Afropselaphus aequalis, Brachat & Assing, 2021

Brachat, Volker & Assing, Volker, 2021, The Afropselaphus fauna of South Turkey and the Middle East (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 53 (2), pp. 545-568 : 566

Afropselaphus aequalis nov.sp. ( Fig. 30 , Map 1 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype ♁: " N32°57'20 E035°19'55 Israel Upper Galilee Harashim 830 m Meybohm 21.3.2011 " / Afropselaphus aequalis spec. nov. ♁ det. Brachat 2021 / Holotypus " (cBra).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective) alludes to the symmetric internal structure of the aedeagus.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 1.70 mm. Other measurements (in mm): HL: 0.36; HW: 0.27; AL: 0.80; PL: 0.30; PW: 0.28; EL: 0.40; EW: 0.63; AedL: 0.36.

Head 1.3 times as long as broad. Eyes composed of 7 ommatidia. Antennae with antennomeres I-VIII and XI weakly oblong and IX and X as long as broad. Pronotum distinctly shorter and slightly broader than head, without median ante-basal fovea.

♁: metaventrite weakly convex; sternite IV with distinct oval medio-basal impression extending to middle of sternite, lateral margins of this impression with a series of short setae; aedeagus ( Fig. 30 ) apically with truncate median extension curved ventrad; internal structure of distinctive shape.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Afropselaphus aequalis is distinguished from the similar and geographically close A. inaequalis only by the shape of the internal structure of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y: The type locality is situated in Upper Galilee, North Israel ( Map 1 ). The holotype was sifted from litter and grass on a road margin with shrubs.

Figures

Map 1: Distribution of Afropselaphus muglanus (black triangle), A. pisidicus (white triangle), A. tenuispinosus (grey triangles), A. wolfi (black stars), A. frederici (white star), A. cilicicus (grey star), A. longispinosus (white circles), A. spoliatus (black circles), A. bispinosus (grey circles), A. clavigeroides (black diamonds), A. assmanni (white diamond), A. aequalis (black square), and A. meybohmi (white square).

Figs 29-31: Afropselaphus inaequalis nov.sp. (29), A. aequalis nov.sp. (30), and A. assmanni nov.sp. (31): aedeagus in dorsal view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.