Sunius sultanicus, Assing, 2011

Assing, V., 2011, A revision of Palaearctic Sunius XIV. Three new species from Turkey and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (2), pp. 1159-1168 : 1162-1163

Sunius sultanicus nov.sp. ( Figs 1-7 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: "TR [2a] - Isparta, Sultan Dağları, SSW Akşehir, 38°15'15''N, 31°24'30''E, 1860 m, under stones, 22.IV.2011, V. Assing / Holotypus Sunius sultanicus sp.n. det. V. Assing 2011" (cAss) . Paratypes: 54, 89: same data as holotype (cAss, MNHUB, OÖLL) ; 79 exs.: same data, but leg. Wunderle (cWun, MNHUB) ; 2, 6: same data as holotype, but "[2] ... 17.IV.2011 " (cAss) ; 5 exs.: same data, but leg. Wunderle (cWun) ; 1: "N38°15'22 31°24'05 (19), TR Konya; Sultan Dağ; s Cankurtaran ; 1800 m; 17.IV.2008, leg. Meybohm & Brachat " (cAss) .

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 2.8-3.3 mm. Coloration: head reddish to dark-brown; pronotum reddish to reddish-brown; elytra reddish; abdomen dark-brown; legs and antennae reddish-yellow.

Head approximately as wide as long or weakly oblong ( Fig. 1 ); punctation coarse and moderately dense to moderately sparse, somewhat sparser in median dorsal portion; interstices without microsculpture. Eyes rather small, approximately 1/3 the length of postocular region in dorsal view.

Pronotum weakly oblong, approximately 1.05 times as long as wide and slightly narrower than head ( Fig. 1 ); punctation dense and coarse; midline broadly impunctate.

Elytra short and narrow, approximately 0.75 times as long as pronotum; humeral angles weakly marked ( Fig. 1 ); punctation dense, rather fine, and weakly defined; interstices without distinct microsculpture. Hind wings completely reduced.

Abdomen broader than elytra; punctation fine and moderately dense; interstices with microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: sternite VII without modified pubescence, posterior margin very weakly concave in the middle ( Fig. 2 ); sternite VIII without modified pubescence and without tubercle, posterior incision small and not very deep ( Fig. 3 ); aedeagus approximately 0.45 mm long, weakly sclerotized, ventral process very slender and acute especially in lateral view, internal sac without sclerotized spines ( Figs 4-6 ).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from the name of the mountain range where the type locality is situated.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: In the key to the Sunius species of the Palaearctic region in ASSING (2011a), S. sultanicus would key out at couplet 67. In order to account for the new species, the key is modified as follows:

67: aedeagus subapically not dentate. Species from southwestern Anatolia.................... 67a

-: aedeagus subapically dentate (best visible in lateral view). Species from western and central southern Anatolia............................................................................................68

67a: aedeagus more strongly sclerotised, with much stouter and relatively short ventral process, its apex apically convex in ventral view ( ASSING 2005: figures 23-25). Southwest of Antalya province: Dumanlı Dağı................................ S. dumanlianus ASSING

-: aedeagus weakly sclerotised, with slender and apically acute (ventral and lateral view) ventral process ( Figs 4-6 ). Isparta / Konya: Sultan Dağları ......... S. sultanicus nov.sp.

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: Thetypelocalityissituatedin the Sultan Dağları , to the south of Akşehir, at the border between Isparta and Konya provinces, southwestern Anatolia. The type specimens were collected in a subalpine stony pasture at an altitude of approximately 1860 m ( Fig. 7 ) ; for a close-up of the habitat see figure 8 in ASSING (2011b). They were found in large numbers under stones, partly near snow, together with numerous specimens of an undescribed species of Geostiba THOMSON.

Figures

Figs 1-6: Sunius sultanicus nov.sp.: (1) forebody; (2) male sternite VII; (3) male sternite VIII; (4-5) aedeagus in lateral view; (6) apical portion of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 1: 0.5 mm; 2-6: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 7: Type locality of Sunius sultanicus nov.sp. (photo: P. Wunderle).