Afrotyphaeola natalensis, Lawrence, John F., Escalona, Hermes E., Leschen, Richard A. B. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2014

Lawrence, John F., Escalona, Hermes E., Leschen, Richard A. B. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2014, Review of the genera of Mycetophagidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) with descriptions of new genera and a world generic key, Zootaxa 3826 (1), pp. 195-229 : 208

Afrotyphaeola natalensis sp. n.

( Figs. 2A , 4A , D, 5K–L, 13A–L)

Type specimens. Holotype, ♂: SOUTH AFRICA: Natal: Cathedral Peaks For. Sta., 75 km WSW Estcourt, 1500 m, 12.xii.1979, Berl. 3, ravine litter with hyphae, S. & J. Peck ( NHML). Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Natal: Cathedral Peaks For. Sta., 75 km WSW Estcourt, 1500 m, podocarp forest, 10.xii.1979, Ber. 1, sifted moss, S. & J. Peck (1♂, 2♀♀, ANIC, CASC); same locality and collectors, 12.xii.1979, Berl. 3, ravine litter with hyphae (2♂♂, ANIC, CMNC); same locality and collectors, 14.xii.1979, Berl. 5, rotted wood, bark, fungi (2♂♂, 1♀, ANIC, FMNH); same locality and collectors, 15.xii.1979, Berl. 6, litter, mossy boulder bases (1♂, 2♀♀, CMNC); same locality and collectors, 17.xii.1979, Berl. 8, rotted stump of Cussonia spicata (3♂♂, 1♀, ANIC, NZAC); same locality and collectors, 19.xii.1979, Berl. 11, rotted Boletus bait station (1♂, 1♀, AMNH); Cathedral Peaks For. Sta., 75 km WSW Estcourt, 1800 m, 27.xii.1979, Berl. 25, catchment 10 podocarp litter, moss, hyphae (3♂♂, 5♀♀, ANIC, MCZH, NZAC).

Description. Color of pronotum and most of head reddish-brown, anterior portion of head usually lighter; elytra dark yellowish-brown; undersurfaces reddish-brown; legs, antennae and palps yellowish-brown, with antennal club somewhat darker. Vestiture of upper surfaces consisting of moderately long, decumbent, yellow setae; undersurfaces clothed with short, decumbent setae and fewer short, erect setae. Head with moderately fine and dense punctation and smooth and shiny interspaces. Ratio of antennal lengths: 1.75: 2.00: 1.75: 1.25: 1.50: 1.25: 1.22: 1.00: 1.75: 1.75: 2.00. Length/width ratios of antennomeres: 1.40, 1.78, 1.75, 1.25, 1.50, 1.25, 1.22, 0.73, 0.82, 0.78, 1.00. Pronotal punctures coarser than and about as dense as those on head and more or less longitudinally oval; elytral punctures larger than those on pronotum and more sparsely distributed, not seriate; interspaces smooth and shiny. Punctation on prosternum, hypomera and pterothorax fine and sparse. Aedeagus 2.85 times as long as wide, widest near base; phallobase about as long as parameres, each of which is 4 times as long as wide, narrowing anteriorly, with apex ventrally curved and acute; penis 0.95 times as long phallobase and parameres combined, 7.5 times as long as wide, slender and parallel-sided, with apex subacute and basal struts about 0.33 times as long as body of penis.

Biology. Most specimens have been taken by sifting leaf litter, rotten wood, and moss and two were taken from rotten Boletus .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Natal where all specimens of this new species have been collected.

Figures

FIGURES 2 A – B, habitus, dorsal: A, Afrotyphaeola natalensis sp. n., length 1.6 mm; B, Thrimolus minutus Casey, length 1.2 mm. FIGURES 2 C – D, Litargus balteatus LeConte, prothoraces: C, dorsal, showing paired slit-like impressions; D, posterior, showing notal attachments of posterior apodemes and cryptopleura. Figure 2 E, Neotriphyllus confusus (Horn), head, dorsal. FIGURES 2 F – H, antennal apex: F, Neotriphyllus confusus (Horn); G, Pseudotriphyllus suturalis Reitter; H, Zeclaviger explanatus sp. n. Figure 2 I, Litargops sp. (Australia: ACT: Picadilly Circus, Brindabella Range), protibial apex. FIGURES 2 J – K, Litargus balteatus LeConte: J, labium; K, maxilla. All figures © CSIRO Australia.

FIGURES 4 A – C, right half of abdominal ventrite 1: A, Afrotyphaeola natalensis sp. n. with linear pore field; B, Nototriphyllus araucania sp. n., with C-shaped pore field; C, Typhaeola maculata Perris, with pores at setal bases. FIGURES 4 D – F, all five abdominal ventrites of same three species. Figure 4 G, Nototriphyllus araucania sp. n., hind wing. All figures © CSIRO Australia.