On the Staphylinidae of Israel II, with a revision of some species of Dinusa SAULCY (Insecta: Coleoptera) Author Assing, V. text Linzer biologische Beiträge 2014 2014-12-19 46 2 1179 1210 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.5308301 0253-116X 5308301 Astenus nigromaculatus (MOTSCHULSKY , 1858) M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Israel : 1, Ma'agar Yeroham, 450 m , pitfall, 30°59'N , 34°54'E , 14.III.2011 , leg. Drees (cAss). C o m m e n t: According to SMETANA (2004) , this species is widespread in the Mediterranean region, but was previously unknown from Israel . Astenus ( Eurysunius ) platynotus (SAULCY , 1865) ( Figs 1-9 ) Sunius platynotus SAULCY, 1865b: 653 . T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d Neotype , present designation: " Jerusalem Pal. P. Nadar / platynotus Saulcy / Neotypus Sunius platynotus Saulcy , desig. V. Assing 2014 / Astenus platynotus (Saulcy) , det. V. Assing 2014" ( MNHNP ). A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: West Bank : 3, same data as neotype (MNHNP). Israel : 1, N-Golan, Mount Hermon Reserve, 1100-1400 m , 16.IV.1987 , leg. Heinz (cAss). C o m m e n t: The original description of A. platynotus is based on "Un seul mâle, trouvé a Naplouse [= Nablus]" ( SAULCY 1865b ). According to the curator in charge at the MNHNP, where the Saulcy collection is housed ( HORN et al. 1990 ), a careful search for the holotype proved unsuccessful; it yielded only four non-type specimens in the Jarrige collection (TAGHAVIAN e-mail 27 May, 2014). Thus, like many other types of species described by Saulcy, the holotype of A. platynotus is most likely lost. This species belongs to a group of very similar, possibly myrmecophilous species, at least three of which are represented in Israel . In the interest of the stability of nomenclature, therefore, one of the four males from Nablus in the Jarrige collection is designated as the neotype . The specimen is in agreement with the original description and was collected only some 50 km from the original type locality of A. platynotus . R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 3.6-4.8 mm ; length of forebody 2.0- 2.5 mm . Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Coloration: body black, with the posterior margins of the elytra occasionally indistinctly and narrowly paler; legs dark-yellowish; antennae reddish. Head ( Fig. 2 ) 1.15-1.20 times as broad as long; posterior margin strongly concave; punctation shallow, very dense, and umbilicate; interstices reduced to narrow ridges. Eyes approximately as long as postocular region. Antenna ( Fig. 3 ) 1.1-1.2 mm long; antennomeres IV-X of distinctly conical shape and very weakly oblong. Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) approximately as broad as long and 0.9 times as broad as head, laterally or antero-laterally usually with a very shallow impression on either side; lateral margins straight to weakly convex in dorsal view, distinctly converging posteriad; anterior and posterior angles each with a long black seta (often broken off) of approximately half the length of lateral margin; posterior margin convexly produced in the middle; punctation similar to that of head. Elytra ( Fig. 2 ) 0.62-0.66 times as long as pronotum; humeral angles moderately marked; punctation distinctly granulose; interstices glossy. Hind wings completely reduced. Abdomen 1.00-1.10 times as broad as elytra; punctation very dense on anterior tergites, gradually decreasing in density from tergite III to tergite VIII, moderately dense on tergites VII and VIII; posterior margin of tergite VII with narrow rudiment of a palisade fringe. : sternite VIII shaped as in Fig. 4 ; aedeagus approximately 0.7 mm long, shaped as in Figs 5-9. D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d n a t u r a l h i s t o r y The confirmed distribution is confined to Israel and West Bank . The species has been reported also from Lebanon ( SMETANA 2004 ), but this record requires revision. The external morphology (broad body; short antennae) suggests that A. platynotus may be associated with ants of the genus Tetramorium MAYR, 1855.