Cephennium (Macroderus) alacantae, 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 : 925-926

Cephennium (Macroderus) alacantae nov.sp. ( Figs 12-14 , 59-64 , Map 3 )

Type material: Holotype ♂: "15.3.95 Spanien, Prov. Alicante, Sierra Bernia 800 m, leg. Meybohm / Holotypus ♂ Cephennium alacantae sp. n. det. V. Assing 2020" ( cAss) . Paratypes: 9♂♂, 3♀♀: same data as holotype (cAss) ; 8♂♂, 3♀♀: "14.3.78 Spanien, Prov. Alicante, Sierra de Bernia " (cAss) ; 1♂: same data, but 26.3.78 (cAss) ; 3♂♂, 2♀♀: same data, but 19.3.78 (cAss) ; 7♂♂, 1♀: "17.3.94 Spanien, Prov. Alicante , Sierra Aitana, 1300 m, leg. Meybohm " (cAss) ; 1♂, 1♀ [teneral]: "E Alicante (51) Sierra de Aitana , 1350 m, N38°39'15 W0°15'35, 7.10.2008 leg. Meybohm " (cAss) ; 2♀♀ [teneral]: "E Alicante (47) Sierra de Aitana , 950 m, N38°38'28 W0°11'04, 7.10.2008 leg. Meybohm " (cAss) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is the genitive of Alacant, the Valencian name for Alicante, where the species was found and where it is probably endemic.

Description: Body length 1.35-1.55 mm. Body ( Fig. 12 ) robust and strongly convex in cross-section; colouration reddish to brown.

Antennae slender, 0.7-0.8 mm long; antennomeres VI and VIII not transverse, VII only indistinctly longer and larger than VI and VIII at most, and IX and X weakly transverse, less than 1.5 times as broad as long. Eyes composed of approximately five large ommatidia without, or with weak, pigmentation.

Pronotum large, strongly convex in cross-section, 1.3-1.4 times as broad as long, and very glossy; punctation sparse and extremely fine, barely noticeable even at high magnification (100 x); pubescence long and suberect to depressed; interstices without trace of microsculpture.

Elytra slightly broader than pronotum, strongly convex in cross-section; anteriorly with pronounced lateral humeral carina, without supra-humeral carina; anterior impressions tomentose and of subcircular shape, posteriorly extending into a conspicuous sulcus of approximately the combined length of the basal 4-5 antennomeres ( Fig. 14 ); pubescence similar to that of pronotum. Metaventrite ( Fig. 13 ) practically impunctate and very glossy. Legs without appreciable sexual dimorphism; all tibiae more or less distinctly clavate, i.e., narrow in basal half and distinctly dilated in apical half.

♂: metaventrite distinctly impressed ( Fig. 13 ); aedeagus ( Figs 59-64 ) of robust shape, 0.38-0.44 mm long; median lobe apically convex in ventral view; internal structures distinctive; parameres slender, apically not extending to apex of median lobe, and with moderately long apical seta.

Intraspecific variation: The aedeagus of the males from Sierra de Bernia is constantly larger (0.42-0.44 mm) than that of males from Sierra de Aitana (0.38-0.39 mm). However, in other respects (shape of ventral process, internal structures), the aedeagi are identical ( Figs 59-64 ). Therefore, the size difference is attributed to intra- rather than interspecific variation.

Comparative notes: This species is distinguished from C. divergens , the only previously described Macroderus species, by significantly larger size alone.

Distribution and natural history: The species was found in two mountains (Sierra de Bernia, Sierra de Aitana) in Alicante, Southeast Spain ( Map 3 ). The altitudes range from 800 to 1350 m. Three females collected in October are teneral.

Figures

Map 3: Distributions of Cephennium asturicum (black circles; based on Besuchet (unpubl.) and examined material) and of species of the subgenus Macroderus in the Iberian Peninsula: C. alacantae (black triangles); C. cujonicum (white diamond); C. segurae (black diamond); C. verrens (white circles); C. cazorlae (black square); C. nevadae (black star); C. malagae (white triangles).

Figs 12-16: Male habitus of species of the subgenus Macroderus in dorsal (12, 15-16), ventral (13), and in lateral view (14): (12-14) Cephennium alacantae; (15) C. cujonicum; (16) C. verrens. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figs 59-64: Cephennium alacantae from Sierra de Bernia (59-61) and Sierra de Aitana (62-64): (59-64) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.