Leptobium convexicolle, Assing, 2009

Assing, V., 2009, A revision of Leptobium CASEY. III. A new species from Iran and additional records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1247-1252 : 1250-1252

Leptobium convexicolle nov.sp. ( Figs 1-5 , Map 3)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " Iran, Prov. Mazandaran [IR08-17], Chalus County, Elburz Mts., N-slope, 7 km N Makarud, small stream, Fagus forest , 1245 m, 36°35'64.9"N, 51°09'55.4"E [recte: 36°35.649'N, 51°09.554'E], 03.VI.2008, leg. A. Pütz / Holotypus 3 Leptobium convexicolle sp.n. det. V. Assing 2009" (cAss).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Measurements (in mm) and ratios (holotype): length of head (HL): 1.15; head width (HW): 1.07; width of pronotum (PW): 1.14; length of pronotum (PL): 1.30; length of elytra (EL): 0.83; length of metatibia (TiL): 1.03; length of metatarsus (TaL): 0.93; length of median lobe of aedeagus: 1.55; total length: 8.5; HL/HW: 1.08; PW/HW: 1.07; PL/PW: 1.14; EL/PL: 0.64; TiL/TaL: 1.11.

Coloration of the L. illyricum type: head and pronotum black; elytra reddish; abdomen

black, with the apex (posterior 2/5 of segment VII, segments VIII-X) reddish; legs and antennae pale-reddish.

Head weakly oblong (see ratio HL/HW); macropunctation coarse, sparse, with interspersed micropunctation. Eyes not distinctly projecting from lateral contours of head and small, approximately half the length of postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 2 ).

Pronotum sligthly broader than head (see ratio PW/HW) and weakly oblong (see ratio PL/PW), strongly convex in cross-section; lateral margins convex in dorsal view; punctation similar to that of head, irregularly spaced ( Fig. 2 ).

Elytra short (see ratio EL/PL). Hind wings absent.

Abdomen with rather sparse punctation and with shallow transverse microsculpture; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

3: posterior incision of sternite VII slightly less than half the length of sternite ( Fig. 3 ); aedeagus 1.55 mm long; dorsal plate almost symmetric, apically very acute, and without distinct dorsal carinae; ventral process weakly asymmetric ( Figs 4-5 ).

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: In the key in ASSING (2005 a), the new species would key out at couplet 36, together with L. syriacum . From this species, L. convexicolle is distinguished by smaller eyes, a less densely punctate and less oblong pronotum with convex lateral margins (dorsal view), shorter elytra, the complete absence of a palisade fringe at the posterior margin of the less extensively reddish abdominal tergite VII, and particularly by the different morphology of the aedeagus (distinctly smaller, symmetric and apically more acute dorsal plate, and weakly asymmetric ventral process).

E t y m o l o g y: The name (Latin, adjective: with convex pronotum) refers to the conspicuously convex pronotum, one of the characters distinguishing this species from similar congeners.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: ThetypelocalityissituatedinMazandaran province, northern Iran. The holotype was collected in a beech forest near a stream at an altitude of approximately 1250 m.

Figures

Figs 1-5: Leptobium convexicolle nov.sp.: (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) male sternite VIII; (4-5) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view. Scale bars: 1-2: 1.0 mm; 3-5: 0.5 mm.