Thyreocephalus secretus ( Bernhauer, 1935 ) Bernhauer, 1935

Janák, Jiří & Bordoni, Arnaldo, 2015, Revision of the genus Thyreocephalus and description of Afrus gen. nov. of Africa south of the Sahara (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Zootaxa 4038 (1), pp. 1-94 : 26-29

Thyreocephalus secretus ( Bernhauer, 1935) comb. nov.

( Figs. 29 , 51–56 )

Eulissus secretus Bernhauer, 1935: 101 ; Herman, 2001: 3629.

Type locality. Democratic Republic of Congo, Lulua, Kapanga.

Type material examined. Lectotype (by present designation) ♂: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: “Musée du Congo, Lulua: Kapanga”, “ XII.1932, Overlaet”, “ secretus, Brnh. Typus, Eulissus ”, “ Thyreocephalus secretus (Bernh.) , J. Janák det. 2006”. The specimen is chosen as lectotype. The labels “ Lectotypus Eulissus secretus Bh., Janák & Bordoni des. 2014” and “ Thyreocephalus secretus (Bh.) , Janák & Bordoni det. 2014” were added to this specimen.

Additional material examined. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 1 ♂, 1 ♀: Lulua: Kapanga, xii.1932, F. G. Overlaet ( MRAC, JJRC); 3 ♂, 1 ♀: Lulua: Kapanga, i.1933, F. G. Overlaet ( MRAC); 1 ♂: Lulua: Kapanga, ii.1933, F. G. Overlaet ( JJRC).

Description. Body length 19–21.5 mm; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: 10.5–12 mm. Head, pronotum and scutellum black, elytra and abdomen reddish yellow, metasternum black, abdominal tergites 3 and 4 with median black spots; all sternites yellowish, antennae and legs brown dark. Shiny. Head and pronotum with micro-punctation. Head and pronotum and related punctation as in Fig. 51 ; labrum as in Fig. 52 . Elytra as long as pronotum, dilated posteriad and there wider than pronotum, with rounded humeral angles. Surface with sparse punctation, arranged in three series, one near suture, one median and one lateral.

Male. Lateral part of temple with series of moderately coarse punctures. Tergite 10 and sternite 9 of male genital segment as in Figs. 53, 54 . Aedeagus ( Figs. 55, 56 ) ovoid, elongate, 1.65 mm long, with sub-triangular, long median lobe, with rounded apex; parameres symmetrical; inner sac narrow and long, apparently devoid of scales.

Female. Lateral parts of temple impunctate or at most with few fine punctures.

Differential diagnosis. Thyreocephalus secretus is very similar to T. brunneiventris and differs in smaller black spots on the base of the abdomen, yellow lateral margins of tergite 3 and in rounded apical margin of median lobe of the aedeagus.

Distribution. The species is hitherto known only from the type locality situated in Democratic Republic of Congo ( Fig. 29 ).

Remarks. As the superior line of pronotal hypomeron is turning downwards well before middle, joining or almost joining inferior line next to front margin of procoxae and continuing onto anterior margin of pronotum, the species was transferred from Eulissus to Thyreocephalus .

Figures

FIGURE 29. Distribution of species in Thyreocephalus pilosus group (● = T. africanus (Bernhauer), Δ = T. brunneiventris (Tottenham), ▲ = T. pilosus (Roth), ☆ T. pseudoafricanus sp. nov., ○ = T. secretus (Bernhauer), ★ = T. tsingidianus sp. nov.).

FIGURES 51 – 56. Thyreocephalus secretus (Bernhauer); 51, head and pronotum; 52, labrum; 53, male tergite 10; 54, male sternite 9; 55, aedeagus; 56, paramere.