Thyreocephalus burgeoni ( Bernhauer, 1929 ) Bernhauer, 1929

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 : 82-84

Thyreocephalus burgeoni ( Bernhauer, 1929) comb. nov.

( Figs. 206 , 212–217 )

Eulissus burgeoni Bernhauer, 1929: 122 ; Scheerpeltz, 1933: 1317; Herman, 2001: 3626.

Type locality. Democratic Republic of Congo, Haut-Uele, Kubango.

Type material examined. Lectotype (by present designation) ♀: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: “Musée du Congo, Haut-Uele: Yebo, I-1926, L. Burgeon”, “R. DET., 1964 F”, “ Xantholinus, Burgeoni Brh. , n. sp.”, “ Thyreocephalus burgeoni (Bh.) , J. Janák det. 2006” ( MRAC). This specimen is chosen as lectotype. The additional label “ Lectotypus Eulissus burgeoni Bh., Janák & Bordoni des. 2012” was added to the specimen. Syntype (?): ♂: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: “Haut-Uelé: Moto 1920, L. Burgeon”, “ Eulissus uelensis Brh. Typ ” ( MRAC).

Additional material examined. GHANA: 1 ♂: Brong-Ahafo reg., Kitampo cataract, Fullner falls, 200 m, 8.02N, 1.42W, 15.viii.1965, S. Endrödy-Younga ( HNHM). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 4 spec.: Kibali-Ituri, t. Epulu, Mambasa-Mungbere, 900 m, ii.1954, N. Leleup ( MRAC, JJRC). KENYA: 2 ♂,1 ♀: Western prov., Kakamega Forest Res., 5.–8.xii.2000, M. Bednařík ( JJRC).

Redescription. Body length 10–12 mm; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: 5– 6 mm. Head and pronotum black, elytra yellowish with brown scutellum, abdomen dark reddish brown, genital segment, antennae and legs light reddish brown. Head very shiny, with sparse micro-punctation. Pronotum with dense micro-punctation. Head and pronotum and related punctation as in Fig. 212 ; labrum as in Fig. 213 . Elytra as long as pronotum, slightly dilated posteriad and there as wide as pronotum, with rounded humeral angles. Surface with fine punctation, arranged in three series, one near suture, one median and one lateral; some punctures with long and light setae. Abdomen shiny, with fine, transverse micro-striation and fine but evident, sparse punctation, arranged in some series.

Male. Tergite 10 and sternite 9 of male genital segment as in Figs. 214, 215 . Aedeagus ( Fig. 216 ) small, 0.9 mm long; median lobe spearhead shaped; inner sac covered with fine scales.

Female. Genital segment as in Fig. 217 .

Differential diagnosis. Thyreocephalus burgeoni differs from the similar T. mokaensis in the less densely punctured disc of head and longer median lobe.

Distribution. The species is distributed in Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Kenya ( Fig. 206 ).

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 . In the description the type locality is cited as “Haut-Uele: Kubango, L. Burgeon; uelensis Bh. in litt.)”, which did not correspond precisely to either of two specimens (both examined) designated by Bernhauer as types. An exceptional third postocular puncture was observed on one side of the head of one specimen.

Figures

FIGURE 206. Distribution of species in Thyreocephalus mocquerysi group (★ = T. atlanticus (Bernhauer), ▲ = T. burgeoni (Bernhauer), ■ = T. camerunensis sp. nov., Δ = T. marginipennis sp. nov., ● = T. mokaensis (Bernhauer), ○ = T. strinatii (Bernhauer).

FIGURES 212 – 217. Thyreocephalus burgeoni (Bernhauer); 212, head and pronotum; 213, labrum; 214, male tergite 10; 215, male sternite 9, 216, aedeagus, 217, female genital segment (fp—fused pleurites, s—sternite, ss—supplementary sclerites).