Sunius mallorcensis ( COIFFAIT 1970)

Assing, V. & A, North, 2008, A revision of the Sunius species of the Western Palaearctic region and Middle Asia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (1), pp. 5-135 : 59-60

4.24. Sunius mallorcensis ( COIFFAIT 1970) ( Figs 43-44 , Map 11 )

Hypomedon mallorcensis COIFFAIT 1970: 725 .

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holotype 3: "Mallorca, Sierra bei Soller, lg. H. Franz / Sp 731 [overleaf] / Holotype / Hypomedon mallorcensis Coiff. , det. H. Coiffait 1966 / Sunius mallorcensis (Coiffait) det. V. Assing 2007" ( MNHNP). " Paratypes ": 2♀♀ [1 labelled as allotype and 1 as paratype]: "Mallorca, Sierra bei Soller, lg. H. Franz / Sp 731 [overleaf] / Hypomedon mallorcensis Coiff. , det. H. Coiffait 1966" ( MNHNP, NHMW).

C o m m e n t: The original description is based on a holotype male and one female paratype from "environs de Soller, Majorque, Baléares " ( COIFFAIT 1970). It is not clear if the female " Allotype " in the Franz collection at the NHMW or the female " Paratype " in the Coiffait collection at the MHNP is the paratype specified in the original description.

A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Spain: M a l l o r c a: 1♀, Felanitx env., leg. Franz ( MHNG) ; 1♀, Puig de Macanella , 1320 m, under stone, 15.II.1998, leg. Tronquet (cTro) .

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: 3.8-4.2 mm. Coloration: pronotum and elytra reddish yellow; head of similar coloration as pronotum or slightly darker; abdomen dark brown to blackish, with the apex somewhat paler; legs and antennae dark yellowish.

Head approximately as wide as long; dorsal surface with rather coarse and moderately sparse puncturation; microsculpture absent, barely noticable traces may be visible on frons. Eyes weakly prominent and of moderate size, slightly more than half the length of postocular region in dorsal view.

Pronotum approximately 1.05 times as long as wide and about as wide as head; puncturation similar to that of head or slightly sparser.

Elytra as wide as or slightly wider than pronotum, at suture 0.75-0.85 times as long as pronotum; puncturation finer, denser, and less defined than that of head and pronotum; microsculpture absent. Hind wings reduced.

Abdomen with very fine and dense puncturation; microsculpure shallow, more distinct on tergite VII than on anterior tergites; posterior margin of tergite VII with or without narrow rudiment of a palisade fringe.

3: sternite VII with weakly concave posterior margin; sternite VII with deep posterior incision, pubescence unmodified. Aedeagus of similar morphology as in S. algiricus ; internal sac with two long and weakly sclerotised rod-like structures ( Figs 43-44 ).

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: The species is distinguished from other species of the S. bicolor group by the more or less uniformly reddish coloration of the forebody, the short elytra, and especially by the shape and internal structures of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Sunius mallorcensis has become known only from Mallorca, where it is apparently endemic.

Figures

Map 11: Distributions of Sunius bicolor (OLIVIER) (filled circles), S. mallorcensis (COIFFAIT) (open circles), and S. ibizae nov.sp. (squares), based on examined records.

Figs 42-49: Sunius algiricus (COIFFAIT), paratype (42), S. mallorcensis (COIFFAIT), holotype (43- 44), and S. ibizae nov.sp. (45-49): (42-44, 48-49) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (45-46) forebody of holotype (45) and paratype (46); (47) male sternite VIII. Scale bars: 45-46: 0.5 mm; 42-44, 47-49: 0.2 mm.