Astenus (Eurysunius) neseti Anlaş, 2021, sp. n.

Astenus (Eurysunius) neseti s Anlaş, sp. n. (Figs. 25-32; Map 1)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B48E9F0D-1A64-4C64-B488-B54CCF767B82

Type material. Holotype: TURKEY: ♂, ‘‘TR. Kırşehir, Kaman, Başköy 3 km SW, 39°19’05”N, 33°49’49”E, 1520 m, 10.IV.2019, leg. Örgel & Köksal. / Holotypus ♂, Astenus (Eurysunius) neseti sp. n. det. S. Anlaş 2020” (AZMM). Paratypes: 1♂, 2♀♀, same data as holotype (AZMM); 2♀♀, same data as holotype but 27.III.2019 (AZMM).

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 25. Body 3.7-3.9 mm long. Coloration: head blackish or dark brown, pronotum and abdomen blackish; elytra reddish brown, with area near scutellum slightly infuscate; antennae yellowish brown and legs with the femora dark-brown, the tibiae brown, and the tarsi yellowish brown.

In general appearance similar to A. kirani, but it can be distinguished as follows:

Head 1.10-1.15 times as long as wide (Figs 25-26), punctation slightly denser and much more distinct than that of A. kirani, antennae 0.92-0.97 mm long. Pronotum shorter than wide, approximately 1.2 times as wide as long (Figs 25-26). Elytra 1.50 times as wide as long (Figs 25-26), punctation slightly denser than that of A. kirani. Abdomen narrower than elytra (Fig. 25), 0.80-0.85 times as wide as elytra; punctation slightly denser than that of A. kirani.

♂: sternite VII in posterior median area with modified dark and short setae, posterior margin slightly concave (Fig. 27); sternite VIII deeply and acutely incised posteriorly, pubescence unmodified (Fig. 28); aedeagus 0.58-60 mm long and as in Figures 29-32.

Comparative notes. This new species is distinguished from other consubgeners particularly by the distinctive shape of the apex of the ventral process of the aedeagus. Based on the similar morphology of the male primary and secondary sexual characters, the new species is closely related to A. kirani, but mainly distinguished from A. kirani (and also from other species, with two long setae on the lateral margins of the pronotum from central Anatolia: A. sivasicus, A. pelinae Anlaş, 2019 and A. melendizicus Anlaş, 2018) by the different coloration of the body and by the different shape of the aedeagus both ventral and lateral view. In addition, the new species differs from other species known from central Anatolia (A. sexsetosus, A. kociani, A. veyseli, and A. gultekini) by the presence of two (vs. three) long setae on the lateral margins of the pronotum.

Etymology. The specific epithet is in honor of a famious Turkish minstrel, Neşet Ertaş (1938-2012), who was born in Kırşehir province, Turkey.

Distribution and bionomics. The species was collected only one locality from Kaman districts in Kırşehir province (Map 1), in a grassland area at an altitude of 1520 m. The specimens were found in the nests of Tetramorium diomedeum Emery, 1908.