Quedius (Raphirus) novus Eppelsheim, 1892

Salnitska, Maria & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2018, Revision of the Quedius fauna of Middle Asia (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 65 (2), pp. 117-159 : 133-134

Quedius (Raphirus) novus Eppelsheim, 1892 Figs 3E, 17

Quedius dzambulensis Coiffait, 1967, syn. n. (Fig. 16)

Quedius novus Eppelsheim, 1892, 331 (original description); Gridelli 1925, 125; Wüsthoff 1938 (illustration of aedeagus); Coiffait 1963, 389 (characters); Coiffait 1970, 143 (distribution records); Coiffait 1978, 228 (notes); Boháč 1988, 556 (distribution records; notes); Smetana 1995a, 84 (distribution records); Klimenko 1996, 121 (distribution records); Kadyrov et al. 2014a, 31; 2014b, 49 (distribution records).

Quedius dzambulensis Coiffait, 1967, 403 (original description); Coiffait 1978, 229 (characters, distribution records); Boháč 1988, 556 (notes); Kascheev 2001, 102 (distribution records).

Material examined.

Type material examined.

Quedius novus: Uzbekistan: Lectotype (here designated), ♂, "novus Epp. Taschkent Leder. [handwritten]/ c. Epplsh. Steind. d. [printed]/ Typus [printed]" (NMW); Paralectotypes, 2 ♀, same data as in lectotype; 2 ♂, 2 ♀, same data as in lectotype, but without "novus Epp. Taschkent Leder."; 1 ♂, same data as in lectotype, but "♂/ novus Epp. Deutsch. ent. Zeit. 1892. P. 331 [handwritten]"; 1 ♀, "Taschkent Leder.Reitter. [printed]/ Quedius novus Epph. n.sp. [handwritten]/ 95"; 1 ♀, "Tasckkend [sic!] Reitter. [printed]/ Collect. Hauser [printed]"; 1 ♀, "Taschkend Leder. Reitter. [printed]" (NMW); 1 ♂, "Tashkent, Leder, Reitter [printed]/ Q. novus Epp. J. Boháč det. 1983 [handwritten]" (ZIN); 1 ♀, "Tashkent, Leder, Reitter [printed]/ Q. novus Epp. [handwritten]/ Q. novus Epp. J. Boháč det. 1983 [handwritten]/ Quedius dzambulensis Coiff. A. Solodovnikov det. 1997 [handwritten]" (ZIN)

Quedius dzambulensis: Holotype, "Turkestan Aulie Ata [printed]/ Aulie [handwritten]/ Quedius pyrenaeus Coll. Reitter [pre-printed]/ Holotype [printed]/ Q. (Sauridus) dzambulensis Coiff. H. Coiffait det. 1967" (Fig. 16D) (HNHM).

Additional material examined.

