Alevonota (Alevonota) crypticola ( PACE , 1977)

Wunderle, Volker Assing Paul, 2008, On the Alevonota species of the Western Palaearctic region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Athetini), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 58 (5), pp. 145-189 : 162-163

Alevonota (Alevonota) crypticola ( PACE, 1977)

Aleuonota crypticola PACE, 1977: 171 ff.

Type material examined:

Holotype : “ Lazio, M. Lepini, 25-VI-1975, leg. R. Pace / Holotypus Aleuonota crypticola m., det. R. Pace 1976 / Alevonota crypticola (Pace) det. V. Assing 2008” ( MCSNV).

Comment:

The original description is based on a female holotype and a female paratype from “Monti Lepini ... presso Carpineto Romano” ( PACE 1977).

Additional material examined:

Italy, Basilicata: 1 ex., [locality illegible], Solari, leg. Fiori ( MNHUB) .

Diagnosis:

Of similar size as a small specimen of A. rufotestacea . Coloration reddish, with the elytra and the legs reddish yellow.

Head approximately as wide as long and of ovoid shape; posterior angles weakly pronounced. Puncturation extremely sparse and very fine, barely noticeable; surface with pronounced microreticulation. Eyes not projecting from lateral contours of head and very small, approximately as large as antennomere II in cross-section, composed of less than 10 ommatidia without pigmentation. Antennae of similar morphology as in A. rufotestacea , but slightly longer and with slightly less transverse antennomeres IV-X.

Pronotum slightly wider than head (PW/HW: 1.15) and weakly transverse (PW/PL: ca. 1.05); puncturation and microsculpture similar to those of head.

Elytra somewhat shorter than pronotum (EL/PL: ca. 0.75); puncturation fine and ill-defined; microsculpture less pronounced than that of head and pronotum. Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen with posterior tergites with very sparse fine puncturation; anterior tergites with less sparse puncturation; microsculpure shallow, but distinct, composed predominantly of isodiametric meshes; tergite VII without sexual dimorphism; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: ML: 0.32 mm.

: spermatheca of similar shape as that of A. rufotestacea ; for an illustration see the figure in PACE (1977).

Distribution and bionomics:

The species was described from the Monti Lepini in Lazio ( Italy) and is here reported from Basilicata, suggesting that it may be more widespread in southern Italy. The adaptive reductions of the eyes, wings, and pigmentation suggest an endogean habitat.