Leptusa (Micropisalia) abdominalis mikii, Assing, 2009

Assing, V., 2009, Two new species and subspecies of Leptusa from Nepal and Montenegro (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (1), pp. 453-458 : 454-455

Leptusa (Micropisalia) abdominalis mikii nov.ssp. ( Figs 1-9 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype Ƌ: " Montenegro, Durmitor, Zabljak, Crno Jezero, 13.VI.2008, lg. Stévanović / Holotypus Ƌ Leptusa abdominalis mikii ssp. n. det. V. Assing 2008" (cAss). Paratypes: 10 exs.: same data as holotype (OÖLL, cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: 1.7-2.3 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Coloration: body blackish, with the forebody sometimes slightly paler, dark-brown to blackish-brown; legs brown; antennae reddish to reddish-brown.

Head of subcircular shape, approximately as wide as long; punctation moderately sparse and extremely fine, barely noticeable; integument with distinct microsculpture. Eyes small, approximately 1/3 the length of postocular region in dorsal view. Antennae moderately long and moderately incrassate apically; antennomere X nearly twice as wide as long.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) of rather variable shape, 1.12-1.18 times as wide as long and 1.07- 1.15 times as wide as head, maximal width in anterior half; lateral margins straight or, rarely, weakly sinuate in posterior half (dorsal view); punctation and microsculpture similar to those of head, or microsculpture more pronounced.

Elytra short, at suture approximately 0.55 times as long as pronotum, at sutural angle gaping ( Fig. 2 ); humeral angles almost obsolete; elytral disc usually with more or less pronounced diagonal impression; punctation sparse, more distinct than that of head and pronotum, and sexually dimorphic; interstices with shallow, but distinct microreticulation. Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen 1.20-1.25 times as wide as elytra, maximal width at segment VI; punctation sparse and fine; microsculpture shallow, less pronounced than that of forebody; tergite VII with weakly pronounced sexual dimorphism, its posterior margin without palisade fringe.

Ƌ: elytra with somewhat granulose punctation; tergite VII with some oblong granula, but without distinct keels in posterior half; posterior margin of tergite VIII distinctly concave ( Fig. 3 ); sternite VII unmodified; sternite VIII broadly and weakly convex posteriorly ( Fig. 4 ); median lobe of aedeagus as in Figs 5-6 .

♀: elytral punctation distinct, but not granulose; tergite VII unmodified; posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly concave ( Fig. 7 ); posterior margin of sternite VIII weakly convex ( Fig. 8 ); spermatheca as in Fig. 9.

E t y m o l o g y: The subspecies is dedicated to the Serbian coleopterist Miroslav ("Miki") Stévanović, who collected the type series.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The subgenus Micropisalia SCHEERPELTZ 1948 comprises six species distributed in the region from the Eastern Alps to Ukraine and Bosnia- Herzegovina. The most widespread species of this subgenus is the polytypical L. abdominalis (MOTSCHULSKY 1858) , which was previously represented in the region by six subspecies, with the southernmost representative, L. a. bosnica EPPELSHEIM 1892 , distributed in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. The new subspecies considerably extends the distribution of L. abdominalis towards the south. It is distinguished from all other subspecies by the much darker coloration (other subspecies: forebody bright reddish to brownish-red; legs reddish), as well as by the morphology of the aedeagus (shape of ventral process both in lateral and in ventral view, internal structures) and by the shape of the spermatheca. For illustrations of the primary sexual characters of the other subspecies of L. abdominalis see PACE (1989) and Figs 21-22.

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 Durmitor range in Montenegro. Additional bionomic data are not available.

Figures

Figs 1-9: Leptusa abdominalis mikii nov.ssp.: (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) male tergite VIII; (4) male sternite VIII; (5) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (6) apical portion of median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view; (7) female tergite VIII; (8) female sternite VIII; (9) spermatheca. Scale bars: 1: 0.5 mm; 2-8: 0.2 mm; 9: 0.1 mm.

Figs 10-22: Leptusa helambuica nov.sp. (10-20), L. abdominalis abdominalis (MOTSCHULSKY) (21), and L. abdominalis bosnica EPPELSHEIM (22): (10) habitus; (11) forebody; (12) head in lateral view; (13) male abdomen; (14) male tergite VIII; (15) male sternite VIII; (16, 21-22) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (17) apical portion of median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view; (18-19) apex of median lobe in lateral and in ventral view; (20) apical lobe of paramere. Scale bars: 10: 1.0 mm; 11-13: 0.5 mm; 14-17, 21-22: 0.2 mm; 18-20: 0.1 mm.