Sepedophilus creticus SCHÜLKE, 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 : 287-288

Sepedophilus creticus SCHÜLKE spec. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F2B971D6-B222-4823-A1BB-DF4B816F0775

( Figs 169–173 )

Type material: Holotype ♂: “GR Crete 25.8.– 5.9.2018, prefecture Lassithi , Lassithi Plateau , 35°09'53.5"N 25°31'27.9"E Matějíček J. lgt. / Holotypus Sepedophilus creticus spec. nov. det. M. Schülke 2019” (coll. Schülke in MNB) . Paratypes: 1 ♂: same data as holotype (cMat); 2 ♀♀: GR – Crete 30.5.2018, Koutalioti Canyon, near streams on sand / 35°12'12.1"N 24°28'01.8"E, Matějíček J. lgt.” (cMat, coll. Schülke in MNB); 1 ♂: “GR O-Kreta, Elafounisi, 5.– 11.5.1985, Heiss ” (cSch); 1 ♂: “GR – Crete [22], WSW Ag. Nikolaos, Katharo , 35°07'58"N, 25°34'33"E 1160 m, under stones, 29.XII.2018, V. Assing ” (cAss); 1 ♀: “ N35°15'22 E24°53'04, GR Kreta Ida-Geb. 1200 m, Anogia – Psiloritis, 17.3.2019, Brachat & Meybohm (7)” (cAss) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is an adjective derived from Crete, where the species is probably endemic.

Description: Measurements: Head width: 0.51–0.54 mm; pronotum width: 0.88–0.94 mm; pronotum length: 0.66–0.69 mm; sutural length of elytra: 0.65–0.71 mm; humeral length of elytra: 0.79–0.86 mm; elytral width: 0.90–0.94 mm; length of forebody: 1.56–1.68 mm; length of aedeagus: 0.71–0.73 mm. Relative lengths of antennal segments I–XI: 9.0: 6.5: 6.0: 5.8: 5.3: 5.0: 4.8: 4.5: 4.3: 4.0: 9.0; length-width ratios of antennal segments I–XI: 3.0: 2.6: 2.4: 2.3: 1.9: 1.5: 1.2: 1.1: 0.9: 0.8: 1.6.

Small and compact species ( Fig. 169 ), body length 3.0– 3.5 mm. Coloration: in mature specimens head, elytra and abdomen blackish-brown, pronotum slightly paler, apical margin of elytra narrowly reddish, apical margins of abdominal tergites III–VI, apical half of tergite VII, and segments VIII–X reddish. Legs, antennae, maxillary and labial palpi yellowish-brown; immature specimens of similar coloration as S. nigripennis (STEPHENS, 1832) , sometimes elytra with dark scutellar marking extended along elytral suture. Hind wings fully developed. Abdominal sternites from IV to VII each with two long black bristles (250 µm) at apical angles and additional bristles along apical margin. Head without microsculpture, pronotum only with traces of microsculpture, more distinct near basal margin, never forming complete meshes. Elytra with microsculpture forming irregular transverse lines between punctation, indistinct rhomboid meshes only near apex.

♂: protarsomeres I–III slightly dilated, nearly as long as wide, tergite VIII with nearly truncate apical margin, sternite VIII ( Fig. 170 ) with broad, not very deep emargination at apical margin, this emargination anteriorly forming an angle of about 100°; segments IX and X as in Fig. 171 ; aedeagus ( Figs 172–173 ) flattened and slender, with two long and moderately distinct internal structures ( Fig. 173 ), parameres with long and slender apices.

♀: terminalia as in S. nigripennis .

Comparative notes: The new species is very similar to the two winged species of the S. pedicularius group known from the East Mediterranean, S. nigripennis and S. obtusus (LUZE, 1902) . It can be distinguished from S. obtusus by reduced pronotal microsculpture not forming complete transverse meshes, and from both species by a larger aedeagus (0.55–0.65 mm in S. obtusus and S. nigripennis ) with longer apices of the parameres.

Distribution and natural history: The known distribution is confined to five localities in Crete. One of these localities is somewhat doubtful, as the specimen collected near “Elafounisi” is labeled “O-Kreta”, but “Elafonissi Beach” and “Elafonisi island” are located in the extreme west of Crete. The specimens other than that collected by E. Heiss were collected near streams or on stream banks, two of them at altitudes of 1160 and 1200 m.

Figures

Figs 156–173: Amauronyx chanianus (156), A. occidens (157),A. askifouicus (158), Bryaxismeybohmianus (159–161), Bythinus creticus (162–163), Euplectus assingi(164),Faronus meybohmi (165), F.lefkamontium (166),F.albimontium(167),Tychus chanianus (168), and Sepedophilus creticus (169–173): aedeagus in dorsal and ventral view (156–158, 160, 163–168, 172); antennomeres I–II (159); internal structures of aedeagus (161); maxillary palpomere IV (162); habitus (169); male sternite VIII (170); male tergites IX–X (171); apical portion of aedeagus (173). Scale bars: 169: 1.0 mm; 170–172: 0.2 mm; 156–161, 163–168, 173: 0.1 mm; 162 without scale.