Afropselaphus bispinosus, Brachat & Assing, 2021

Brachat, Volker & Assing, Volker, 2021, The Afropselaphus fauna of South Turkey and the Middle East (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 53 (2), pp. 545-568 : 564-565

Afropselaphus bispinosus nov.sp. ( Figs 25-26 , Map 1 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype ♁: "TR - Hatay Str. Harbiye → Yayladağɪ zw. Şenköy u. Kişlak , 900-930 m; 26./ 27.IV.2002 leg. Meybohm & Brachat / Afropselaphus bispinosus spec. nov. ♁ det. Brachat 2021 / Holotypus " (cBra) . Paratypes: 3♁♁, 5♀♀: same data as holotype (cBra) ; 3♀♀: " TURKEY (ANTAKYA): Ziyaret Daği 22 km S Antakya, SW Şenköy, 940 m 36°00'32''N, 36°07'13''E, N slope, oak, beech & laurelshrubs, sifted, 2.IV.2004. leg. M. Schülke [ T04-02 ]" ( MNB) ; 2♁♁, 1♀: "TR-Hatay (5) Kɪzɪldağ W-Seite E Madenli : 1120 m, 11.IV.2009 N36°26'´01 E36°06'40 leg. Meybohm & Brachat " (cBra) .

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective) alludes to the presence of two spines in the internal sac of the aedeagus.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 1.60-1.75 mm. Other measurements (in mm): HL: 0.34-0.36; HW: 0.25-0.26; AL♁: 0.86-0.88; AL ♀: 0.80-0.85; PpL: 0.35-0.37 mm; PL: 0.28-0.30; PW: 0.27-0.29; EL: 0.34-0.39; EW: 0.60-0.62; AedL: 0.34-0.36.

Head slightly more than 1.3 times as long as broad. Eyes composed of 5-7 ommatidia. Antennae slender; all antennomeres oblong. Apical club of maxillary palpomere IV slightly more than half as long as total length of palpomere IV. Pronotum weakly oblong and slightly broader than head, median ante-basal fovea variable, small and shallow to large, transverse, and deep.

♁: metaventrite slightly more convex than in female; sternite IV with a distinct oval medio-basal impression extending to middle of sternite; aedeagus ( Figs 25-26 ) apically curved ventrad; internal sac with two spines.

I n t r a s p e c i f i c v a r i a t i o n: Regarding the internal structures of the aedeagus, the males from Kɪzɪldağɪ ( Fig. 26 ) slightly differ from those from southern Hatay ( Fig. 25 ). Since these differences are not pronounced, they are attributed to intrarather than interspecific variation.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: This species is distinguished from the similar and geographically close A. kizilicus by an unmodified male metaventrite, a more pronounced impression on the male sternite IV, and the presence of two spines in the internal sac of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: The type material was found in three localities in Hatay province, central southern Turkey ( Map 1 ). The specimens were sifted from the litter of bushes at altitudes of 920-1,120 m.

Figures

Map 1: Distribution of Afropselaphus muglanus (black triangle), A. pisidicus (white triangle), A. tenuispinosus (grey triangles), A. wolfi (black stars), A. frederici (white star), A. cilicicus (grey star), A. longispinosus (white circles), A. spoliatus (black circles), A. bispinosus (grey circles), A. clavigeroides (black diamonds), A. assmanni (white diamond), A. aequalis (black square), and A. meybohmi (white square).

Figs 23-28: Afropselaphus trispinosus nov.sp. (23-24), A. bispinosus nov.sp. (25-26) from South Hatay (25) and from Kɪzɪldağɪ (26), A. kizilicus nov.sp. (27), and A. meybohmi nov.sp. (28): aedeagus in dorsal view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.