Quedius (s. str.) vicinus Menetries , 1832

Salnitska, Maria & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2018, Revision of the Quedius fauna of Middle Asia (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 65 (2), pp. 117-159 : 122

Quedius (s. str.) vicinus Menetries, 1832 Fig. 2C

Quedius vicinus Ménétriés, 1832, 144 (original description); Faldermann 1835, 129 (distribution records); Gusarov 1993, 73 (lectotype designation, = Q. libanicus Coiffait); Assing and Wunderle 2001, 37 (distribution records); Hachikov 2003, 46 (illustration of aedeagus); Ghahari 2009, 2012, 5; Assing and Feldmann 2012; Özgen et al. 2016, 621.

Quedius libanicus Coiffait, 1954, 160 (original description); 1955, 427 (notes); 1978, 195 (characters); Jarrige 1971, 497; Korge 1971, 11; Boháč 1988, 554 [= 1989: 38] (characters, distribution records).

Material examined.

Kazakhstan: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 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); Turkmenistan: 2 ♀, N Kopetdag, Firjusa-Cleft near Aschabad, 07.V.1989, D.W. Wrase leg. (cSch); 4 ♂, Firjusa, 25.V.1903, K.O. Anger, A. Jakovleva leg. (ZIN); 4 ♂, 2 ♂, Kopetdag, Chili River valley, 23-24.VIII.1935, L.V. Arnoldi leg.; 1 ♂, W Kopetdag, Kara-Kala [Garrygala], canyon Porchai, to light, village of the Nature Reserve, 05.IX.1986, A.L. Lobanov leg.; 3 ♂, Kopetdag, Firjusa, 07.V.1968, G.S. Medvedev leg. (ZIN); 1 ♂, Kara-Kala, 29. IV– 03.V.1989, S. Bečvář leg. (cSch).

Comments on taxonomy, distribution and bionomics.

Gusarov (1993) clarified the identity and synonymy of Q. vicinus . A description and the illustrations of the aedeagus for this species can be found, for example, in Coiffait (1954, 1978, as Q. libanicus ), Boháč (1988, as Q. libanicus ), and Hachikov (2003). By the brown body with reddish elytra, frons without additional setiferous punctures between anterior frontal punctures and by punctate scutellum, Q. vicinus can be distinguished from all other Middle Asian species of the nominal Subgenus Quedius s. str. based on the external characters alone. The aedeagus of this species, with the parameral apex pointing outwards from the median lobe, is also very characteristic.

Based on literature data it is a common species in Western Asia. In Middle Asia it was known only from Turkmenistan ( Boháč 1988, as Q. libanicus ). Based on the newly examined material Q. vicinus is recorded for the first time from southern Kazakhstan (Karatau Mountains). The species prefers ground based debris and leaf litter, but also was found ( Coiffait 1955, as Q. libanicus ) in caves. Specimens from Middle Asia were collected along rivers, in ground traps and at light.

Subgenus Microsaurus Dejean, 1833