Typhlotectusa, Assing, 2019

Assing, Volker, 2019, A new genus of Oxypodina from Kyrgyzstan (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae, Oxypodini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 51 (2), pp. 1357-1362 : 1358

Genus Typhlotectusa nov.gen. ( Figs 1-10 )

T y p e s p e c i e s: Typhlotectusa frischi nov.sp.

E t y m o l o g y: The new name (gender: feminine) alludes to the complete absence of eyes and the superficial resemblance to species of the oxypodine genus Tectusa.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Species of small body size and slender habitus ( Fig. 1 ).

Head ( Figs 2-3 ) large in relation to pronotum, of orbicular shape, strongly convex in cross-section; postgenal carinae visible only posteriorly in lateral view; gular sutures broadly separated. Antenna ( Fig. 4 ) moderately long, strongly incrassate apically, and with strongly transverse antennomeres IV-X. Eyes completely absent ( Fig. 3 ). Labrum strongly transverse. Right mandible with pronounced molar tooth. Maxillary palpus ( Fig. 7 ) with relatively short palpomeres. Labium ( Fig. 4 ) with 3-jointed palpi, palpomeres moderately slender; ligula short, but slender, apically bilobed.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) slender, broadest anteriorly, only slightly broader than head. Elytra slender, of reduced length. Legs relatively short; all tarsi five-jointed; metatarsomere I shorter than combined length of metatarsomeres II and III. Ventral aspect of thorax not distinctive.

Abdomen slender, broadest at segments VI-VII; tergites III and IV with moderately deep, tergite V with shallow, and tergite VI without anterior impressions.

♂: sternite VIII ( Fig. 6 ) with weakly convex posterior margin, not produced in the middle; morphology of the median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 8-9 ) of the Oxypoda type; paramere ( Fig. 10 ) with relatively short and broad apical lobe.

♀: unknown.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Based on external characters and particularly the morphology of the aedeagus (shape and internal structures of median lobe; shape of apical lobe of paramere), the new genus belongs to the Oxypodina . Among the genera of this subtribe, it is characterized particularly by a slender habitus, a strongly convex head (cross-section) with strongly incrassate antennae, relatively short maxillary palpomeres, and a slender bilobed ligula, by a short metatarsomere I, and by the shape of the male sternite VIII (posteriorly not produced). In external appearance, the genus somewhat resembles Tectusa, from which it is additionally distinguished by a shorter and basally or medially undilated apical lobe of the paramere.

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 distribution of this genus is currently confined to East Kyrgyzstan, Middle Asia ( Map 1 ). The adaptive reductions of the eyes, hind wings, and pigmentation, as well as the available ecological data suggest that the type species is adapted to a high-altitude habitat.

Figures

Map 1: Geographic position of the type locality Typhlotectusa frischi in Middle Asia.

Figs 1-6: Typhlotectusa frischi: habitus (1); forebody in dorsal view (2); forebody in lateral view (3); labium (4); male tergite VIII (5); male sternite VIII (6). Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2-3: 0.5 mm; 5- 6: 0.2 mm; 4: 0.1 mm.

Figs 7-10: Typhlotectusa frischi: maxilla (7); median lobe of aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view (8-9); paramere (10). Scale bars: 0.1 mm.