Cephennium australe WOLLASTON, 1868

Assing, Volker, 2021, On the Cephennium fauna of the Iberian Peninsula and the Atlantic Islands (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (2), pp. 891-931 : 902-915

Cephennium australe WOLLASTON, 1868 ( Figs 5 , 41-43 )

Material examined: MADEIRA: 1♂, 2♀♀, 10 exs., Queimadas (7), 900 m, 27.III.1993, leg. Assing & Wunderle (cAss) ; 1♂, Achada do Teixeira , 1350 m, old Erica arborea, litter sifted, 29.III.1996, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Achada do Teixera , 32°45'42''N, 16°54'57''W, 1600 m, 20.II.2003, leg. Lompe (cAss) ; 2♂♂, 1♀, Pico das Pedras-Queimada, 32°46'56''N, 16°54'08''W, 17.II.2017, leg. Lompe (cAss) ; 1 ex., Encumeada (30), 1000 m, 5.IV.1993, leg. Assing (cAss) ; 1 ex., Encumeada , 1200 m, sifted, 2.V.2018, leg. Siede (cAss) ; 1♂, 3 exs., Funchal , Ajuda, 20.VIII.1975, leg. Vít (cAss) ; 1 ex., same data, but in Juncus (cAss) ; 1 ex., Ribeiro Frio , 32°43'59''N, 16°52'20''W, 900 m, 18.II.2003, leg. Lompe (cAss) ; 6 exs., Ribeiro Frio , Cabeco do Pessegueiro, 32°43'59''N, 16°52'02''W, 900 m, 18.II.2003, leg. Lompe (cAss) ; 3 exs., Levada Furado , Poco do Bezerro, 32°43'47''N, 16°52'02''W, 850 m, 18.II.2003, leg. Lompe (cAss) ; 1 ex., Junqueira , 32°49'28''N, 17°10'35''W, 400 m, 19.II.2003, leg. Lompe (cAss) ; 4 exs., Levada Nova Ribeiro de Sebastiao Vaz , 32°48'06''N, 16°56'14''W, 26.II.2003, leg. Lompe (cAss) ; 1 ex., Queimadas , Achada do Roque, Ribeiro da Silveira, 32°46'35''N, 16°54'09'', 28.II.2003, leg. Lompe (cAss) .

Material examined by C. Besuchet (unpubl.): MADEIRA: Madeira proper: 2♂♂, 1♀ [syntypes]: above Funchal, leg. Wollaston ( BMNH) ; 4♂♂, Queimadas, leg. Coiffait ( MHNG, MNHNP) ; 3♂♂, 1♀, Ribeiro Bonito, leg. Franz ( MHNG, NHMW) ; 13♂♂, 5♀♀, Ribeiro Frio, leg. Franz ( MHNG, NHMW) ; 1♂, 1 ex., Portela, 850 m, leg. Williams (coll. Johnson) ; 10 exs., Eira do Serrado , 1080 m, leg. Williams ("Mus. Manchester") ; 4 exs., Levada de Toros , 800 m, leg. Williams ("Mus. Manchester") ; 1 ex., Encumeada , 1000 m, leg. Williams ("Mus. Manchester") ; 2 exs., Faja de Noguiero , leg. Askow ("Mus. Manchester") ; 38♂♂, 11♀♀, locality not specified, leg. Franz, etc. ( MHNG, MNHNP, NHMW). Porto Santo: 5♂♂, 4♀♀, "Pico Julieta" [recte: Pico Juliana ], leg. Franz ( MHNG, NHMW).

The original description is based on three syntypes collected "in the chestnut-woods at the Mount, on the hills above Funchal" ( WOLLASTON, 1868). The syntypes were examined by C. Besuchet (unpubl.) (see above).

This species shares the characters of the preceding representatives of the C. validum group, except that the body is more slender and slightly less convex in cross-section ( Fig. 5 ). The aedeagus is illustrated in Figs 41-43 . For additional details regarding external characters see the description of the externally practically identical C. lompei below.

Cephennium australe is widespread in Madeira proper and has also been found in one locality in Porto Santo (see records above). The specimens collected by the first author were sifted from deep litter in laurisilva and old stands of Erica arborea. The altitudes range from 400 to 1600 m.

Figures

Figs 1-6: Male habitus of Cephennium constrictum (1), C. validum (2), C. conlectior (3), C. algarvense (4), C. australe (5), and C. lompei (6). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figs 34-45: Cephennium validum (34-36; 35-36: based on Besuchet (unpubl.)), C. conlectior (37), C. algarvense (38-40), C. australe (41-43), and C. lompei (44-45): (34-35, 37-45) aedeagus in lateral and in ventral view; (36) internal structures of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 34-35, 37-45: 0.1 mm; 36: 0.02 mm.