Cephennium validum Assing 2021, nov.sp.
Creators: name: Assing, Volker
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Cephennium
Cephennium validum

description: Cephennium validum nov.sp. (Figs 2, 34-36, Map 1)
Cephennium distinctum BESUCHET i.l.
Type material: Holotype ♂: "P Serra da Peneda, nördl. Soajo, 525 m, Meybohm 24.3.2002, N41°53', W8°16' / Holotypus ♂ Cephennium validum sp. n. det. V. Assing 2020" (cAss). Paratypes: 3♂♂: same data as holotype (cAss); 2♂♂: "P Serra do Geres, sw Portela do Homem, Meybohm 23.3.2002, N41°47' W8°8'" (cAss); 2♂♂, 3♀♀: "P Serra de Montezinho, Rio Sabor, 960 m, Meybohm 21.3.2002, N41°54' W6°48'" (cAss).
Additional type material examined by C. Besuchet (with type labels " Cephennium distinctum "): 7♂♂, 8♀♀, 6 exs.: " Ponferrada, Paganetti " (FMNH, HNHM, MCSNG, MHNG, MNB, NHMW, SDEI; coll. Horion, coll. Lindberg); 2♂♂, 3 exs: "Serra de la Fontefria près de Salamosa, Prov. Pontevedra " (NHMW); 5♂♂, 6♀♀: " Isla Estela entera b. Bayona, Franz" (MHNG, NHMW); 4♂♂, 6♀♀: " Isla Estela de Fuera b. Bayona, Prov. Pontevedra, Franz" (MHNG, NHMW); 3♂♂, 3♀♀: " Valle de Lozera, Prov. Lugo, Franz" (MHNG, NHMW); 1♂, 3♀♀: " Isla Cies del Norte, Prov. Pontevedra, Franz " (NHMW); 2♂♂, 2♀♀: " Mondariz, Prov. Pontevedra, Franz" (MHNG, NHMW); 2♂♂: " Rio Muria [?] b. Morana, Franz " (NHMW); 2♂♂: " Belus, Prov. Pontevedra, Franz " (NHMW); 1♂, 2♀♀: " Los Peares, Franz " (NHMW); 1♂, 3♀♀: " Umg. Pontevedra, Franz " (NHMW); 1♂, 3♀♀: " Prov. La Coruña, Cayon, Besuchet " (MHNG); 3♂♂: " Prov. León, Molina Ferreda ds. vallée Rio Duerna. Besuchet " (MHNG); 1♂: "Manzaneda (Orense), Ms. Gonzalez " (coll. Gonzalez); 1♂, 1♀: " Sierra de Cabrera, Umg. Molinaferreda, Prov. Leon, Franz " (NHMW); 1♂, 1♀: " Sierra de la Grova, Hisp. bor. Prov. Pontevedra, Franz " (NHMW); 1♀: " Umg. San Saturnino, Prov. La Coruña, Franz " (NHMW).
Etymology: The specific epithet (Latin, adjective: strong) alludes to the conspicuously stout parameres of the aedeagus.
Description: Small species; body length 0.8-1.0 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 2. Colouration variable, body pale-reddish to dark-brown, sometimes bicoloured with the head and pronotum reddish and the elytra dark-brown.
Eyes composed of approximately eight ommatidia with weak pigmentation.
Pronotum strongly convex in cross-section, large in relation to elytra, and strongly transverse, approximately 1.3 times as broad as long, broadest in anterior half; lateral margins often weakly sinuate posteriorly; punctation fine, but distinct, and rather dense; interstices without microsculpture.
Elytra as broad as, or slightly broader than pronotum; supra-humeral carinae short and indistinct, approximately as long as the combined length of the basal three antennomeres; anterior impressions small and tomentose; punctation fine and rather dense.
♂: protibia apically moderately curved; meso- and metatibiae somewhat flattened on inner face in apical portion; aedeagus (Figs 34-35) small, 0.22-0.25 mm long; median lobe apically of acutely triangular shape; internal sac with very small and weakly sclerotized median internal structure (Fig. 36); parameres very stout, straight, apically not reaching apex of median lobe, and with long apical seta.
Comparative notes: Cephennium validum is distinguished from other Iberian representatives of the C. validum group particularly by the shape of the median lobe of the aedeagus.
Distribution and natural history: This species is rather widespread in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Northwest Spain, North Portugal) and was even found on small islets off the Galician coast (Map 1). The altitudes range from near sea-level to at least 960 m.
description: Published as part of Assing, Volker, 2021, On the Cephennium fauna of the Iberian Peninsula and the Atlantic Islands (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), pp. 891-931 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 52 (2) on pages 899-901, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5039032