Anhoraeomorphus vadoni (Franz) Jałoszyński, 2024

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2024, The ‘ curse of Horaeomorphus’ (almost) lifted. Revision of misplaced species from Madagascar, Comoros and Mascarenes (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), Zootaxa 5505 (1), pp. 1-96 : 52-53

Anhoraeomorphus vadoni (Franz) , comb. n.

Horaeomorphus vadoni Franz, 1986b: 152 .

Remarks. According to Franz (1986b), the type series of this species is composed of a holotype and one paratype, and the holotype male is deposited in Tervuren, while a paratype male in “der Sammlung des Bayerischen Staates in München”. The holotype was not found in Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgium (email from Stéphane Hanot dated 02.04.2024), and the paratype was not found in Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Germany (email from Ditta Balke dated 03.04.2024). They are also missing from Franz Coll. at NHMW (pers. obs.).

Franz (1986b) described this species as most similar to A. roussettensis , and judging from the illustrated aedeagus ( Franz 1986b: fig. 135) it is possible that these two names are synonyms. Because of the aedeagal structure almost identical with that in A. roussettensis , there is no doubt that Horaeomorphus vadoni is a member of Anhoraeomorphus .

Distribution. Northern Madagascar (Analanjirofo Region).

Genus Euconnus Thomson

Euconnus Thomson, 1859: 61 . Type species: Pselaphus hirticollis Illiger, 1798 (des. orig.).

Remarks. The chaotic subgeneric system of Euconnus and Euconnus -like genera in recent years were the subject of extensive study ( Jałoszyński 2012b, 2013, 2015b, c, d, 2016a, b, c, d, 2017a, b, c, d, e, f, 2018a, b, 2019, 2020a, b, 2021b, c, 2022, Jałoszyński & Newton 2017). However, this megadiverse genus (one of the largest within Coleoptera ) is still inadequately studied and its subgeneric division needs further work.

The key features of Euconnus are: eyes (if present) situated closer to mandibular bases and antennal fossae than to occipital constriction (e.g., Fig. 196 ); hypostomal sutures lacking (e.g., Fig. 196 ); mesoventral intercoxal process present, carinate (e.g., Fig. 197 ); notosternal sutures complete (e.g., Fig. 196 ); hypomeral ridges at least partly developed (e.g., Fig. 196 ) or at least inner regions of hypomera delimited from outer regions by abrupt change in microsculpture; each elytron with two asetose basal pits (reduced in some species) (e.g., Fig. 217 ); metaventral intercoxal process widely or narrowly (but clearly) separating metacoxae (e.g., Fig. 197 ); and aedeagus with free rod-like parameres (e.g., Figs 191–194 ).

A number of western Indian Ocean species were originally placed in Euconnus by Franz (1986b), but nomenclatural issues described in the Introduction resulted in placing them in Horaeomorphus . They are revised below, and most of them were found to belong in Euconnus , subgenus Tetramelus Motschulsky, 1869 .

Subgenus Tetramelus Motschulsky

Tetramelus Motschulsky, 1869: 257 . Type species: Scydmaenus oblongus Sturm, 1838 (des. by Franz in Newton & Franz (1998): 147).

Drastophus Casey, 1897: 389 . Type species: Drastophus laevicollis Casey, 1897 (monotypy). Synonymized with Euconnus s. str. by Franz (1985b); resurrected as subgenus by O’Keefe (1998); synonymized with Tetramelus by Jałoszyński (2017a).

Euconnoides Croissandeau, 1898: 154 (as subgenus of Euconnus ). Type species: Scydmaenus styriacus Grimmer, 1841 (des. Franz in Newton & Franz (1998): 147). Synonymized with Tetramelus by Csiki (1919).

Vinsoniana Lhoste, 1956: 283 (as subgenus of Scydmaenus ). Type species: Scydmaenus mauritiensis Lhoste, 1956 (monotypy). Erroneously synonymized with Horaeomorphus by Franz (1986b); herein placed as junior synonym of Tetramelus .

Vinsonia Franz, 1986b: 174 . Misspelling of Vinsoniana .

Heteroconnus Franz, 1963: 40 (as subgenus of Euconnus ). Type species: Euconnus impressicollis Franz, 1963 (des. orig.). Synonymized with Tetramelus by Jałoszyński (2021b).

Paratetramelus Franz, 1963: 25 (as subgenus of Euconnus ). Type species: Euconnus kenyae Franz, 1963 (des.orig.). Synonymized with Tetramelus by Jałoszyński (2021b).

