Pseudomedon afghanicus, Assing, 2008

Assing, V., 2008, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Palaearctic Paederinae and Xantholinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (2), pp. 1237-1294 : 1256-1258

Pseudomedon afghanicus nov.sp. ( Figs 29-31 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: " J. Klapperich, Kandahar - Kuna, 950 m, 30.1.53, S- Afghanistan / Holotypus Pseudomedon afghanicus sp. n. det. V. Assing 2008" ( NHMW).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 3.3 mm. Coloration: forebody, including appendages, reddish-yellow; abdomen dark-brown, with the apex (posterior part of segment VII and segments VIII-X paler.

Head approximately 1.05 times as long as wide, not distinctly dilated posteriad; surface with fine and dense punctation. Eyes slightly more than half the length of postocular region in dorsal view ( Fig. 29 ). Antennae approximately 0.9 mm long; antennomere III approximately as long as II; IV-V approximately 1.5 times as long as wide; VI-VII weakly oblong; VIII approximately as wide as long; IX-X weakly transverse ( Fig. 30 ).

Pronotum 1.1 times as long as wide and 1.1 times as wide as head; surface with fine and dense punctation (similar to that of head) and without impunctate midline ( Fig. 29 ).

Elytra 1.2 times as wide and at suture approximately as long as pronotum; surface with very dense punctation and matt, with distinctly less luster than head and pronotum ( Fig. 29 ).

Abdomen slightly narrower than elytra; punctation dense and distinct on anterior tergites (III-V), somewhat finer and sparse on posterior tergites.

: posterior margin of sternite VIII shallowly concave in the middle; aedeagus 0.33 mm long, ventral process conspicuously broad in lateral view ( Fig. 31 ).

E t y m o l o g y: The name (adjective) is derived from Afghanistan.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Pseudomedon afghanicus is readily separated from all its congeners by the distinctive shape of the aedeagus. In external appearance (coloration, size) the species resembles the Eastern Mediterranean Pseudomedon dido (SAULCY) , from which it is additionally distinguished by the more slender body, particularly the more slender head (in P. dido wider than long), the much shorter antennae ( P. dido :> 1.2 mm long; antennomeres IV-VI approximately twice as wide as long), and the much larger eyes. The species is also very similar to Luzea caucasica , with which the holotype was confounded in the collections at the NHMW and which was found in the same locality (see section 3.1.6). Pseudomedon afghanicus is distinguished from L. caucasica by the less densely punctured and more glossy head, the slightly longer antennae, the shorter elytra (in L. caucasica longer than the pronotum), by the much more oblong tergite and sternite VIII, and by the completely different morphology of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: The type locality is situated near Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. The holotype was collected at an altitude of 950 m in January. Additional bionomic data are unknown.

Figures

Figs 29-36: Pseudomedon afghanicus nov.sp. (29-31), P. kazakhstanicus nov.sp. (32-34), and Luzea caucasica (LUZE) (35-36): (29) forebody; (30) antenna; (31, 33-34, 36) aedeagus in lateral view; (32, 35): male sternite VIII. Scale bars: 29: 0.5 mm; 30, 32, 35: 0.2 mm; 31, 33-34, 36: 0.1 mm.