Pseudosemiris torta, Assing, 2014

Assing, V., 2014, On the Staphylinidae of Israel II, with a revision of some species of Dinusa SAULCY (Insecta: Coleoptera), Linzer biologische Beiträge 46 (2), pp. 1179-1210 : 1193-1194

Pseudosemiris torta nov.sp. ( Figs 17-29 , Map 1 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: " ISRAEL - 2 km NW Gesher , 250 m, pitfall, 32°38'26''N, 35°31'27''E, 21.II.2011, leg. Drees / Holotypus Pseudosemiris torta sp. n. det. V. Assing 2014" (cAss) . Paratypes: 1, 3: same data as holotype (cAss) ; 1, 1: " ISRAEL - Pura N.R., 31°30'N, 34°47'E, 210 m, grassland, pitfall, 24.II.2011, leg. Drees " (cAss) ; 2: " Israel: 314 (3), Adullam [31°39'N, 35°00'E], 15.I.2004, U. Columbus, T. Levanony " ( TAU) ; 1: same data, but "314 (10)" ( TAU) ; 1: same data, but "224 (9)" ( TAU) ; 1: same data, but "226 (5)" ( TAU) ; 1: same data, but "216 (6)" ( TAU) ; 1: same data, but "305 (11)" (cAss) ; 4, 1 [1 teneral]: " Israel: Adullam , 3.IV.2003, U. Columbus, T. Levanony " ( TAU, cFel) ; 1: " Israel: Adullam , 18.I.2002, Y. Mandelik " ( TAU) ; 1: " Israel, Hurfeish , 33°00'N, 35°22'E, pitfall, 660 m, 10.I.2006 " (cFel) ; 2: "[2877] Israel, Zekharya [31°42'N, 34°57'E], 18.i.2002, Mandelik, Y." ( TAU) ; 1: " Israel: Ramot Avishov [= Ramat Avishur ; 31°39'N, 34°55'E], 18.I.2002, Y. Mandelik " ( TAU) ; 1: " Israel: Tel Aviv University , 15.XI.2006, W. Kuslitzky, light trap " ( TAU) ; 1: " Israel: Lehavim [ca. 31°21'N, 34°47'E], 18.iii.2006, E. Groner " (cAss) ; 3: " Israel: Lehavim , 25.III.2005, O. Shelef, V. Chikatunov " ( TAU, cAss) .

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Latin, adjective: twisted) refers to the shape of the spermathecal duct.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Measurements (mm) and ratios: body length: 3.0-5.1; length of antenna: 1.28-1.53; length of antennomere X: 0.07-0.09; length of antennomere XI: 0.21- 0.27; head width (HW): 0.53-0.63; width of pronotum (PW): 0.63-0.79; length of pronotum (PL): 0.53-0.62; length of elytra from apex of scutellum to elytral hind margin (EL): 0.47-0.60; length of metatibia: 0.60-0.77; length of metatarsus: 0.41-0.54; length of median lobe of aedeagus: 0.51-0.56; PW/HW: 1.14-1.27; PW/PL: 1.20-1.27; EL/PL: 0.83-0.98.

Coloration: head and pronotum dark-brown to blackish; elytra reddish brown to blackish, rarely as dark as pronotum; legs, antennae, and maxillary palpi brown to blackish-brown.

Head ( Fig. 17 ) with pronounced microreticulation and almost matt; punctation fine and inconspicuous, barely noticeable in the microsculpture. Eyes of moderate size, usually slightly shorter than postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna ( Fig. 18 ) slender.

Pronotum ( Fig. 17 ) usually with shallow, but more or less extensive median impression; microsculpture as pronounced as that of head; punctation slightly more distinct than that of head.

Elytra ( Fig. 17 ) at suture almost as long as pronotum (see ratio EL/PL); punctation much more distinct than that of head and pronotum, weakly granulose; interstices with distinct microreticulation and with subdued shine.

Abdomen with very fine and sparse punctation; microsculpture shallow; tergites VII and VIII with sexual dimorphism.

: tergite VII ( Fig. 19 ) near posterior margin with smooth and weakly elevated median tubercle; tergite VIII as in Fig. 20 ; posterior margin of sternite VIII produced, obtusely angled in the middle ( Fig. 21 ); median lobe of aedeagus as in Figs 25-29 .

: tergite VII unmodified; posterior margins of tergite VIII ( Fig. 22 ) and sternite VIII strongly convex; spermatheca ( Figs 23-24 ) with capsule proximally twisted, not truncate.

I n t r a s p e c i f i c v a r i a t i o n: The species is subject to considerable variability especially regarding the coloration of the elytra, body size, and the shape of the pronotum.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The shapes of the slender antennae and of the spermatheca suggest that the species is most closely allied to P. stricticornis FAGEL, 1966 from Lebanon and P. atavia ASSING, 2001 from central southern Anatolia. From the former, P. torta is distinguished by shorter antennae (holotype of P. stricticornis : 1.60 mm; despite smaller body size), a broader pronotum (PW/PL in P. stricticornis : 1.17), relatively shorter elytra (EL/PL in P. stricticornis : 0.99), the stouter tarsi, the presence of a tubercle on the male tergite VII, the differently shaped male tergite VIII, and an aedeagus with a relatively shorter and differently shaped ventral process and with a broader crista apicalis (lateral view). From P. atavia , the new species is separated by larger body size, a broader pronotum, the stouter tarsi, and by the longer, more slender, and smoothly curved (in P. atavia more abruptly curved) ventral process of the aedeagus. From all other species of the genus, P. torta is distinguished especially by the slender antennae and the shape of the spermatheca. For illustrations of P. stricticornis and P. atavia see Figs 30-31 and ASSING (2001b, c; 2004).

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 species was found in various localities both in the north and in the south of Israel ( Map 1 ). The type specimens were collected in January-April, and November, mostly with pitfall traps. The specimen taken in November was caught at a light trap. One male collected in the beginning of April is teneral.

Figures

Map 1: Distributions of Astenus affimbriatus (open circle) and Pseudosemiris torta (filled circles) in Israel.

Figs 17-24: Pseudosemiris torta nov.sp.: (17) forebody; (18) antenna; (19) apex of male abdomen in dorsal view; (20) male tergite VIII; (21) male sternite VIII; (22) female tergite VIII; (23-24) spermatheca. Scale bars: 17: 1.0 mm; 18-22: 0.5 mm; 23-24: 0.1 mm.

Figs 25-31: Pseudosemiris torta nov.sp. (25-29; 25, 29: holotype) and P. stricticornis FAGEL, holotype (30-31): (25-27, 30) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (28) median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view; (29, 31) ventral process of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.