Mimogonus fumator ( FAUVEL 1889)

Assing, V. & Feldmann, B., 2012, On the Staphylinidae of Israel (Insecta: Coleoptera), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 351-363 : 356-358

Mimogonus fumator ( FAUVEL 1889) ( Figs 1-10 )

C o m m e n t: The tribe Osoriini is represented in the Mediterranean region by numerous species. The vast majority, however, is anophthalmous. Only three of the previously recorded species have fully developed eyes. Two of them, Mimogonia europaea COIFFAIT 1978 and Holotrochus lusitanicus COIFFAIT 1978 , were described from Portugal by COIFFAIT (1978) and are not listed in the Palaearctic catalogue. The third species, the widespread Neosorius rufipes (MOTSCHULSKY 1858) , which was - apparently erroneously - attributed to Indosorius COIFFAIT 1978 by ROUGEMONT (2001), has been reported from Egypt and - under the junior synonym Osorius syriacus FAUVEL 1875 - from Lebanon ( FAUVEL 1875, 1902).

Mimogonus fumator was originally described from New Caledonia and Sumatra by FAUVEL (1889) and subsequently recorded from various localities in the Oriental, Aftrotropical (including Madagascar), and Neotropical regions (HERMAN 2002). The species was illustrated by IRMLER (1981). Based on these illustrations, particularly on that of the aedeagus, there is no doubt that the specimen from Israel refers to M. fumator , which thus represents the first record of this species from the Palaearctic region.

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length approximately 3 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Coloration: head and pronotum dark-brown; elytra dark-reddish; abdomen blackishbrown, with segments VIII-X and the posterior margin of segment VII dark-reddish; legs and antennae reddish.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) parallel behind eyes; punctation coarse and not very dense; interstices with shallow, but distinct microsculpture, in median dorsal portion distinctly wider than diameter of punctures. Eyes projecting from lateral contours of head in dorsal view, almost as long as postocular region in lateral view ( Fig. 3 ). Maxillary palpus rather stout, apical palpomere subulate, much narrower and shorter than preapical palpomere. Antenna moderately long, gradually incrassate apically ( Fig. 4 ).

Pronotum ( Figs 2, 5 ) 1.25-1.30 times as wide as long and 1.2 times as wide as head across eyes, maximal width in anterior half; posterior third of lateral margins distinctly concave, close to this concavity with distinct subcircular impression; posterior angles obtuse, but sharply marked ( Fig. 6 ); punctation coarse and rather dense, interstices on average narrower than diameter of punctures; midline broadly impunctate; microsculpture similar to that of head.

Elytra 1.15 times as long as pronotum ( Fig. 2 ); punctation coarse, but shallower than that of head and pronotum ( Fig. 7 ). Hind wings present. Apical tarsomeres of all legs longer than the combined length of the remaining tarsomeres. Protibia with stout spines, but not dentate.

Abdomen as broad as elytra, widest at segment VI; punctation fine, moderately dense on anterior, and very sparse on posterior tergites; interstices with very shallow, barely noticeable microsculpture.

: tergite VIII without modifications, posterior margin weakly convex ( Fig. 8 ); sternite VIII broadly and triangularly impressed, posterior margin broadly concave ( Fig. 9 ); aedeagus ( Fig. 10 ) with long, slightly asymmetric, strongly sclerotised, almost straight, and apically very acute ventral process; internal sac with numerous sclerotised structures.

Figures

Figs 1-10: Mimogonus fumator (FAUVEL) from Israel: (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) head in lateral view; (4) antenna; (5) posterior median portion of head and median portion of pronotum; (6) pronotum in dorso-lateral view; (7) sutural portion of elytra; (8) male tergite VIII; (9) male sternite VIII; (10) aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 1: 1.0 mm; 2: 0.5 mm; 3-10: 0.2 mm.