Ischnopoderona gracilicornis ( Scheerpeltz, 1974 ) Scheerpeltz, 1974

Paśnik, Grzegorz, 2007, Revision and phylogenetic analysis of the African genus Ischnopoderona (Scheerpeltz, 1974) new status (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 1412, pp. 1-54 : 15-17

Ischnopoderona gracilicornis ( Scheerpeltz, 1974) , comb. n.

( Figs. 3, 18–20 , Map 1)

Tachyusa (Ischnopoderona) gracilicornis Scheerpeltz, 1974: 229 .

Type material. Holotype: ɗ: South Africa, Cape Prov., Kokstad, 6.III.1951, Brinck and Rudebeck ( MZLU). Paratypes: 2ΨΨ: same data as holotype ( MZLU); ɗ: same data as holotype ( NMW).

Additional material. Angola: 5 mls. NE Negola, damp leaf litter, 25.III.1972, 2 exx ( BMNH). Democratic Republic of the Congo: Brazzaville, Bouenza, catarract, sifted in float, 30.XI.1963, Endrödy­Younga, 1 ex ( HNHM). Namibia: Mahango Game Reserve, Kwetche picnic site, banks of Okavango, shore washing, 30.III.1999, M. Uhlig, 9 exx ( ZMHB), 2 exx ( ISEA); Kavango, Mahango Game Reserve, Picnic site, Okavango banks, sifting flood refuse, 1–4.III.1994, M. Uhlig, 18 exx ( ZMHB), 2 exx ( ISEA). Republic of South Africa: Cape Province, Bontebok National Park, river bank, 15.XI.1993, M. Uhlig, 29 exx ( ZMHB), 5 exx ( ISEA); Natal, Dragon Peaks Park Pessort, Sterkspruit River, shore litter, 18.XI.1996, M. Uhlig, 1 ex ( ZMHB); Transvaal, Limpopo River, sandy stream banks, 25–26. IV.1972, 2 exx ( BMNH); Transvaal, Nelshoogte galery for below Station, shore washing, 2.XII.1986, Endrödy­Younga, 12 exx ( TMSA), 1 ex ( ISEA); Transvaal, Nelspruit National Reserve, rivulet valley, 18.XII.1986, Endrödy­Younga, 7 exx ( TMSA), 1 ex ( ISEA); Ciskei Amatole, Pirie Forest, shore washing, 8.XII.1987, Endrödy­Younga, 2 exx ( TMSA); Cape, Swartberg, Meiringspoort, shore washing, 1.XI.1993, Endrödy­Younga, 1 ex ( TMSA); Kruger National Park, Skukuza, fish twail, UV light, 8.III.1996, Endrödy­Younga, 1 ex ( TMSA); Waterberg, Matlabas river, water collecting, 6.X.1995, Endrödy & Bellamy, 2 exx ( TMSA). Zambia: 29 km NW Chipata, Kamanga, 825 m, rivulet banks sifting, 21.III.1993, M. Uhlig, 1 ex ( ZMHB).

Redescription. Body. Length 2.8–3.4 mm, convex, parallel­sided, glossy; body colour reddish­brown to dark brown; tergites V–VII black, antennae brown with antennomeres 1–2 and 11 yellow, legs yellow.

Head circular in outline, convex; eyes relatively large, moderately protruding from lateral contours of head, length of each seen from above subequal to that of postocular region; surface of head without microsculpture; puncturation minute, pinprick­like and sparse. Antennae long, extending to 1/2 of elytra, slightly increasing in width apically, antennomeres 2 and 3 subequal in length, antennomeres 4–10 longer than wide, decreasing in length, antennomere 11 nearly coniform.

Pronotum quadrate, convex, lateral sides sinuately narrowed to obtuse hind angles; before base with small and shallow transverse impression; surface without microsculpture; puncturation in basal 2/3 fine and dense, in anterior 1/3 minute, pinprick­like and sparse; pubescence at midline directed posteriorly in apical 1/4 and anteriorly in basal 3/4.

Elytra subquadrate, at suture shorter than pronotal length at midline; surface without microsculpture; puncturation minute, pinprick­like and sparse.

Abdomen widened posteriorly, bases of tergites III–V each with deep transverse impression, first impression coarsely punctate, second and third impressions smooth, impunctate; tergal puncturation minute, pinprick­like and sparse; surface without microsculpture.

Male. Aedeagus as in Figs. 18–19 .

Female. Spermatheca as in Fig. 20 .

Remarks. Ischnopoderona gracilicornis is very similar to I. externa , from which it can be distinguished by the second abdominal transverse impression smooth, impunctate (distinctly punctate in I. externa ), the tergal puncturation sparse (dense in I. externa ), the elongate antennomere 10 (quadrate in I. externa ), the antennomere 11 yellow, much paler than preceding antennomeres (brown, coloured like preceding antennomeres in I. externa ) and by the shape of the aedeagus.

Distribution. Southern Africa (Map 1).

MAP 1. Distribution of Ischnopoderona sp.

Figures

FIGURES 18 – 20. Ischnopoderona gracilicornis (Scheerpeltz): 18 — aedeagus in lateral view, 19 — aedeagus in ventral view, 20 — spermatheca.