Quedius (Raphirus) iridicolor, QUEDENFELDT, 1882

Assing, Volker, 2019, On the taxonomy oI some West Palaearctic Quedius species, with descriptions oI new species and new synonymies (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 51 (1), pp. 189-201 : 190-193

Quedius (Raphirus) iridicolor QUEDENFELDT, 1882 ( Figs 1-7 , Map 1 )

Quedius iridicolor QUEDENFELDT, 1882: 181 . Quedius duplex FAUVEL, 1886: 68 f. Quedius (Sauridus) iridicolor : COIFFAIT (1978). Quedius (Sauridus) iridicolor : HERMAN (2001). Quedius (Microsaurus) iridicolor : SMETANA (2004). Quedius (Microsaurus) iridicolor : SCHÜLKE & SMETANA (2015). T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holotype ♀: ̎ Tetuan / iridicolor / Type / 67191 / Quedius iridicolor Quedf. / Hist .- Coll . ( Coleoptera ), Nr. 67191, Quedius iridicolor Quedf. *, Tetuan , Coll. Quedenfeldt , Coll. Richter , A. Bau V., Zool. Mus. Berlin / HOLOTYPE Quedius iridicolor Quedenfeldt, 1882 , labelled by MFNB 2019 / Quedius iridolor Quedenfeldt , det. V. Assing 2019̎ ( MNB). A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Morocco: 1♁, 2♀♀, Ar Rif, road

Chefchaouen - Ksal el Kebr, 35°05'N, 5°25'W, 680 m, 3-7.VI.2007, leg. Hlaváč (cAss); 1♁,

Chefchaouen env., 35°12'N, 5°19'W, 270 m, 3.VI.2007, leg. Hlaváč (cAss); 1 ex. [apex of

abdomen missing], W Tetuan, El Fendek, 350 m, pitfall trap, XI-XII.1985, leg. Heinz (MNB).

Spain: 1♁, Andalucía, Jaén, Hornos , Sima del Campamento , 11.VIII.2012, leg. G.E.V. (cAss); 1♁, Andalucía, Jaén, Hornos, Sima de la Tuberia , 23.X.2011, leg. G.E. V. (cAss). 1♁, 1♀, Andalucía, Cádiz , 15 km NE Ubrique, 36°45'N, 5°27'W, 770 m, calcareous oak forest, 28.XII.2009, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1♀, Andalucía, Cádiz, Ronda env., Sierra de Ubrique , 1000 m, 25.III.1994, leg. Assing (cAss) .

C o m m e n t: The original description of Q. iridicolor is based on ̎unum specimen̎ from ̎ Marocco (Tetuan)̎ ( QUEDENFELDT, 1882), that of Q. duplex on an unspecified number of syntypes from ̎O. Daya̎ and ̎A. Teniet-el-Had̎ in Algeria ( FAUVEL 1886). FAUVEL (1902) provided additional records of Q. duplex from North Africa and did not rule out synonymy of this name with Q. iridicolor . The synonymy of Q. duplex with Q. iridicolor was eventually established by COIFFAIT (1978). Despite the previous assignment to the subgenus Sauridus MULSANT & REY, 1876 ( COIFFAIT 1978, HERMAN 2001), currently a junior synonym of Raphirus STEPHENS, 1829, SMETANA (2004) and SCHÜLKE & SMETANA (2015) erroneously attribute the species to Microsaurus DEJEAN, 1833. Quedius iridicolor undoubtedly belongs to Raphirus and is most likely the adelphotaxon of Q. nigriceps.

D i a g n o s i s: According to COIFFAIT (1978), Q. iridicolor is distinguished from the similar Q. nigriceps KRAATZ, 1857 by shorter, more slender, and less convex elytra, by a shorter head with more convex eyes, by coarser and sparser punctation of the anterior tergites, denser punctation of the posterior tergites, an apically dilated median lobe of the aedeagus, and a more slender paramere with parallel lateral margins. An examination of the holotype and the additional material listed above revealed, however, that these characters are partly incorrect or unsuitable for a reliable identification of Q. iridicolor and separation from Q. nigriceps. This applies to the punctation of the abdomen, the shape and length of the elytra (see ratio EL/PL below), and some aedeagal characters mentioned. Moreover, the coloration of both species is highly variable. The only external differences found are that the head tends to be relatively more transverse (see ratio HW/HL), the pronotum narrower in relation to head (ratio PW/HW; but note the considerable overlap) with the lateral margins of the pronotum mostly less convex in dorsal view, and the pair of posterior punctures on the vertex (the two punctures close to the posterior constriction of the head on either side) are arranged differently (pvp in Fig. 1 ). The anterior one of these punctures is situated more or less directly in front of the posterior one, whereas in Q. nigriceps it is situated obliquely antero-mediad or both punctures are arranged in a transverse line (i.e., at the same distance from the posterior constriction).

Measurements (in mm) and ratios (range): Quedius iridicolor : HL: 0.97-1.09; HW: 1.16- 1.32; PW: 1.35-1.53; EL: 0.88-1.02; HW/HL: 1.14-1.21; PW/HW: 1.12-1.24; EL/PL: 0.62-0.69.

Quedius nigriceps (exclusively material from the south of the Iberian Peninsula): HL: 0.95-1.11; HW: 1.04-1.23; PW: 1.25-1.55; PL: 1.25-1.58; EL: 0.86-1.11; HW/HL: 1.10- 1.14; PW/HW: 1.20-1.27; EL/PL: 0.67-0.73.

The aedeagus ( Figs 2-7 ) of Q. iridicolor is distinguished from that of Q. nigriceps as follows: the apex of the median lobe is more acute in ventral view and the subapical tooth is connected to the apex by a distinct keel; the paramere is usually more slender and characterized by shorter, more irregular, and closer series of peg-setae. For illustrations of the aedeagus of Q. nigriceps see Figs 8-10.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Quedius iridicolor evidently represents a Mauretanian faunal element and is currently known only from Northwest Africa ( Morocco, Algeria) and South Spain. COIFFAIT (1978) erroneously states that Q. iridicolor replaces Q. nigriceps in the southern Iberian Peninsula. I have examined Q. nigriceps from South Portugal across Andalucía to Alicante. In one cave in Jaén, both species were even found syntopically.

Figures

Map 1: Distribution of Quedius iridicolor based on revised (black circles) and literature records in FAUVEL (1902) (white circles).

Figs 1-10: Quedius iridicolor from Morocco (1-7) and Q. nigriceps from Germany (8-10): (1) forebody (pvp: posterior punctures of vertex); (2-3) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (4-5, 9-10) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (6-8) paramere. Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2-10: 0.5 mm.