Cephennium aciferum, Assing, 2021

Assing, Volker, 2021, On the Cephennium fauna of Greece (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (2), pp. 869-889 : 880

Cephennium aciferum nov.sp. ( Figs 5 , 43, 47 )

Cephennium jonicum majusculum BESUCHET i.l.

Type material: Holotype ♂: "GR. Peleponnes, Reg. Ilia, Bez. Pirgos , Kastro , 5-20 m, 28.9.- 3.10.2002, leg. I. Wolf / Holotypus ♂ Cephennium aciferum sp. n. det. V. Assing 2020" ( cAss) . Paratypes: 4♂♂, 5♀♀: same data as holotype ( cAss) ; 7♂♂, 4♀♀: same data as holotype, but "bei Kastro , 17- 20.9.2002 " ( cAss) ; 4♂♂, 2♀♀: "GR Thessalien, Etolia ke Akarnania, südl. Astakos 150 m, 16.9.2002 leg. I. Wolf " ( cAss) ; 3♂♂, 1♀: "GR - Sterea Elada, Etolia Akarnania, Str. Amphilohia-Vonitsa , Umgeb. Loutraki , 16.04.1994, leg. Brachat " ( cAss) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is an adjective composed of the Latin noun acus (needle) and the Latin suffix -ferum (carrying). It alludes to the shape of the apical internal structure of the aedeagus.

Comment: Besuchet (unpubl. notes) examined 13 specimens (working name: C. jonicum majusculum i.l.) from the Ionian islands Corfu (3♂♂, 2♀♀; without specified locality) and Kefalonia (5♂♂, 3♀♀; Argostoli, Eleutherios pass, Megalo Vouno) in HNHM, MNHNP, SDEI, coll. Dodero, and his own collection. Based on the illustrations of the internal structures of the aedeagus, this material is conspecific with the type material listed above.

Description: Body length 0.9-1.0 mm; habitus ( Fig. 5 ) slender. Body yellowishred to reddish.

Eyes composed of approximately five ommatidia without pigmentation. Punctation of pronotum fine, but more distinct than that of elytra. Elytra slender, but broader than pronotum, anteriorly with transversely oval tomentose impressions; humeral carinae distinct, approximately as long as combined length of the basal four to five antennomeres. Hind wings completely reduced.

♂: protibia unmodified; metaventrite with extensive median impression; aedeagus ( Figs 43, 47 ) approximately 0.35 mm long; ventral process apically truncate to weakly concave; internal sac with apically acute apico-median structure; paramere thin, apically not reaching apex of median lobe and with short apical seta.

Comparative notes: Based on the morphology of the aedeagus, C. aciferum belongs to the C. jonicum group. It is distinguished from C. jonicum by a larger aedeagus ( C. jonicum : aedeagus approximately 0.27 mm long) with a differently shaped apical internal structure.

Distribution and natural history: The type specimens were found in two localities in Etolia-Akarnania and one in the Pelopónnisos. The altitudes range from near sea-level to 150 m.

Figures

Figs 1-5: Male habitus of Cephennium dilatatum (1), C. olympicum (2), C. pellucidum (3), C. brachati (4), and C. aciferum (5). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figs 42-50: Cephennium jonicum (42, 46), C. aciferum (43, 47)), C. sagittatum (44), C. linguatum (45, 48), C. petraeum (49), and C. sp. from Mljet (50): (42-45) aedeagus in ventral view; (46-50) internal structures of aedeagus. Scale bars: 42-45: 0.1 mm; 46-50: without scale. Figs 46-50 are based on C. Besuchet (unpubl.).