Quedius (Raphirus) suturalis

Assing, Volker, 2018, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some West Palaearctic Quedius species, with a focus on the East Mediterranean and the species allied to Quedius umbrinus and Q. nivicola (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1), pp. 149-182 : 163

Quedius (Raphirus) suturalis KIESENWETTER, 1845

Quedius humeralis anatolicus KORGE, 1964: 119 ff.; nov.syn.

Quedius suturalis anatolicus FAGEL: COIFFAIT (1978a).

Quedius troglophilus COIFFAIT, 1969: 46 ff.; nov.syn.

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holotype ♂ [teneral; dissected prior to present study]: " Asia minor, leg. H. Korge / Abant-Geb., 1100-1500 m, 8.8.1963 / ♂ - Holotypus Quedius humeralis ssp. anatolicus Korge / Quedius suturalis Kiesenwetter , det. V. Assing 2018 " ( MNB).

C o m m e n t: The original description of Q. humeralis anatolicus is based on a unique male from "Abant-Gebirge" ( KORGE 1964); the type locality is situated in Bolu province, North Turkey. COIFFAIT (1978a) moved the subspecies to Q. suturalis . According to KORGE (1964) and COIFFAIT (1978a), Q. anatolicus is distinguished from the nominal subspecies by slight differences in the shape of the aedeagus (paramere broader, longer in relation to median lobe; subapical tooth closer to the apex of the medi- an lobe). Quedius troglophilus was described based on material from several caves in Bulgaria ( COIFFAIT 1969).

Quedius suturalis is common and widespread in the Palaearctic region, its distribution ranging from the Iberian Peninsula across practically all of Europe eastwards to the Caucasus region (SCHÜLKE & SMETANA 2015). An examination of material of Q. suturalis from various regions ( France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Georgia), including various localities across North Anatolia (Bursa, Samsun, Giresun, Gümüşhane, and Rize provinces), revealed some intraspecific variation in the shape of the aedeagus. An examination of the teneral holotype of Q. humeralis anatolicus and the illustrations of Q. troglophilus provided by COIFFAIT (1969) leave no doubt that the aedeagi of Q. anatolicus and Q. troglophilus are within the range of this variation, so that both names are placed in synonymy with Q. suturalis .