Sunius claviceps ( REITTER 1908)

Assing, V. & A, North, 2008, A revision of the Sunius species of the Western Palaearctic region and Middle Asia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (1), pp. 5-135 : 102-105

4.63. Sunius claviceps ( REITTER 1908) ( Figs 163-172 , Map 22 )

Medon claviceps REITTER 1908: 17 .

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holotype ♀: "Turkestan, Aulie Ata [= Dzhambul] / Aulie / coll. Reitter / Monotypus [sic] Medon claviceps Reitter 1908 / Medon claviceps m. 1907 / Holotypus Medon claviceps Reitter, V. Gusarov des., 1992 / Sunius claviceps (Reitter) , Gusarov det. 1992 / Sunius claviceps (Reitter) det. V. Assing " ( HNHM).

C o m m e n t: The original description is based on a single specimens (ein einziges Exemplar") from "Turkestan: Aulie-Ata" ( REITTER 1908). The holotype is a female.

A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d Turkmenistan: 1♀, Tejen ["Tedschen"; 37°23N, 60°30E], leg. Aris ( MNHUB). Kyrgyzstan: 1 ex., Bishkek env., 24.IV.1996, leg. Ovchinnikov (cSch). Uzbekistan: 3 exs., Tienshan, Galvassol , 20 km W Chimgan ["Tshimgan"], 700 m, 12.V.1989, leg. Wrase (cSch, cAss) ; 1 ex., Tienshan , "Grosser Tshimgan", 1500 m, 12.V.1989, leg. Heinig (cAss) ; 1 ex., Chodshikent near Tasakent , 12.V.1989, leg. Wrase (cSch) .

D i a g n o s i s Of similar size and appearance as S. viator ; 4.3-5.3 mm. Coloration: forebody reddish; abdomen blackish, posterior 1/3-2/3 of segment VII and segments VIII-X reddish; legs and antennae yellowish red. Head weakly oblong, 1.02-1.08 times as long as wide; puncturation coarse, dense in lateral and sparser in median dorsal area; microsculpture absent. Eyes of moderate size, 0.3-0.4 times as long as postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 163 ). Antenna slender; antennomere III distinctly longer than II and approximately 2.5 times as long as wide; IV-VI oblong, of gradually decreasing length and decreasingly oblong; X as wide as long or weakly transverse.

Pronotum approximately 1.05 times as long as wide and 0.9 times as wide as head; puncturation very dense and coarse, though somewhat less coarse than that of head ( Fig. 163 ); interstices distinctly narrower than diameter of punctures and without microsculpture; impunctate midline very narrow, sometimes not reaching anterior and posterior margins.

Elytra 0.98-1.05 times as long and approximately 1.1 times as wide as pronotum; puncturation very dense, much less defined than that of head and pronotum ( Fig. 163 ). Legs long and slender.

Abdomen slightly wider than elytra; puncturation fine and dense; interstices with shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VIII with palisade fringe.

3: sternite VII not distinctly modified, posterior margin weakly concave; sternite VIII with rather small posterior excision, pubescence unmodified ( Fig. 164 ); aedeagus shaped as in Figs 165-172 , internal sac with long rows of numerous distinctly sclerotised long spines.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: Previous records from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan ( COIFFAIT 1984; SMETANA 2004) are here confirmed. The species is here reported from Turkmenistan for the first time ( Map 22 ). The examined specimens with labels specifying dates and additional data were collected at altitudes of 700 and 1500 m in April and May.

Figures

Map 22: Distributions of species of the S. viator group in the Caucasus region and Middle Asia, based on examined records: Sunius claviceps (REITTER) (filled circles), S. acutissimus nov.sp. (open circles), S. basalis (REITTER) (open square), and S. splendidulus (BOHÁČ) (filled square).

Figs 163-172: Sunius claviceps (REITTER): (163) forebody; (164) male sternite VIII; (165-168) aedeagus of males from Uzbekistan (165, 167) and Kyrgyzstan (166, 168) in lateral and in ventral view; (169-170) apex of aedeagus of males from Uzbekistan (169) and Kyrgyzstan (170) in lateral view; (171-172) apical internal structures of aedeagus of males from Uzbekistan (171) and Kyrgyzstan (172) in ventral view. Scale bars: 163: 1.0 mm; 164: 0.5 mm; 165-168, 171-172: 0.2 mm; 169-170: 0.1 mm.