Stenichnus (Stenichnus) aegialioides MEYBOHM, 2019

Assing, Volker, Brachat, Volker & Meybohm, Heinrich, 2019, Monograph of the Staphylinidae of Crete (Greece). Part II. Descriptions of new species (Insecta: Coleoptera), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 69 (2), pp. 239-289 : 276-277

Stenichnus (Stenichnus) aegialioides MEYBOHM spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:712D1FB1-7AB4-4C27-8CB2-05E07E8435FE

( Figs 137–138 , 146 )

Type material: Holotype ♂: “ GR Kreta Bez. Lassithi Zakros 29.5.1980 leg Brachat / Stenichnus aegialioides m. Meybohm 2018 det. / Holotypus” ( cMey) . Paratypes (all in cMey): Lassithi : 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀: same data as holotype; 1 ♂, 1 ♀: “28.3.[19]73 Ost-Kreta Zakros Tal d. Toten DrFülscher Meybohm”; 1 ♀: “26.3.[19]73 Kreta Lassithi-Hochebene DrFülscher Meybohm”; 1 ♂: “GR Kreta Lassithi (8) N35°07'02 E25°37'55 Kroustas sw 800 m 12.3.2018 leg Meybohm & Brachat”; 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [25], NE Lassithi Plateau, 35°12'45"N, 25°31'53"E, 850 m, soil washing, 30.XII.2018, V. Assing ”. Rethimno: 1 ♂: “ N35°17' E24°28' GR Kreta Rethimnon Armeni Eichenwald Meybohm 17.3.2001 ”; 1 ♂: “GR Kreta Bez. Rethimnon Dariviana b. Spili 3.4.1983 leg. Brachat”; 1 ♀: “GR – Crete [12], ESE Rethimno, S Roupes, 35°19'26"N, 24°38'53"E, 400 m, soil washing, 26.XII.2018, V. Assing ”; 1 ♂: “GR – Crete [15], Psiloritis, NE Livadia, 35°18'56"N, 24°49'07"E, 440 m, soil washing near stream, 26.XII.2018, V. Assing ”; 1 ♂, 1 ♀: “ N35°18'56 E24°49'07, GR Kreta 440 m, Livadia NE 16.3.2019, Brachat & Meybohm (8)”. Chania: 1 ♀: “25.3.[19]86 WestKreta Umg. Elos leg. H. Meybohm ”; 1 ♀: “GR Westkreta Vrysses 100 m Meybohm 21.4.2000 ”; 1 ♀: “ N35°21' E23°49' GR Westkreta Prases 800 m Meybohm 13.3.2001 ”; 2 ♀♀: “GR – Crete [15a], S Kissamos, NE Sirikari, 35°24'48"N, 23°39'04"E, 500 m, dead chestnut, 19.III.2018, V. Assing ”; 1 ♀: “ N35°21'21 E23°38'21 GR Westkreta (28) Elos 610 m 21.3.2018 l. Brachat & Meybohm”; 1 ♀: “GR – Westkreta (28) N35°21'21 E23°38'21 Elos; 610 m; 21.3.2018 leg Meybohm & Brachat”; 1 ♂: “ N35°21'31 E23°49'29 GR Westkreta (30) Prases 10 km w Omalos 760 m Brachat & Meybohm 22.3.2018 ”; 1 ♂: “ N35°25'07 E23°50'54 GR Westkreta (32) Nteres 210 m l. Brachat & Meybohm 23.3.2018 ”; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀: “ N35°21'56 E23°37'16, GR Westkreta Louchui, 550 m 20.3.2019, Brachat & Meybohm (13)”; 1 ♂, 1 ♀: “ N35°23'54 E23°54'38, GR Westkreta 440 m, Karanos W 21.3.2019, Brachat & Meybohm (14)”; 1 ♀: “ N35°19'22 E23°53'33, GR Kreta 1050 m, Omalos S 25.3.2019, Brachat & Meybohm (21)” .

