Astenus uniformis (Jacquelin du Val, 1853)

Assing, V., 2008, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Paederinae and Xantholinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1237-1294 : 1244

Astenus uniformis auctt.

C o m m e n t: The previous interpretations of A. uniformis by authors such as COIFFAIT (1960, 1984) and LOHSE (1964) are based on misidentifications. Clarification of the identity of the species recorded as A. uniformis from Switzerland has proved difficult. According to SMETANA (2004), A. uniformis has three junior synonyms. One of them, A. humeralis (ROTTENBERG 1870) , is a homonym and is consequently not eligible. The oldest junior synonym is A. diversicollis ; it was described by BAUDI DI SELVE (1870) from Cyprus and is thus most unlikely to be conspecific with any of the species occurring in the southwest of Central Europe. The third synonym, A. vestitus (MULSANT & REY 1878) was described from the environs of Marseille; it is conspecific with A. uniformis (JACQUELIN DU VAL) , not with A. uniformis auctt. (see preceding section), so that currently no valid name appears to be available for this species. In order to rectify this confusion it seems wisest not make a new name available at present, but to deal with the matter in the broader context of a future revision of the genus.