Tectusa orobiana, Assing, 2012

Assing, V., 2012, A new species of Tectusa from the Alpi Orobie, Italy (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (2), pp. 987-991 : 988-990

Tectusa orobiana nov.sp. ( Figs 1-11 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: " Italy [3] - Lombardia, Alpi Orobie, SW Pso. San Marco, 2000 m, 46°02'18''N, 09°35'58''E, 31.V.2011, Keuker/Terlutter / Holotypus Tectusa orobiana sp.n. det. V. Assing 2012" (cAss). Paratypes: 2, 1 ex. [abdominal apex missing]: same data as holotype (cFel, cTer); 1: "I. Lombardia, Alpi Orobie, 2200 m, Mte. Ponteranica, 10.VI.2003, leg. A. Hetzel " (cAss).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from the name of the mountain range (Alpi Orobie) where the species is probably endemic.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 2.8-3.2 mm; length of forebody 1.2-1.3 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Coloration: body blackish-brown to blackish; legs reddish-brown to darkbrown with paler tarsi; antennae dark-brown with paler antennomeres I-III.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) approximately as long as broad, widest behind eyes; punctation very fine and rather dense, barely noticeable in the microreticulation. Eyes of moderate size, approximately 0.7 times as long as postocular region in dorsal view. Antenna ( Fig. 3 ) 0.7-0.8 mm long; antennnomere IV weakly transverse; V-X of increasing width and moderately transverse; X approximately 1.5 times as broad as long; XI rather short, approximately as long as combined length of IX and X.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) 1.15-1.20 times as broad as long and approximately 1.2 times as broad as head, widest slightly before middle; posterior angles weakly marked; posterior margin truncate; punctation very dense and somewhat less fine than that of head; interstices with distinct microreticulation ( Fig. 4 ).

Elytra ( Figs 2, 5 ) 0.7-0.8 times as long as pronotum; humeral angles almost obsolete; punctation fine and dense, but less dense than that of pronotum; interstices with distinct microreticulation. Hind wings completely reduced. Metatarsomere I slightly longer than the combined length of II and III, but shorter than the combined length of II-IV.

Abdomen approximately as broad as elytra or slightly broader; anterior transverse impressions of tergites III-V shallow; punctation dense, fine, but distinct; interstices with microreticulation everywhere; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe; posterior margin of tergite VIII convex in both sexes.

: posterior margin of sternite VIII convex, not distinctly produced in the middle ( Fig. 6 ); median lobe of aedeagus 0.43 mm long and with rather stout ventral process ( Figs 7- 8 ); apical lobe of paramere distinctly dilated in basal half ( Figs 9-10 ).

: posterior margin of sternite VIII weakly and broadly convex; spermatheca as in Fig. 11.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The new species is distinguished from all its congeners by the morphology of the aedeagus. In addition, it is separated from the geographically closest congeners from the Alps ( T. tirolensis , T. knabli , T. carnica (LOHSE 1988) , T. holdhausi (BERNHAUER 1902) , T. montana (KRAATZ 1856) , T. strupiiana (SCHEERPELTZ 1958)) and from the Apennines ( T. longicollis (EPPELSHEIM 1889)) by the distinctly transverse pronotum alone, from most of these species also by the more strongly incrassate antennae with more transverse antennomeres IV-X, and from T. tirolensis and T. knabli , the geograpically closest Tectusa species from the Alps additionally by the shorter elytra with almost obsolete humeral angles, as well as by the darker coloration.

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: Tectusa orobiana is the fifth representative of the genus recorded from Italy. The type locality is situated in the Alpi Orobie, near the peak of Monte Ponteranica, to the southwest of the Passo San Marco. The specimens were sifted and found under stones in a cold glacial cirque, near snow, at altitudes of 2000 and 2200 m.

Figures

Figs 1-11: Tectusa orobiana nov.sp. (1-10: holotype): (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) antenna; (4) median portion of pronotum; (5) elytra; (6) male sternite VIII; (7) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (8) apical portion of median lobe in ventral view; (9) paramere; (10) apical lobe of paramere; (11) spermatheca. Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2: 0.5 mm; 3-6, 9: 0.2 mm; 7-8, 10-11: 0.1 mm.