Xantholinus (Typhlolinus) minos, Assing, 2008

Assing, V., 2008, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Paederinae and Xantholinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1237-1294 : 1280-1284

Xantholinus (Typhlolinus) minos nov.sp. ( Figs 65-66 , 69-73 ; Map 2)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: " Kreta: Umg. Kalives , 70-340 m, 12.-26.V.2008, leg. R. & I. Schimmel / Holotypus Xantholinus minos sp. n. det. V. Assing 2008" (cAss) . Paratypes: 2: same data as holotype (cAss) ; 1, 2: "GR: Crete [10], Rethymn.: beach near Dramia , 35°21'03N, 24°20'26E, 22.X.2006, M. Schülke " (cSch, cAss) ; 1: "GR: Crete [2], Rethymn.: ca. 1.5 km S Kanevos, Kotsifos cleft, 440 m, 35°13'36N, 24°24'00E, 20.X.2006, M. Schülke " (cSch) ; 1, 1: " Kreta / Chania, Kavallos , 3.6.1981, leg. Mühle " (cAss) ; 1: " Kreta: Fassatal , W Chliaro, 23°53', 35°24' / 18.-29.5.77, Malicky [overleaf]" (cAss) ; 2: "28.3.73, Ost-Kreta, Zakros , Tal d. Toten, DrFülscher Meybohm" (cAss) ; 1: " Kreta: Plakias , 23.3.1988, leg. Winkelmann-Klöck " (cSch) ; 1: " Kreta: Südküste, Plakias , 2.- 16.4.1993, leg. Winkelmann-Klöck " (cSch) ; 2: "GR - W-Kreta, IV.1997, Rethimnon, Dramia, Mouselas-Ufer, leg. B. Feldmann " (cFel, cAss) ; 1: " Creta, Anogya , 2/13.5.95" (cZan) ; 1: " Candia [?], leg. Holtz " ( NHMW) .

D e s c r i p t i o n: External morphology as in X. graecus and X. varnensis ; distinguished only by the male sexual characters.

: posterior margin of tergite VIII usually weakly undulate and weakly to distinctly concave, sometimes almost truncate ( Fig. 71 ); sternite VIII ( Fig. 72 ) approximately 1.1 times as wide (at anterior margin) as long (along the middle); aedeagus 0.9-1.0 mm long, with 1 rather stout and basally moderately dilated sub-distal spine (best seen in ventral aspect), a series of approximately 8 rather long, pale brownish to yellowish sub-proximal spines, and a cluster of short blackish proximal spines ( Figs 65-66 , 69-70 , 73 ).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet alludes to Minos, son of Zeus, the legendary ruler of Crete.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: From the two similar and, based on the synapomorphically derived morphology of the aedeagus and of the male tergite and sternite VIII, closely related X. graecus and X. varnensis , the new species is separated as follows:

from X. graecus by the slightly less transverse male sternite VIII (in X. graecus approximately 1.15 times as wide as long), by the - on average - less distinctly concave posterior margin of the male tergite VIII, by the larger aedeagus (no overlap), and by the internal structures of the aedeagus (stouter and less broad-based sub-distal spine, series of distinctly longer sub-proximal spines);

from X. varnensis by the transverse male sternite VIII (in X. varnensis oblong), by the - on average - less distinctly concave posterior margin of the male tergite VIII, the smaller aedeagus (no overlap), and by the internal structures of the aedeagus (presence of only one sub-distal spine; much longer and more numerous sub-proximal spines, cluster of proximal spines of different shape).

From the sympatric X. creticus of the subgenus Xantholinus , X. minos is distinguished by larger body size, darker average coloration, the modified male tergite and sternite VIII, and by the completely different internal structures of the aedeagus. For illustrations of the sexual characters of X. creticus see ASSING (2006b).

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: Xantholinus minos is evidently endemic to Crete, where it appears to be widespread and not uncommon (Map 2). The type material was collected in leaf litter, on a river bank, and on a beach at altitudes of 0- 440 m in March-June, and October.

Z o o g e o g r a p h i c c o n c l u s i o n s: Thedistributionofthisspecies,aswell as that of the other species of the X. graecus group underline yet again that

• the fauna of Crete is characterised by a high proportion of endemics;

• the fauna of Crete is zoogeographically distinct from that of mainland Greece (including the Pelopónnisos), southwestern Anatolia, and the neighbouring Aegean islands (Karpathos, Rhodos);

• the fauna of Karpathos and Rhodos is more related to that of southwestern Anatolia than to that of mainland Greece and Crete;

• the fauna of Crete is probably more related to that of the Pelopónnisos than to that of the Aegean islands.

Additional evidence supporting these conclusions is provided by the distribution patterns of numerous other staphylinid taxa, e. g. Boreaphilus SAHLBERG , Medon STEPHENS, Leptobium CASEY, Pronomaea ERICHSON, Alevonota THOMSON, Geostiba THOMSON, and Tectusa BERNHAUER.

Figures

Figs 60-66: Xantholinus graecus KRAATZ (60-62), X. varnensis COIFFAIT (63-64), and X. minos nov.sp. (65-66): aedeagus in dorsal or in ventral view of lectotype (60), paratypes (65-66), and males from Mersin (61), Pelopónnisos (62), Muğla (63), and Karpathos (64). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figs 67-70: Xantholinus graecus KRAATZ (67), X. varnensis COIFFAIT (68), and X. minos nov.sp. (69-70): internal structures of aedeagus in squeeze preparation. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figs 71-73: Xantholinus minos nov.sp.: male tergite VIII (71), male sternite VIII (72), and proximal part of aedeagus in dorsal view (73). Scale bars: 71-72: 0.5 mm; 73: 0.2 mm.