Quedius (Microsaurus) bucharensis Bernhauer, 1918

Salnitska, Maria & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2018, Revision of the Quedius fauna of Middle Asia (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 65 (2), pp. 117-159 : 127

Quedius (Microsaurus) bucharensis Bernhauer, 1918

Quedius bucharensis Bernhauer, 1918, 93 (original description); Gridelli 1924, 56 (characters, distribution); Scheerpeltz 1933, 1435 (catalog); Coiffait 1978, 186 (external characters).

Type material examined.

Syntypes: Tajikistan: 1 ♂, "Mts. Karateghin Balfdschuan 924 m. F. Hauser 1898 [printed]/ bucharicus Bern. det. Bernh. det. Bernh. [handwritten]/ bucharensis Bernh. Typus [handwritten]/ Chicago NHmus M. Bernhauer Collection [printed] ’’; 1 ♀, "Buchara Handiger [handwritten]/ ochripennis Asia centr. Handiger [handwritten]/ bucharensis Bernh. Cotypus [handwritten]/ bucharensis Bernh. [handwritten]/ Chicago NHmus M. Bernhauer Collection [printed] ’’ (FMNH); Turkmenistan: 1 ♀, "♀/ Pers. Kopet-Dagh. Siaret 1160 m 5.99. Coll. Hauser [printed]/ Quedius persicus Brh. [handwritten]/ solskyi Luze [handwritten]/ ex. coll. Moczarski [printed]/ ex. coll. Scheerpeltz [printed] ’’; 1 ♀, "♀/ Pers. Kopet-Dagh. Siaret 1160 m 6.99. Coll. Hauser [printed]/ solskyi? [sic!] Luze [handwritten]/ ex. coll. Moczarski [printed]/ ex. coll. Scheerpeltz [printed] ’’ (NMW).

Comments on taxonomy.

Quedius bucharensis was described from an unspecified number of specimens of both sexes coming from localities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan indicated as "Karateghingebirge (Baldschuan, 924 m, Hauser), Buchara (ohne nähere Fundortangabe, Bang-Haas) und Persien (Kopet-Dagh, Siaret, 1160 m, V. 1899, Hauser) ’’ ( Bernhauer 1918).

We have examined one male and one female from the FMNH which are clearly syntypes of Q. bucharensis . Of them, a male specimen was earlier dissected and its aedeagus must have been glued on the card point beside the specimen, but was obviously lost. Since there were no publications with the structure of Q. bucharensis aedeagus, the identity of this species remains ambiguous. An additional two females from NHMW with the same locality labels as in the original description but without Bernhauer’s handwritten type labels, seem conspecific with both mentioned syntypes even though they are somewhat smaller than the latter. Their earlier identifications as Q. solskyi , evident from the labels, are wrong because of the following characters: chaetotaxy of head with posterior frontal puncture closer to posterior margin of eye than to nuchal ridge, larger eyes, head longer than wide and as long and as wide as elytra.

The material used by Bernhauer (1918) in the original description of Q. bucharensis comes from localities rather remote from each other. Given that and the body size variation among the examined specimens from different localities, it is possible that they are not conspecific. On the other hand, significant intraspecific variability in body size and proportions is usual in some Microsaurus species. More extensive material including males is needed to clarify the case.