Leptusa (Neopisalia) confinis PACE 1982

Assing, V., 2009, New species, new synonymies, and additional records of Leptusa from Turkey and Iran (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1285-1305 : 1287-1288

Leptusa (Neopisalia) confinis PACE 1982 ( Map 1 )

Leptusa (Neopisalia) diecki confinis PACE 1982: 591 .

Leptusa (Neopisalia) othmaniorum paphlagonica PACE 1982: 591 ; nov.syn.

Leptusa (Neopisalia) othmaniorum PACE 1983: 75 ; nov.syn.

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d L. paphlagonica : Holotype 3: " Turquie, Kastamonu, S/ Küre à 5 km S, 1200 m, 18. V.76, Besuchet Löbl / Holotypus Leptusa othmaniorum paphlagonica m, det. R. Pace 1981 / Leptusa paphlagonica n. ssp., det. R. Pace 1981 / Leptusa confinis Pace , det. V. Assing 2009" ( MHNG). Paratypes: 13, 1♀: same data as holotype ( MHNG) ; 13, 5♀♀: " Turquie, Kastamonu, Küre à 5 km N, 600 m, 18. V.76, Besuchet Löbl" ( MHNG). L. othmaniorum : Paratypes: 233: " Turquie, Istanbul, Forêt de Belgrade , 10.VII.69, Besuchet / Paratypus Leptusa othmaniorum m., det. R. Pace 1981" ( MHNG) ; 233, 1♀: "Turquie, Zonguldak, S/ Zonguldak, 500 m, 23. V.76, Besuchet Löbl / Leptusa confinis Pace , det. V. Assing 2009" ( MHNG). A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d [see also ASSING 2009a]: Turkey :

S a m s u n: 2 exs., 9 km WNW Bafra, 41°35'N, 35°50'E, 55 m, mixed deciduous forest with

oak, Hedera and Rubus undergrowth, 30.III.2009, leg. Assing (cAss). S i n o p: 2exs.,25kmS

Sinop, W Lala, 41°44'N, 35°01'E, 215 m, oak forest with undergrowth, sifted, 41. III.2009, leg.

Assing (cAss); 6 exs., 25 km S Sinop, W Lala, 41°53'N, 35°02'E, 240 m, oak forest with

undergrowth, sifted, 31.III.2009, leg. Assing & Wunderle (cAss, cWun); 5 exs., ca. 22 km S Sinop ,

N Lala , 41°53'N, 35°03'E, 160 m, oak and laurel forest with undergrowth, sifted, 31.III.2009, leg. Assing & Wunderle (cAss, cWun) ; 3 exs., ca. 28 km S Sinop, S Lala , 41°53'N, 35°03'E, 150 m, oak and laurel forest with undergrowth, sifted, 31.III.2009, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 2 exs., ca. 30 km S Ayancık, Çangal Dağı , 41°48'N, 34°37'E, 360 m, moist sycamore forest with rocks, sifted, 1.IV.2009, leg. Wunderle (cWun, cAss) ; 1 ex., Çangal Dağı, forest south of Ayancık , VI.1966, leg. Schubert (cAss) ; 1 ex., Çangal Dağı , V.1957, leg. Schubert (cAss) ; 4 exs., Çangal Dağı , VI.1960, leg. Schubert (cAss) ; 1 ex., Çangal Dağı , VII.1961, leg. Schubert (cAss) ; 4 exs., 30 km SW Sinop, 7 km NW Erfelek, 41°58'N, 34°50'E, 65 m, mixed deciduous forest (Carpinus, Quercus, Laurus ), sifted, 2.IV.2009, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., 15 km SW Sinop, S Kılıçlı, 41°57'N, 35°02'E, 80 m, grassy road margin, grass between shrubs, sifted, 3.IV.2009, leg. Assing (cAss). K a s t a m o n u:13: " Turquie - Kastamonu, à 13 km E Ağli , 1200 m, 18. V.76, Besuchet Löbl / " Paratypus Leptusa othmaniorum paphlagonica m, det. R. Pace 1981" ( MHNG) ; 1♀: " Turqie, Kastamonu, S\ Inebolu , 600 m, 18. V.76, Besuchet Löbl / Paratypus Leptusa othmaniorum paphlagonica m, det. R. Pace 1981" ( MHNG). Z o n g u l d a k 1 ex., Karabük-Yenice, V.1962, leg. Schubert (cAss) .

C o m m e n t: The original description of L. othmaniorum paphlagonica is based on the holotype and 11 paratypes from " Turquie, Kastamonu, Küre" ( PACE (1982).

The original description of L. othmaniorum , which was published without any illustrations of the genitalia, is based on 39 type specimens from "Turch.", " Turquie, Istanbul, Forêt de Belgrade", "Zoguldak" [sic], and "Goeck-Dagh". PACE (1983) states states that the holotype is deposited in the NHMW, but fails to specify which of the above specimens is in fact the holotype. The additional specimens from other localities in Kastamonu, which are labelled as paratypes, are not specified in the original description have therefore no type status.

Since the description of L. othmaniorum paphlagonica was published prior to that of L. othmaniorum , L. paphlagonica takes precedence. For a detailed discussion of this nomenclatural problem see ASSING (2002).

An examination of the above types and the additional material listed above and by ASSING (2003a, 2009a) revealed considerable intraspecific variation, even within populations, of size, length and width of elytra, and also in the shape and internal structures of the aedeagus, but no difference were found suggesting that the populations from different localities should represent distinct species. The elytra tend to be longer and broader towards the west of the distribution, but all the observed differences are linked by transitions, suggesting that the sampled populations are conspecific. Further evidence comes from zogeography. The rather extensive distribution of L. confinis , in relation to that of other Turkish representatives of the subgenus Neopisalia SCHEERPELTZ 1966 ( ASSING 2007a), is paralleled by several other groups of Staphylinidae with endemic species. Distributions tend to be less restricted in northwestern than in northeastern Turkey, as is the case in also in genera such as Aploderus STEPHENS 1833 , Stenus LATREILLE 1797 , and Lathrobium GRAVENHORST 1802 ( ASSING 2001, 2007b, 2007c).

In consequence, L. confinis , L. paphlagonica , and L. othmaniorum are regarded as synonyms. Both L. confinis and L. paphlagonica were published in the same article paper and on the same page, one year prior to L. othmaniorum . Leptusa confinis is designated as the senior name, of which L. paphlagonica and L. othmaniorum become junior synonyms.

Leptusa confinis was previously known only Samsun and Sinop provinces ( ASSING 2009a), but is apparently widespread from Istanbul in the west to Samsun in the east, its distribution bordering on that of the closely related L. diecki PACE in Samsun ( Map 1 ).

Figures

Map 1: Distributions of Leptusa confinis PACE (open circles) and L. diecki PACE (filled circles).