Quedius equus Smetana, 2014

Salnitska, Maria & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2018, Taxonomy of the poorly known Quedius mutilatus group of wingless montane species from Middle Asia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini), European Journal of Taxonomy 401, pp. 1-17 : 10-13

Quedius equus Smetana, 2014

Figs 1 , 4G–N

Quedius equus Smetana, 2014: 35 (original description).

Quedius equus – Solodovnikov & Hansen 2016: 8 (distribution).

Type material (not examined, listed according to Smetana 2014)

Holotype

CHINA: ♂, “CHINA: NW-Xinjiang ca 58 km WNW Baicheng right trib. of Terek riv. 42°01′ N, 81°15′ E / 31.5. – 2.6.2009 3500 m alp. meadows, screes leg. J. Kalab ” ( NMW).

Paratypes

CHINA: 2 ♂♂, same collecting data as for holotype ( Smetana 2014).

Material examined

KAZAKHSTAN: 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Karkara Valley, 2000–2500 m [42°39′20″ N, 79°13′30″ E], 18 Jul. 1989, I. Kabak leg. ( ZIN); 1 ♂, Baiankol Valley, 2500–3000 m [42°35′45″ N, 79°58′03″ E], 5 Jul. 1993, I. Kabak leg. ( ZIN); 2 ♂♂, 28 km SW of Narynkol, 3400 m, alpine meadows [42.618° N, 79.892° E], 22 Jul. 1984, B. Iskakov leg. ( ZIN).

Distribution and bionomics

Previously, Q. equus was known from the holotype and two paratypes (all males) only, collected together at the type locality in Xinjiang Province in China. New material examined here matches well with the original description and significantly expands the distribution of this species westwards ( Fig . 1). All newly studied specimens were collected at high elevations around 2000–3400 m in July. For only two of them does the label specifies alpine meadows as the habitat, which is the same as for the type material.

Comparison

Quedius equus differs from all other species in the Q. mutilatus group by the deep incision on the apex of the paramere and by fewer (1–3) sensory peg setae in the lateral groups arranged in longitudinal rows.

Figures

Fig. 4. Aedeagi in the Quedius mutilatus group. A–B. Quedius mutilatus Eppelsheim, 1888. C–D. Quedius kalabi Smetana, 1995. E–F. Quedius kungeicus sp. nov. G–N. Quedius equus Smetana, 2014 (Karkara Valley, Kazakhstan), variability of the structure of the aedeagus.A, C, E, G, I, K, M = median lobe, laterally. B, D, F, H, J, L, N = paramere (dissected from median lobe), underside (side facing median lobe). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig.1.DistributionandaedeagusvariabilityoftheQuediusmutilatusgroupintheTien-ShanMountains. Numbers are specified in Table 1. Empty symbols = typespcimens (for Q. kalabi precise locality of the holotype unknown);? = ambiguously labelled or undetermined material. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.