Bythinus creticus BRACHAT, 2019

Assing, Volker, Brachat, Volker & Meybohm, Heinrich, 2019, Monograph of the Staphylinidae of Crete (Greece). Part II. Descriptions of new species (Insecta: Coleoptera), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 69 (2), pp. 239-289 : 283-284

Bythinus creticus BRACHAT spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5A5439A5-BB04-41D0-897E-3769BA046964

( Figs 162–163 )

Type material: Holotype ♂: “GR – Crete [16], Psiloritis Nida Plateau , 1510 m, SW Anogia , sifted, 35°13'09"N, 24°50'01"E, 12.IV.2014, V. Assing / Bythinus creticus spec. nov. ♂, det. Brachat 2.2019 / Holotypus” ( cBra).

Etymology: The specific epithet (adjective) is derived from Crete, where this species is endemic.

Description: Body length 1.22 mm. Coloration: body dark reddish-brown, with the legs, antennae, and palpi slightly paler. Pubescence rather sparse, yellowish, and nearly depressed. Punctation of pronotum sparse and fine, that of elytra denser and less fine.

Head transverse, length 0.24 mm, width 0.28 mm; width of frontal lobe 0.13 mm; vertex with median carina. Eyes large, longer than the weakly convex temples in dorsal view. Antenna short, 0.48 mm long, with three-jointed club; scapus longer than broad (length 0.08 mm; width 0.06 mm); pedicel oval, slightly narrower than scapus, 1.2 times as long as broad; antennomeres III–VIII distinctly narrower than I and II, III weakly transverse, IV–VIII distinctly transverse, IX and X strongly transverse and distinctly broader than VIII, and XI oval, 1.5 times as long as broad.

Pronotum weakly transverse (length 0.30 mm; width 0.32 mm), broadest in anterior third, with rounded lateral margins; basally with a median keel anteriorly reaching slightly beyond basal impression.

Elytra nearly as long as head and pronotum combined, weakly transverse (length 0.5 mm; width: 0.6 mm), with marked humeral angles and with short discal impression. Hind wings present. Legs slender. Abdomen short, 0.17 mm long.

♂: head ventrally with deeply bordered transverse impression, this impression anteriorly excised and with a cluster of setae on either side; maxillary palpomere IV approximately twice as long as broad (length 0.16 mm; width 0.09 mm), medio-dorsally with a shallow depression with a flat tubercle directed towards apex of palpomere ( Fig. 162 ); metatibia near apex with a minute spine; aedeagus 0.24 mm long and shaped as in Fig. 163 .

♀: unknown. According to BESUCHET (pers. comm.), Paganetti-Hummler collected a Bythinus female in Crete, which may belong to this species.

Comparative notes: Bythinus creticus belongs to the species group of B. hopffgarteni REITTER, 1882 and is similar to B. parvipenis MEGGIOLARO, 1966 ( Cyprus and South Turkey) and B. vicinides NEWTON, 2015 (Southeast Turkey, Lebanon). It is distinguished from both of them by the shape of the tubercle on palpomere IV and by less curved lateral internal structures of the aedeagus, from B. vicinides additionally by the unmodified pedicel.

Distribution and natural history: The type locality is situated in the Psiloritis range, Central Crete. The holotype was collected by sifting litter and grass roots in a north slope with scattered oak trees at an altitude of 1510 m.

Figures

Figs 156–173: Amauronyx chanianus (156), A. occidens (157),A. askifouicus (158), Bryaxismeybohmianus (159–161), Bythinus creticus (162–163), Euplectus assingi(164),Faronus meybohmi (165), F.lefkamontium (166),F.albimontium(167),Tychus chanianus (168), and Sepedophilus creticus (169–173): aedeagus in dorsal and ventral view (156–158, 160, 163–168, 172); antennomeres I–II (159); internal structures of aedeagus (161); maxillary palpomere IV (162); habitus (169); male sternite VIII (170); male tergites IX–X (171); apical portion of aedeagus (173). Scale bars: 169: 1.0 mm; 170–172: 0.2 mm; 156–161, 163–168, 173: 0.1 mm; 162 without scale.