Quedius (Microsaurus) capitalis 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 : 123-124

Quedius (Microsaurus) capitalis Eppelsheim, 1892 Fig. 7

Quedius capitalis Eppelsheim 1892, 329 (original description); Gridelli 1924, 40 (characters); Coiffait 1978, 148 (characters and illustration of aedeagus); Kadyrov et al. 2014a, 31 and 2014b, 49 (distributional records).

Material examined.

Type material: Uzbekistan: Syntypes: 1 ♂, "♂/ c.Epplsh. Steind. d. [printed]/ Qu. capitalis Epp. Type Taschkent, Leder [handwritten]/ Typus"; 1 ♂, "♂/ capitalis Epp. Taschkent Leder. [handwritten]/ Typus" (Fig. 7E, F) (NMW).

Additional material.

Uzbekistan: 2 ♀, Tien Shan, Aktasch, near Taschkent, 2000 m a.s.l., 13.VII.1984, D.W. Wrase leg. (cSch); Kazakhstan: 3 ♂, Karatau Mts, Khantagi River, 570 m a.s.l., 43°33' 32.4N, 68°40' 52.7E, 25.VI.2011, V.A. Kastcheev leg. (ZIN); Tajikistan: 3 ♂, Mountains near Kuljab, 1500-2000 m a.s.l., 20.VI.1963, A.V. Bogachev leg. (ZMMU).

Comments on taxonomy and type material.

In the original description, Eppelsheim (1892) mentioned morphological characters of both males and females and stated that the species was known to him from a few specimens from ‘’Tashkent’’. As we learn from the introduction in his paper, specimens were collected by Hans Leder. Both male specimens from NMW labeled as “types” of Q. capitalis originally come from Eppelsheim’s collection and their morphology and label information fit the original description; therefore they are syntypes.

We have examined aedeagi of both syntypes and confirm they are conspecific. Eppelsheim (1892) compared Q. capitalis with Q. ragusai Eppelsheim, 1889. Gridelli (1924), based on the examination of a syntype, provided additional morphological details for the species including verbal description of its aedeagus (but no illustration) and placed it near Q. ochripennis . Based on a syntype male, Coiffait (1978) again redescribed this species and provided its first and hitherto the only available illustration of the aedeagus. Our examination of the syntypes of Q. capitalis confirms the correct identification of this species by both Gridelli (1924) and Coiffait (1978). In Schülke and Smetana (2015) Q. capitalis was erroneously placed in the Subgenus Raphirus . Here we redescribe this poorly known species and provide further data on its distribution.

Redescription.

Measurements and ratios (range, arithmetic mean; n = 10): HL: 0.8-1.3 (1.0); HW: 0.8-1.5 (1.1); PL: 0.9-1.6 (1.3); PW: 1.1-1.8 (1.4); EL: 1.2-2.0 (1.6); EW: 1.2-1.9 (1.5); FB: 2.9-4.7 (3.9); TL: 6.5-9.3 (7.8); HL/HW: 0.8-1.1 (1.0); PL/PW: 0.8-1.0 (0.9); EL/EW: 1.0-1.2 (1.1).

Body black to dark brown, hind margins of abdominal tergites slightly paler; elytra reddish; palpi and other appendages slightly lighter; body glossy (Fig. 7A, B).

Head approximately as wide as long or slightly longer; eyes small, not convex; temples as long as longitudinal diameter of eye; posterior frontal puncture closer to posterior margin of head than to anterior frontal puncture; temporal puncture closer to posterior margin of head than to posterior margin of eye; two vertical punctures behind posterior frontal puncture arranged as slightly oblique line between posterior margin of eye and dorsal part of neck; microsculpture of head with transverse distinct wavelines.

Antennae moderately long, antennal segments: 3rd longer than 2nd, 4 th– 10th gradually widening towards apex of antenna.

Pronotum slightly wider than long, widest at about middle to posterior third; hind angles rounded but distinct; dorsal and sublateral rows each with three punctures; microsculpture with transverse waves as on posterior part of head. Scutellum impunctate with microsculpture slightly coarser than on pronotum. Elytra parallel-sided, slightly longer than wide, longer than pronotum, their punctation dense, interspaces shiny with distinct minute irregularities.

Abdomen: punctation fine and dense; interspaces with minute irregularities; posterior margin of tergite VII with palisade fringe.

Male: protarsi with tarsomeres 1-4 dilated stronger than in females. Sternite VIII with weak triangular medio-apical emargination; tergite X triangular with setae; sternite IX elongate, gradually narrowed apically, with moderately wide and long basal portion and obtusely rounded apical margin with numerous setae. Aedeagus (Fig. 7C, D): median lobe parallel-sided with broad and obtuse apex and tooth located near apex (Fig. 7 C). Paramere rhomboid sharply narrowing apicad; its apex almost reaching apex of median lobe, with two pairs of apical setae and two pairs of lateral setae below apex; paramere (underside) with ca. 4-8 sensory peg setae in each of two sinuate lateral rows that extend basad over pairs of lateral setae (Fig. 7D).

Comparison.

Quedius capitalis seems to be closely related to Q. fusicornis and Q. ochripennis from which it can be easily distinguished externally by smaller body size and proportions, and by the structure of paramere with two sinuate lateral rows of peg setae (ca.4-8 in each row) extending basad over pairs of lateral setae.

Distribution.

Based on the literature data (Table 1) and newly examined material, Q. capitalis is known from several localities near Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Karatau Mountains (southwestern Kazakhstan) and Hazratisho Mountains (southern Tajikistan).

Bionomics.

Unknown.