Cephennium validum, Assing, 2021

Assing, Volker, 2021, On the Cephennium fauna of the Iberian Peninsula and the Atlantic Islands (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (2), pp. 891-931 : 899-901

Cephennium validum nov.sp. ( Figs 2 , 34-36 , Map 1 )

Cephennium distinctum BESUCHET i.l.

Type material: Holotype ♂: "P Serra da Peneda , nördl. Soajo, 525 m, Meybohm 24.3.2002, N41°53', W8°16' / Holotypus ♂ Cephennium validum sp. n. det. V. Assing 2020" (cAss) . Paratypes: 3♂♂: same data as holotype (cAss) ; 2♂♂: "P Serra do Geres , sw Portela do Homem, Meybohm 23.3.2002, N41°47' W8°8'" (cAss) ; 2♂♂, 3♀♀: "P Serra de Montezinho , Rio Sabor, 960 m, Meybohm 21.3.2002, N41°54' W6°48'" (cAss) .

Additional type material examined by C. Besuchet (with type labels " Cephennium distinctum "): 7♂♂, 8♀♀, 6 exs.: " Ponferrada, Paganetti " ( FMNH, HNHM, MCSNG, MHNG, MNB, NHMW, SDEI; coll. Horion, coll. Lindberg) ; 2♂♂, 3 exs: "Serra de la Fontefria près de Salamosa, Prov. Pontevedra " ( NHMW) ; 5♂♂, 6♀♀: " Isla Estela entera b. Bayona , Franz" ( MHNG, NHMW) ; 4♂♂, 6♀♀: " Isla Estela de Fuera b. Bayona , Prov. Pontevedra, Franz" ( MHNG, NHMW) ; 3♂♂, 3♀♀: " Valle de Lozera , Prov. Lugo, Franz" ( MHNG, NHMW) ; 1♂, 3♀♀: " Isla Cies del Norte , Prov. Pontevedra, Franz " ( NHMW) ; 2♂♂, 2♀♀: " Mondariz, Prov. Pontevedra, Franz" ( MHNG, NHMW) ; 2♂♂: " Rio Muria [?] b. Morana, Franz " ( NHMW) ; 2♂♂: " Belus , Prov. Pontevedra, Franz " ( NHMW) ; 1♂, 2♀♀: " Los Peares , Franz " ( NHMW) ; 1♂, 3♀♀: " Umg. Pontevedra , Franz " ( NHMW) ; 1♂, 3♀♀: " Prov. La Coruña, Cayon, Besuchet " ( MHNG) ; 3♂♂: " Prov. León, Molina Ferreda ds. vallée Rio Duerna . Besuchet " ( MHNG) ; 1♂: "Manzaneda (Orense), Ms. Gonzalez " (coll. Gonzalez) ; 1♂, 1♀: " Sierra de Cabrera , Umg. Molinaferreda , Prov. Leon, Franz " ( NHMW) ; 1♂, 1♀: " Sierra de la Grova , Hisp. bor. Prov. Pontevedra, Franz " ( NHMW) ; 1♀: " Umg. San Saturnino , Prov. La Coruña, Franz " ( NHMW) .

Etymology: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective: strong) alludes to the conspicuously stout parameres of the aedeagus.

Description: Small species; body length 0.8-1.0 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 2 . Colouration variable, body pale-reddish to dark-brown, sometimes bicoloured with the head and pronotum reddish and the elytra dark-brown.

Eyes composed of approximately eight ommatidia with weak pigmentation.

Pronotum strongly convex in cross-section, large in relation to elytra, and strongly transverse, approximately 1.3 times as broad as long, broadest in anterior half; lateral margins often weakly sinuate posteriorly; punctation fine, but distinct, and rather dense; interstices without microsculpture.

Elytra as broad as, or slightly broader than pronotum; supra-humeral carinae short and indistinct, approximately as long as the combined length of the basal three antennomeres; anterior impressions small and tomentose; punctation fine and rather dense.

♂: protibia apically moderately curved; meso- and metatibiae somewhat flattened on inner face in apical portion; aedeagus ( Figs 34-35 ) small, 0.22-0.25 mm long; median lobe apically of acutely triangular shape; internal sac with very small and weakly sclerotized median internal structure ( Fig. 36 ); parameres very stout, straight, apically not reaching apex of median lobe, and with long apical seta.

Comparative notes: Cephennium validum is distinguished from other Iberian representatives of the C. validum group particularly by the shape of the median lobe of the aedeagus.

Distribution and natural history: This species is rather widespread in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Northwest Spain, North Portugal) and was even found on small islets off the Galician coast ( Map 1 ). The altitudes range from near sea-level to at least 960 m.

Figures

Map 1: Distributions of Cephennium spp. in the Iberian Peninsula: C. constrictum (black triangle); C. validum (black circles: examined material; white circles: based on Besuchet unpubl.)); C. conlectior (white triangle); C. algarvense (black diamonds); C. espunae (white star); C. tenuissimum (white star); C. tensum (black star).

Figs 1-6: Male habitus of Cephennium constrictum (1), C. validum (2), C. conlectior (3), C. algarvense (4), C. australe (5), and C. lompei (6). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figs 34-45: Cephennium validum (34-36; 35-36: based on Besuchet (unpubl.)), C. conlectior (37), C. algarvense (38-40), C. australe (41-43), and C. lompei (44-45): (34-35, 37-45) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (36) internal structures of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 34-35, 37-45: 0.1 mm; 36: 0.02 mm.