Uzbekistan: 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Chatkal Mt. Ridge, Ters River bank up-stream of Yangibazar, 27.IV.1986, I.A. Belousov leg. (cRyv);1 ♂, Chatkal Nature Reserve, bank of small rill, wet ground, Poaceae gen. sp., Equisetum sp., moss, 19.IX.1983, K.Yu. Eskov leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, 60 km W Jizzakh, near Asmansay, by the stream, 15.V.1986, B.V. Iskakov leg. (ZIN); 1 ♂, 2 ♀, 60 km W Jizzakh, by the stream, Nuratau Mt., 14.V.1986, B.V. Iskakov leg. (ZIN); 1 ♂, "Trkst., Mnt. Nurata, UCHUN Glasunov 1892" [Nurata Distr., Nurata] (ZIN); 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Aman Kutan River 12.VI.1932, V.V. Gussakovsky leg. (ZIN); same locality and collector, but 1 ♀, 05.VII.1932 (ZIN); 4 ♂, 3 ♀, Agalyk, Samarkand, 22 –23.Х.1935, Y.D. Kirschenblat leg. (ZIN); 4 ♂, 2 ♂, Kugitangtau Mts, near Kampyrtepa, Kampyrtepa say, under stones near stream, 1400 m a.s.l., 10.V.1984, A.V. Tanasevitch leg. (cRyv); same locality and collector, leaf litter near stream, 1600-1700 m a.s.l., 17-19.V.1984 (cRyv); Kazakhstan: 1 ♂, Almaty Area, Dzhungarskiy Alatau Mts, 6 km NE Rudnichnyi, Koksu River canyon, 1300-1400 m a.s.l., 44°41'N, 78°58'E, Betula sp., Populus , Picea etc. forest, 09-10.VI.2001, S.I. Golovatch leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Dzhungarskiy Alatau Mts, S slope, E ridge, middle reaches of Ispul River, 1900 m a.s.l., litter in Abies forest, 14.VIII.1991, A.V. Tishechkin leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Almaty Area, Talgar District, Ak-Bulak, 2700 m a.s.l., 43.1613N, 77.2404E, 24.V.2014, O. Nakladal leg. (cKoc); 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Aksu-Dzhabagly, Isbala River, 15-25.VI.1983, B.V. Iskakov leg. (ZIN); 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Aksu-Dzhabagly, Taldy-Bulak River, 10-20.IV.1979, B.V. Iskakov leg. (ZIN); 1 ♂, Aksu-Dzhabagly, Ulken-Kaindy River, 15.VI.1991, V.A. Kastcheev leg. (ZIN); 1 ♂, SW slopes of Ugamskij Range, Silbili River, 18.VI.2004, A.V. Matalin leg. (cSch); 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Karzhantau, Kaskasu River, 10-12.VII.1983, B.V. Iskakov leg. (ZIN); 2 ♂, 2 ♀, Karzhantau, 30 km E Leninskoe, Karabau River valley, 01-05.VII.1983, B.V. Iskakov leg. (ZIN); 1 ♂, Urochishe Shilikti, 05.VI.2010, K.V. Makarov, A.V. Matalin leg. (cSch); Kyrgyzstan: 1 ♂, Kyrgyz Alatau, under Salix sp., 09.VII.2010, 72°28' 38.6N, 42°48' 49.2E, V.A. Kastcheev leg. (ZIN); 3 ♂, Osh Area, Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve, “head” of Sary-Chelek Lake, 1940-1945 m a.s.l., lake shore and bottom of partly dried rill with Carex spp., Equisetum sp., Juncus sp., Phragmites australis , etc., 12.VIII.1983, A.B. Ryvkin leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Tien Shan, Baubash-Ata Mt. Ridge, near Arslanbob, 1800-1900 m a.s.l., scrub, litter & under stones, 19.V.1993, S.I. Golovatch leg. (cRyv);1 ♂, Aruktau 25 km Kyzyl-Kiya, IV.1966, O.L. Kryzhanovsky leg. (ZIN); Tajikistan: 1 ♀, "Seravshan Kumar Glasunov 1892/ Q. dzambulensis J. Boháč det. 1983" (ZIN); 1 ♂, "Seravshan Kschtut. Artutsch. Glasunov 1892/ Q. dzambulensis J. Boháč det. 1983/ Quedius dzambulensis Coiff. A. Solodovnikov det. 1997" (ZIN); 1 ♀, "Seravshan Fl. Magian Glasunov 1892/ Q. dzambulen sis J. Boháč det. 1983/ Quedius dzambulensis Coiff. A. Solodovnikov det. 1997" (ZIN); 1 ♂, "Trkst. Jagnob Kol Glasunov 1892/ Q. dzambulensis Epp. J. Boháč det. 1983" (ZIN); 3 ♂, Zeravshan Mt. Ridge, Chap-Dara River valley, 2500 m a.s.l., 26.VI.1983, S.K. Alekseev leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Kondara, under stones near aryk, 03.VI.1973, V.V. Yanushev leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Warsob, 03.V.1988, S.V. Saluk leg. (cRyv); 1 ♂, Pamir-Alai, Hisaar Mts, Adshuk-Cleft near Warsob, 1200 m a.s.l., 01-03.VII.1990, M. Schülke & D.W. Wrase leg. (CSch); 1 ♂, 2 ♀, "♀ or ♂/ Mts Karateghin Baldschuan 924 m. F. Hauser 1898/ novus / ex. coll. Scheerpleltz" (NMW); 2 ♂, 1 ♀, "♀ or ♂/ Mts. Karateghin Baldschuan 924 m. F. Hauser 1898/ novus Epp./ ex. coll. Breit/ ex. coll. Scheerpleltz" (NMW); 1 ♂, "♀/ Mts. Karateghin Baldschuan 924 m. F. Hauser 1898/ Quedius novus Epp. det. Bernhauer/ ex. coll. Scheerpleltz" (NMW); 2 ♂, 1 ♀,"♀/ Mts. Karateghin Baldschuan 924 m. F. Hauser 1898/ Collect. Hauser / Q. novus Epp. Bernh.d." (NMW); 3 ♀, "♀/ Mts. Karateghin Baldschuan 924 m. F. Hauser 1898/ Collect. Hauser" (NMW); 3 ♀, "♀/ Mt. Karateghin Sary-pul 1482 m. F. Hauser 1898/ Collect. Hauser" (NMW); 1 ♂, 2 ♀, "Collect. Hauser" (NMW); 1 ♀, near Muminobod, 1300 m a.s.l., 15.V.1962, O.L. Kryzhanovsky leg. (ZIN); Tajikistan or Uzbekistan: 1 ♂, "Seravshan Boschara Glasunov 1892/ Q. dzambulensis J. Boháč det. 1983" (ZIN); 4 ♂, 2 ♀, "Seravshan Putchin pass. Glasunov 1892/ Q. dzambulensis J. Boháč det. 1983" (ZIN).

