Euconnus (Tetramelus) zakrius 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 : 273-274

Euconnus (Tetramelus) zakrius MEYBOHM spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:506C3D6D-FD24-4484-813D-F00E761EFECB

( Fig. 130 )

Type material: Holotype ♂: “GR Ostkreta Ano Zakros l. Meybohm 20.3.1986 / Euconnus (Tetramelus) zakrius m. Meybohm 2018 det. / Holotypus” ( cMey) . Paratypes (all in cMey): 15 ♂♂, 14 ♀♀: same data as holotype; 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀: “ Ost-Kreta Zakros 21.3.[19]76 DrFülscher Meybohm ”; 1♂, 1♀: “GR– Kreta Bez. Lassithi Zakros 29.5.1980 leg. Brachat ”; 8 ♂♂: “GR – Crete [16], Zakros , 35°06'57"N, 26°13'10"E, 190 m, dry stream valley, soil washing, 27.XII.2018, V. Assing ”; 10 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀: “ N35°06'57 E26°13'10, GR Ostkreta Ano Zakros, 14.3.2019, Brachat & Meybohm (1)” .

Etymology: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from Zakros.

Description: Body size subject to weakly pronounced sexual dimorphism; body length 1.47–1.57 mm (♂) and 1.50–1.60 mm (♀), respectively. Coloration uniformly pale reddish-brown. Pubescence rather sparse, directed posteriad, sub-erect, and bent apically. Punctation of head, pronotum and elytra very fine.

Head approximately 0.25 mm broad, broadest across the minute eyes, weakly oblong, slightly more than 1.1 times as long as broad, lateral contours smoothly curved from the eyes to the posterior constriction, postero-medially bulging and distinctly projecting beyond posterior constriction. Eyes rudimentary, composed of approximately four ommatidia, without pigmentation. Antenna 0.7 mm long, with distinct four-jointed club; antennomeres II twice as long as broad, III–V cylindrical and about 1.7 times as long as broad, VI little longer than broad, VII intermediate between VI and VIII, as long as broad, VIII–XI about twice as broad as VII, VIII to XI gradually increasing in width, and XI slightly shorter than the combined length of IX and X.

Pronotum 1.2 times as broad as head and 1.2 times as long as broad, broadest slightly anterior to middle, more strongly tapering anteriad than posteriad; basally with four foveae of different size, the external ones smaller, separated from each other by approximately the diameter of the internal foveae; basal keel absent.

Elytra on average 0.60 mm broad and slightly less than 1.5 times as long as broad (♀), or on average 0.625 mm broad and slightly more than 1.5 times as long as broad (♂); each elytron with two clearly separated basal foveae, the external one larger and laterally delimited by a short elevation, the internal one delimited by an oblique edge directed towards suture. Hind wings completely reduced. Femora dilated in distal halves; profemora more strongly dilated than meso- and metafemora. Protibia smoothly curved distally, in male slightly more so than in female. Metaventrite in male with a large and shallow median impression, this impression not delimited by elevations, in female weakly convex (cross-section).

♂: mesotrochanter unmodified; aedeagus 0.39–0.41 mm long, shaped as in Fig. 130 .

Comparative notes: Euconnus zakrius is characterised particularly by the morphology of the aedeagus, which in some respects (nearly symmetrical, dorsal plate with wing-like lateral dilatation and projecting from the lateral contours of the aedeagus, two large sclerites projecting from basal capsule) resembles those of E. kerpensis MEYBOHM, 2016 from Karpathos, E. kerkisicus MEYBOHM, 2017 , E. ambelosicus MEYBOHM, 2017 , and E. samius MEYBOHM, 2017 from Samos, and one undescribed species from Rhodos, suggesting that these six species are closely related ( MEYBOHM 2017).

Distribution and natural history: This species is endemic to the easternmost part of Crete and was only found in Ano Zakros. The specimens were partly sifted from debris and litter, partly collected by soil-washing in a small temporary stream valley at an altitude of 220 m.

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.