Sunius manasluensis, Assing, 2010

Assing, V., 2010, A revision of Palaearctic Sunius. XII. New species, new synonymies, and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 42 (2), pp. 1045-1061 : 1053-1055

Sunius manasluensis nov.sp. ( Figs 12-18 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Nepal, Manaslu Mts., Dudh Pokhari Lekh, upper Phulinagiri Madi, 19.-21.IV.2003, 2500 m NN, leg. J. Schmidt / Holotypus Sunius manasluensis sp.n. det. V. Assing 2010 " (NME). Paratypes: 1, 1: same data as holotype (NME, cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 3.0- 3.5 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 12 . Coloration: body blackish; legs and antennae brown.

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Head across eyes 1.03-1.05 times as wide as long, tapering in posterior half; postocular region slightly more than half the length of eyes; punctation coarse and dense in anterior half, sparse in posterior half of dorsal surface; interstices without microsculpture and glossy ( Fig. 13 ). Antenna approximately 1.1 mm long. Anterior margin of labrum with very short tooth-like process on either side of median notch.

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Pronotum approximately 1.04-1.10 times as wide as long and approximately 0.97 times as wide as head; punctation coarse and dense; midline rather narrowly impunctate; interstices without microsculpture and glossy ( Fig. 13 ).

Elytra short, 0.60-0.65 times as long and at posterior margin approximately 1.05 times as wide as pronotum, noticeably widened posteriad; humeral angles weakly pronounced, almost obsolete; punctation dense, shallow, and rather fine ( Fig. 13 ). Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen approximately as wide as, or slightly wider than elytra; punctation fine and dense; interstices with shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: sternite VII unmodified ( Fig. 14 ); sternite VIII with broadly V-shaped and not very deep posterior excision, its depth approximately 1/8 the length of sternite, otherwise unmodified ( Fig. 15 ); aedeagus of distinctive morphology ( Figs 16-18 ).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet (adjective) is 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: As can be inferred from the similarly enlarged eyes, the similarly derived morphology of the aedeagus, as well as from the similar male secondary sexual characters, S. manasluensis is closely allied to S. cameroni ASSING (N- India: Darjeeling), from which it is distinguished particularly by the different shape of the ventral process of the aedeagus (broader in ventral view, differently shaped apex) and by the much deeper posterior excision of the male sternite VIII. For illustrations of S. cameroni see ASSING (in press).

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: The type locality is situated in the Manaslu range in the north of central Nepal. The reduced wings suggest that the species may be endemic to the area. The type specimens were collected at an altitude of 2500 m.

Figures

Figs 11-18: Sunius kuehnelti (SCHEERPELTZ) (11) and S. manasluensis nov.sp. (12-18; 17-18: holotype): (11, 15) male sternite VIII; (12) habitus; (13) forebody; (14) male sternite VII; (16-17) aedeagus in lateral view; (18) aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 12: 1.0 mm; 11, 13-15: 0.5 mm; 16-18: 0.1 mm.