Comments on taxonomy and lectotype designation.

In the original description of Q. novus , Eppelsheim (1892) stated that he had examined numerous specimens from Tashkent and one from Margelan [Margilan in Uzbekistan]. He also stated in the introduction of that study that he received material from ‘Turkestan’ from multiple collections of Hauser, Staudinger and Reitter. In particular, he mentioned that the material from Tashkent from Reitter’s collection was collected by Leder. In NMW altogether we found 11 conspecific specimens, all originally from Eppelsheim’s collection (with printed label "c.Epplsh. Steind."), whose morphology and label data match with the original description. We consider all of them to be syntypes. Of them, 8 specimens (on 5 pins) were earlier supplied with the curatorial printed red labels “types”; only two specimens have what we consider Eppelsheim’s hand written labels " novus Epp. Taschkent Leder." and one specimen having " novus Epp. Deutsch. ent. Zeit. 1892. P. 331" label in a different handwriting probably attached by somebody later, after the species description was published. Also in the ZIN collection we found two more specimens conspecific with the syntypes at NMW and with the label "Taschkent Leder. Reitter" indicating that they are likely to be syntypes as well. Examination of all syntypes confirms that previous authors correctly interpreted this species. In order to fix its identity, here we designate one male syntype from NMW as the lectotype. Due to the intraspecific variability (Figs 16, 17) and resulting new synonymy Q. novus = Q. dzhambulensis (see below), we chose a syntype for lectotypification which has a more narrow longitudinal row of sensory peg setae on the paramere, best matching Coiffait’s (1967) illustration for Q. novus .

Comments on the new synonym.

The aedeagus of Q. novus was first illustrated by Wüsthoff (1938) based on non-type material. Coiffait (1963, 1970, 1978) redescribed the species, also illustrated the aedeagus and provided more records for Q. novus from Uzbekistan. Our examination of syntypes proved both Wüsthoff’s and Coiffait’s interpretation of this species was correct. Also Coiffait (1967) described Q. dzambulensis from Dzambul (Kazakhstan) (Fig. 16), a species which seemed to be very similar to Q. novus even from the illustrations of the aedeagi for both species.

Later, Boháč (1988) examined material from the ZIN collection and provided new records from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan of Q. dzambulensis and only one record from Uzbekistan for Q. novus . He also stated that Q. novus is very closely related to Q. dzambulensis with which it can be easily confused. We checked all material from ZIN studied by Boháč (1988) and found that, without knowing it, the only specimens he identified as Q. novus were the syntypes of that species. All other specimens he identified as Q. dzambulensis .

Our examination of a broader sample from Middle Asia, including types of both species, showed continuous variability in the structure of the aedeagus connecting the state of Q. novus with the state of Q. dzambulensis . Sensory peg setae on the paramere vary in arrangement, from denser (as in Coiffait’s illustration for Q. novus ) to sparser (as in Coiffait’s illustration for Q. dzambulenisis ) witin a longitudinal group (Fig. 17). The mentioned variability has no geographic pattern. Therefore, we consider Q. dzambulensis Coiffait, 1967 to be a junior synonym of Q. novus Epp.

Diagnosis.

Body dark brown; elytra with lighter colored humeri and shallow micropunctation between punctures; antennae slightly paler; scutellum without setiferous punctation. (Figs 3E, 16A) Aedeagus (Figs 16B, C; 17): ventral tooth of median lobe located remotely from its apex; median lobe and paramere very broad (Figs 16B, 17); apex of paramere obtusely pointed and sensory peg setae arranged in long wide band in the middle of paramere (Figs 16C, 17). Quedius novus can be easily distinguished from the similar Middle Asian species Quedius umbrinus by the coloration and micropunctation of elytra and also by the mentioned above aedeagal characters.

Distribution.

Based on the literature data (Table 1) that proved to be reliable for this species and the material examined here, Q. novus is widely distributed in Middle Asia and appears the most common in southern Kazakhstan, eastern Uzbekistan, western Kyrgyzstan and northeastern Tajikistan (Fig. 17).

Bionomics.

Quedius novus prefers various wet ground based plant debris or moss usually near water bodies. It seems to occur both in forested and open habitats, up to 2700 m. Occasionally it was also found under stones and in dung.