp. (44-46) and O. heissi nov.sp. (47-48): (44) male sternite VII; (45, 47) male sternite VIII; (46, 48) posterior portion of male sternite VIII. Scale bars: 44-45, 47: 0.2 mm; 46, 48: 0.1 mm.