Sunius sexspinosus, Assing, 2006

Assing, Volker, 2006, On the Turkish species of Sunius. VII. Five new micropterous species from western Anatolia and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Paederinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 56 (2), pp. 297-315 : 306-307

Sunius sexspinosus sp. n. ( Figs 38-48 , Map 1 )

Type material:

Holotype : TR [20] - Muğla, 15 km ENE Muğla, 1190 m, pasture with stones, 37°14'58N, 28°30'07E, 10.IV.2006, V. Assing / Holotypus  Sunius sexspinosus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2006 (cAss) . Paratypes: 3 , 6 : same data as holotype (cAss); 2 , 2  : same data, but leg. Wunderle (cWun) .

Description:

Small species, 2.6-3.2 mm (abdomen extended). Habitus as in Fig. 38 . In external morphology highly similar to S. fortespinosus , but distinguished as follows:

Coloration on average paler: forebody yellowish, elytra of same colour as head and pronotum; paratergites and apex of abdomen reddish to reddish brown. Puncturation of head on average slightly sparser, especially in median dorsal area. Elytra on average slightly shorter and more slender, approximately 0.70 times as long as pronotum ( Fig. 39 ).

: sternite VII not distinctly modified ( Fig. 40 ); sternite VIII unmodified, except for posterior incision ( Fig. 41 ); aedeagus shaped as in Figs 42-47 , internal sac with series of six stout, long, and distinctly sclerotised spines ( Fig. 47 ).

Etymology: The name (Lat., adj.) refers to the presence of six stout spines in the internal sac of the aedeagus.

Comparative notes:

Based on the male sexual characters, especially the morphology of the aedeagus (shape of apex of ventral process, shape of spines in internal sac), S. sexspinosus is the adelphotaxon of S. fortespinosus . Both species are reliably distinguished only by the male primary sexual characters, particularly the shape of the apex of the ventral process (see Figs 30- 34 , 42-45 ), as well as the number and colour of the spines in the internal sac (darker in S. fortespinosus than in S. sexspinosus ).

Distribution and bionomics:

The type locality is situated some 15 km to the northeast of Muğla ( Map 1 ). The type specimens were found under stones and sifted from grass roots between limestone gravel on a pasture with shrubs, very close to a field, at an altitude of about 1200 m ( Fig. 48 ) .

Figures

Map 1: Distributions of Sunius bozdagensis (open circle), S. pinniger (large black square), S. fortespinosus (filled circles), S. sexspinosus (open square), and S. pinnatus (small black square) in western Anatolia.

Figs 38-47: Sunius sexspinosus sp. n.: habitus (38); forebody (39);  sternite VII (40);  sternite VIII (41); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (42-44); ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view (45); apical internal structure of aedeagus in ventral view (46); spines in internal sac of aedeagus in lateral view (47). Scale bars: 38: 1.0 mm; 39: 0.5 mm; 40-41: 0.2 mm; 42-47: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 48: Type locality of Sunius sexspinosus sp. n.

Figs 25-36: Sunius fortespinosus sp. n.: habitus (25); forebody (26); head in lateral view (27);  sternite VII (28);  sternite VIII (29); aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (30-32); apex of ventral process of aedeagus in lateral view (33); ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view (34); apical internal structure of aedeagus in ventral view (35); spines in internal sac of aedeagus in lateral view (36). Scale bars: 25: 1.0 mm; 26-27: 0.5 mm; 28-29: 0.2 mm; 30-32, 34-36: 0.1 mm; 33: 0.05 mm.