Achilia pandemica Kurbatov & Cuccodoro & Sabella 2021, n. sp.
Creators: name: Kurbatov, Sergey A.
name: Cuccodoro, Giulio
name: Sabella, Giorgio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Achilia
Achilia pandemica

description: Achilia pandemica n. sp.
Figs 13, 20, 29, 52, 54, 56, 64
Holotype: MHNG (# MHNG-ENTO-85483); 1 ♂; CENTRAL CHILE: Región Bío Bío: Concepción Prov.: Periquillo; 21.IX.1996; site TC-486; T. Cekalovic.
Paratypes (318 ex.): CENTRAL CHILE: Región Bío Bío: Concepción Prov.: NHMW; 4 ♂ and 18 ♀ (identified as A. bifrons); Periquillo; 24.X.1992. – NHMW 12 ♀ (identified as A. tumidifrons); Periquillo; 24.IX.1993. – FMNH; 1 ♀; Periquillo; 10.V.1997; site TC-549; T. Cekalovic. – MSNG; 2 ♂ and 44 ♀; Periquillo; 15.IX.1992; site TC-311; T. Cekalovic. – MHNG (# MHNG-ENTO-85484 through 85488); 1 ♂ and 4 ♀; same data as previous. – MSNG; 1 ♂ and 24 ♀; Periquillo; 30.I.1997; site TC-516; T. Cekalovic. – MHNG (# MHNG- ENTO-85489 through 85491); 3 ♀; same data. – MSNG; 2 ♀; Periquillo; 01.IV.1997; site TC-541b; T. Cekalovic. – MHNG (# MHNG-ENTO-85492); 1 ♀; same data. – MSNG; 1 ♂ and 55 ♀; Periquillo; 16.IX.1996; site TC-485; T. Cekalovic. – MHNG (# MHNG-ENTO-85493 through 85495); 3 ♀; same data. – PHPC; 2 ♀; same data. – MHNS; 2 ♀; same data. – MSNG; 27 ♂ and 40 ♀; Periquillo; 21.IX.1996; site TC-486; T. Cekalovic. – MHNG (# MHNG-ENTO-85496 through 85508); 7 ♂ and 6 ♀; same data. – MHNS; 2 ♂ and 2 ♀; same data. – MSNG; 35 ♀; Camino a Hualqui; 17.X.1992; T. Cekalovic. – MHNG (# MHNG-ENTO-85509 through 85512); 4 ♀; same data. – UNHC; 1 ♂; Pinares; 21.X.1977; Acc.Z# 16-683; H. S. Steeves. – PHPC; 1 ♂; Chaimavida, Estero Agua de la Gloria; 14.VIII.1978; site TC-83; T. Cekalovic. – Región Maule: Curicó Prov.: JEBC; 11 ♂; Cerro HuecaHuecan, 15 km E Curicó; 35° 3.97’S 71° 7.45’W; 300 m; 20.II-07.III.2008; luz mercurio, J. E. Barriga-Tuñón. – MHNG (# MHNG-ENTO-85513 through 85514); 2 ♂; same data.
Description: Body 1.45-1.65 mm long, entirely reddish, some specimens with slightly darkened abdomen; palpi yellowish.
Male: Head as in Figs 52, 54 & 56, wide, with slightly raised occipital region and frons; frons flattened laterally with sharp and subparallel sides, separated from frontal lobe by deep and flatten narrowed transverse sulcus. Antennae (Fig. 20) with scape distinctly longer than wide; pedicel and antennomere III slightly longer than wide; antennomere IV about as long as wide; antennomeres V-VII longer than wide; antennomere VIII slightly wider than long; antennomere IX wider than VIII and wider than long; antennomere X distinctly wider than long and wider than IX; antennomere XI elongate, about as long as VII-X combined. Metaventrite with apical portion crossed on two thirds by deep and wide medial suboval impression, impression with prominent margins. First abdominal sternite slightly raised and flattened at middle; remaining abdominal sternites flattened at middle. Mesotibiae (Fig. 29) with distal half swollen and densely pubescent, with stout subapical mesal spine. Aedeagus (Fig. 13) 0.25-0.26 mm long, with ovoidal dorsal plate narrowed and frayed at apex; dorsal longitudinal struts slightly divergent. Parameres relatively wide with large and long recurved seta on well-developed outer lobe; apical portion of parameres slightly enlarged and prolonged laterally as short spine; apex bearing one ventral median seta. Copulatory pieces consisting of a pair of short subequal lateral sclerites recurved and more robust basally.
Female: similar to male except head not modified; antennae shorter; eyes smaller; metaventrite with shallow and narrow medial sulcus; abdominal sternites, and legs unmodified.
Collecting data: The label data indicate a very long collecting period from August to April.
Distribution: Achilia pandemica n. sp. occurs in Central Chile (Región Bío Bío and Región Maule) from Concepción to Curicó Provinces (Fig. 64: circles edged in green).
Comments: The males of A. pandemica n. sp. are easily distinguished from other species of the A. cosmoptera group by the shape of the head (Figs 52, 54, 56), and antennae (Fig. 20). The aedeagus is very similar to that of A. temporalis, but the shape of the parameres is distinctive. The females of A. pandemica n. sp. are similar to those of A. temporalis, from which they can be distinguished by their narrower head with the frons slightly convex and flattened anteromedially (distinctly convex and not flattened in A. temporalis), and mostly by the lateral margins of the frons being subparallel and acute with very prominent antennal tubercles (sides of frons slightly convergent, blunt and with antennal tubercles not prominent in A. temporalis).
Etymology: The epithet of this new species refers to the COVID-19 pandemic and the periods of quarantine during which this study was carried out by the authors.
description: Published as part of Kurbatov, Sergey A., Cuccodoro, Giulio & Sabella, Giorgio, 2021, A revision of the Chilean Brachyglutini - Part 7. Revision of Achilia Reitter, 1890: A. cosmoptera species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), pp. 135-156 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 128 (1) on pages 149-153, DOI: 10.35929/RSZ.0041, http://zenodo.org/record/5639841