Etymology: The specific epithet alludes to the similarity of this species to Stenichnus aegialius (REITTER, 1884) .

Description: Body length 1.45–1.55 mm. Body unicoloured bright reddish-brown. Head broadest across the large and moderately projecting eyes; width of head including eyes 0.33–0.35 mm; postocular region in dorsal view distinctly tapering behind eyes, half as long as diameter of the eyes; supra-antennal tubercles weakly pronounced; punctures on vertex and frons very fine; vertex and frons confluent and weakly convex, with long and curved suberect setae, these setae as long as antennomere II and directed mediad. Antennae 0.69–0.75 mm long, antennomeres from II to X of increasing width, II–V of subequal length, 1.5 times as long as broad, VI weakly oblong, VII as long as broad, VIII–X transverse, X 1.5 times as broad as long, XI slightly shorter than the combined length of IX and X.

Pronotum of sub-trapezoid shape in dorsal view, 0.44– 0.45 mm long and 0.40–0.42 mm broad, broadest at anterior third; lateral margins strongly rounded in anterior third and concave in posterior half; posterior angles broadly rounded; punctures very fine; pubescence long and suberect, setae approximately 0.1 mm long, as long as setae on elytra, directed posteriad except at anterior and posterior margins; transverse impression near posterior margin extending to lateral margins and dorsally with four and laterally with one or few foveae of variable size.

Elytra broadly oval, dorsally not flattened, ca. 0.95 mm long and 0.63–0.68 mm broad, broadest slightly behind anterior third; humeral angles pronounced; base of each elytron with two large impressions, the inner one slightly larger than the outer one. Pubescence long and suberect, directed posteriad, setae inserting from distinct foveae; punctation distinct. Legs with distinctly dilated femora, profemora with sexual dimorphism and more dilated than mesofemora, the latter more dilated than metafemora.

♂: profemur ( Fig. 146 ) broadly rounded distally, angled, external side with a fine sulcus reaching from the apex to the middle of the dilatation, thus forming a carina at the outer side of the profemur, carina in the distal part crenulate; aedeagus shaped as in Fig. 137 .

♀: spermatheca as in Fig. 138 .

Comparative notes: Stenichnus aegialioides is distinguished from the similar S. aegialius by slightly shorter antennae with more transverse antennomeres VIII–X, by the shape of the male profemora, a narrower aedeagus, and a shorter spermatheca. It differs from S. godarti (LATREILLE, 1806) by smaller body size, longer antennae, more erect elytral pubescence, the shape of the male profemora, an apically shorter and less acute aedeagus, and a longer spermatheca. For comparison, illustrations of the genitalia of S. aegialius and S. godarti are provided in Figs 139–142 .

Distribution and natural history: This species is endemic to Crete. The altitudes range from 200 to 800 m. the specimens were collected primarily in oak and chestnut forests.

Figures

Figs 127–142: Cephennium chanianum (127–129), Euconnus zakrius (130), Stenichnus brachati (131–133), S. orientalis (134–136), S. aegialioides (137–138), S. aegialius (139–140), and S. godarti (141–142): habitus (127, 134); aedeagus in lateral, ventral, and dorsal view (128–130, 132, 136–137, 139, 141); male abdomen in ventral view (131, 135); spermatheca (133, 138, 140, 142). Scale bars: 127, 134: 0.5 mm; 131, 135: 0.2 mm; 128–130, 132–133, 136–142: 0.1 mm.

Figs 143–155: Stenichnus creticus (143), S. hummleri (144), S. basimpressus (145), S. aegialioides (146), Leptomastax cretica (147–149), L. thriptica (150), L. bisetosa (151), Afropselaphus doernfeldae (152), A. assingi (153), A. diktianus (154), and A. thripticus (155): aedeagus in lateral and dorsal view (143–145, 148–150, 152–155); male profemur (146); labium (147, 151). Scale bars: 0.1 mm.