Phloeocharis gredosensis, Assing, 2015

Assing, Volker, 2015, A new species of Phloeocharis MANNERHEIM from Spain, with a note on P. brachyptera SHARP (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Phloeocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 47 (1), pp. 57-62 : 59-61

Phloeocharis gredosensis nov.sp. ( Figs 8-13 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: "E - Sierra de Gredos, 40°15'N, 5°15'W, 2200 m, 2.V.2009, leg. T. Struyve / Holotypus 3 Phloeocharis gredosensis sp.n. det. V. Assing 2014" (cAss). Paratype 3: same data as holotype (cStr).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from Sierra de Gredos, the mountain range where the type locality is situated.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 1.8-2.3 mm; length of forebody 0.85-0.95 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 8 . Coloration: body brown to dark-brown, with the apex of the abdomen paler reddish; legs reddish; antennae yellowish-red.

Head with distinct microsculpture composed of isodiametric meshes and with fine and sparse, barely noticeable punctation. Eyes weakly convex, composed of approximately 15-20 ommatidia. Antennae relatively slender, approximately 0.5 mm long.

Pronotum 1.35-1.40 times as wide as long and 1.05-1.10 times as broad as head, broadest approximately in the middle; posterior angles obtusely marked; microsculpture composed of isodiametric meshes, variable, pronounced (rendering surface nearly matt) to moderately distinct (surface with some shine); punctation moderately dense, interstices on average slightly narrower than diameter of punctures.

Elytra approximately 0.8 times as long as pronotum; microsculpture shallow, but noticeable; punctation fine and moderately dense. Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen approximately as broad as elytra, with fine punctation and very shallow microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

3: posterior margin of sternite VIII obtusely angled in the middle ( Fig. 9 ); aedeagus ( Figs 10-13 ) 0.36-0.39 mm long, very slender; ventral process thin (lateral view) and apically acute (ventral view), and obliquely truncate (lateral view); parameres thin, weakly dilated subapically, slightly extending beyond apex of ventral process.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The new species is distinguished from geographically close micropterous congeners of the nominate subgenus as follows:

from the similar P. microptera by slightly smaller body size, a slightly more transverse pronotum ( P. microptera : approximately 1.30 times as broad as long), relatively shorter elytra ( P. microptera : approximately 0.85 times as long as pronotum), the differently shaped male sternite VIII ( P. microptera : acutely pointed posteriorly; see Fig. 2 ), the smaller aedeagus with a differently shaped apex of the ventral process ( P. microptera : aedeagus 0.42 mm long; apex in ventral view more gradually tapering and in lateral view not truncate; see Figs 3-7 );

from P. brachyptera by slightly larger body size, longer and more slender antennae, less dense punctation on the pronotum, distinctly longer and less shiny elytra, and by the longer aedeagus of completely different shape (cf. Figs 14-15 );

from P. baenai ASSING, 2006 (Córdoba) by the larger and broader body (pronotum much more transverse), the less pronounced microsculpture on the pronotum and the elytra, the distinctly shorter elytra, and by the shape of the slightly longer aedeagus;

from P. bermejae ASSING, 2003 (Málaga: Sierra de Bermeja) by smaller size, much darker coloration (P. bermejae: body pale-reddish), and by the much shorter aedeagus (P. bermejae: median lobe approximately 0.5 mm long);

from P. estrelae ASSING, 2003 ( Portugal: Serra da Estrela) by the larger and broader body, distinctly darker coloration (P. estrelae: body pale-reddish), relatively longer and more slender antennae, a more transverse pronotum, and by the larger and differently shaped aedeagus (P. estrelae: median lobe approximately 0.3 mm long).

For illustrations of P. baenai, P. bermejae, and P. estrelae see ASSING (2003, 2006b).

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: Thetypelocalityissituatedin the Sierra de Gredos, Central Spain. The specimens were sifted under Cytisus near snow at an altitude of 2200 m.

Figures

Figs 1-15: Phloeocharis microptera (1-7), P. gredosensis (8-13), and P. brachyptera (14-15): (1, 8) habitus; (2, 9) (posterior portion of) male sternite VIII; (3-4, 10, 14-15) aedeagus in lateral view (15 with parameres removed); (5-6, 11-12) (apical portion of) aedeagus in ventral view; (7, 13) apex of ventral process in lateral view. Scale bars: 1, 8: 1.0 mm; 2-7, 9-15: 0.1 mm.