Proteinus angulatus, Assing, 2007

Assing, Volker, 2007, Proteinus crenulatus - a complex of five species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 57 (2), pp. 355-366 : 362-364

Proteinus angulatus sp. n. ( Figs 13-17 , Map 2 )

Type material:

Holotype ♂: "GR - Pelopónnisos, 40 km SE Tripoli , SW Ag. Petros, 1100 m, 37°18 '49N, 22°30 '37E, 22.III.1997, V. Assing / Holotypus ♂ Proteinus angulatusangulatus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2007" (cAss) . Paratypes: 1 ♂: " Sicilia, Ragusa, ex coll. Eppelsheim " ( NHMW) ; 4 ♂ ♂, 3 ♀♀: " For. Malabotta (Floresta-ME), leg. Brandmayr / M1 24.5.81, Aquifolio-Fagetum" (cZan, cAss) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀: same data, but "M10" (cZan) ; 2 ♀♀: same data, but "30.V.82" (cZan) ; 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀: " Basilicata, Accettura b. Montepiano ( MT), 1050 m, 14.V.1989 , leg. F. Angelini, Staz. 11, sp. n. 52 (cZan, cAss).

Description:

Of relatively small average size; body length 2.1-2.5 mm (abdomen extended); width of pronotum 0.6-0.7 mm; pronotum 1.70-1.75 times as wide as long. External morphology, including the male secondary sexual characters, as in P. crenulatus , except for the slightly more transverse pronotum; reliably distinguished only by the morphology of the aedeagus.

♂: aedeagus 0.41-0.44 mm long; ventral process distinctly sinuate in lateral view (similar to condition in P. abditus )) and apically somewhat angled; dorsal plate strongly bent in lateral view and apically of characteristic shape (lateral view); flagellum almost straight, shorter and less slender than in P. crenulatuscrenulatus ( Figs. 13-17 ).

Etymology: The name (Latin, adjective: angled) refers to the shape of the aedeagal apex.

Comparative notes:

Among the species of the P. crenulatus group, the aedeagus is most similar to that of P. abditus , but distinguished by the angled apex of the ventral process (compare Figs 12 and 17 ), the less stout, less strongly sclerotised, and straight flagellum (compare Figs 7-11 and 13-16 ), the shape of the apex of the dorsal plate (compare Figs 12 and 17 ), as well as by the slightly smaller size.

Distribution and bionomics:

The species is currently known only from the Pelopónnisos ( Greece), as well as from Basilicata and Sicily ( Italy) ( Map 2 ). The holotype was sifted from the leaf litter in an oak forest with Erica undergrowth; at least part of the paratypes from Sicily were collected in beech forests. As far as is specified on the labels, the specimens were collected in March and May at intermediate altitudes (1050-1100 m) .

Figures

Map 2: Distributions of Proteinus abditus sp. n. (open squares), P. angulatus sp. n. (filled squares), P. hamatustus sp. n. (open circles), and P. tronqueti sp. n. (filled circles) in Europe.

Figs 12-21: Proteinus abditusabditus sp. n. (12), P.angulatusangulatus sp. n. (13-17), P. tronquetitronqueti sp. n. (18-19), and P. hamatus sp. n. (20-21): apical part of aedeagus in lateral view (12, 17); aedeagus in lateral view (13-15, 18-21) of males from Greece (13; holotype), Sicily (14), Basilicata (15), Corsica (18-19; 18: holotype), northern Spain (20; holotype), and southwestern France (21); apical part of aedeagus in dorsal view (16). Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 2-11: Proteinus crenulatus PANDELLÉ (2-6) and P. abditus sp. n. (7-11): aedeagus in lateral view (2-10) of males from France (2-3; 2: lectotype), northern Spain (4), northern Italy (5), northern Greece (6), Germany (7-9; 7: holotype; 8: Hessen; 9: Thüringen), and Romania (10); apical part of aedeagus in dorsal view of male from Romania (11). Scale bars: 0.1 mm.