Dimorphoconnus Franz, 1975: 177 (as subgenus of Euconnus ). Type species: Scydmaenus insigniventris Lea, 1912 (des. orig.). Synonymized with Tetramelus by Jałoszyński (2021b).

Drasterophus Franz, 1985b: 171 (subsequent misspelling of Drastophus ).

Remarks. Morphological structures illustrated and emended diagnosis given in Jałoszyński (2015d); further notes on character variability in Jałoszyński (2017a, 2021b).

Tetramelus , as currently defined, can be identified using the following set of co-occurring characters: hypostomal ridges running posteromesally (e.g., Figs 196 , 207 , 218 ); head ventrally lacking deep narrow longitudinal groove connecting gular plate and submentum (e.g., Figs 196 , 207 , 218 ); prothorax lacking longitudinal hypomeral grooves; pronotum broadest in front of middle (e.g., Figs 195 , 206 , 217 ); antenna in male unmodified, gradually thickened or with variously distinct tetramerous club (e.g., Figs 190 , 212 , 223 ); and tarsomere 4 in all legs lacking long distoventral lobe (for key to subgenera of Euconnus see Jałoszyński (2022)).

Distribution. Africa: Algeria, Cameroon, Comoros, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, RSA, Swaziland, Tanzania; Asia: Asian Turkey, Nagorno-Karabakh, Nepal, “Syria”; Australia: Australia (incl. Franklin Is., Lord Howe Is., Reevesby Is., Tasmania); Caribbean: Jamaica; Europe: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Rep., France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, European Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, European Turkey, Ukraine; North America: Canada, USA; Pacific: New Caledonia, New Zealand; South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Peru.

Composition. 251 species and 2 subspecies. During the present study, 18 species of Tetramelus were recognized to occur in Madagascar, and one in Grande Comore (one originally placed in Euconnus subgenus Paratetramelus (currently a junior synonym of Tetramelus ), 17 herein transferred from Horaeomorphus ). However, judging from descriptions and illustrations in Franz (1986b), it seems that some species placed by him in Euconnus (s. str.) in fact belong in Tetramelus (this problem is beyond the scope of the present paper). Only species previously placed in Horaeomorphus are treated here.

Figures

FIGURES 195–197. Euconnus (Tetramelus) gomyi Franz, holotype. Head, prothorax and elytral base in dorsal view (195); head, prothorax and mesothorax in ventral view (196); pterothorax in ventral view (197). Abbreviations: abp, antebasal pit; gp, gular plate; gs, gular suture; hr, hypomeral ridge; hyr, hypomeral ridge; msvp, mesoventral intermesocoxal process; mtvp, metaventral process; nss, notosternal suture; pcr, procoxal rest; ptp, posterior tentorial pit; slc, sublateral carina; smn, submentum.

FIGURES 217–219. Euconnus (Tetramelus) tenuissimides Newton, holotype. Head, prothorax and elytral base in dorsal view (217); head, prothorax and anterior region of mesothorax in ventral view (218); pterothorax in ventral view (219). Abbreviations: abp, antebasal pit; bef, basal elytral fovea; gp, gular plate; hr, hypomeral ridge; hyr, hypomeral ridge; msvp, mesoventral intermesocoxal process; mtvp, metaventral process; nss, notosternal suture; pcr, procoxal rest; ptp, posterior tentorial pit; smn, submentum.

FIGURES 187–194. Euconnus (Tetramelus) gomyi Franz, holotype. Habitus in dorsal view (187); head in anterodorsal view (188); head and prothorax in lateral view (189); antenna (190); aedeagus in ventral (191, 193) and lateral (192, 194) views.

FIGURES 206–208. Euconnus (Tetramelus) imaitsanus Franz, holotype. Head, prothorax and elytral base in dorsal view (206); head, prothorax and anterior region of mesothorax in ventral view (207); pterothorax in ventral view (208). Abbreviations: abg, antebasal groove; gp, gular plate; hr, hypomeral ridge; hyr, hypomeral ridge; msvp, mesoventral intermesocoxal process; mtvp, metaventral process; nss, notosternal suture; pcr, procoxal rest; ptp, posterior tentorial pit; slc, sublateral carina; smn, submentum.

FIGURES 209–216. Euconnus (Tetramelus) tenuissimides Newton, holotype. Habitus in dorsal view (209); head in anterodorsal view (210); head and prothorax in lateral view (only bristles on head are shown) (211); antenna (212); aedeagus in ventral (213, 215) and lateral (214, 216) views.

FIGURES 220–227. Euconnus (Tetramelus) andasyi Franz, holotype. Habitus in dorsal view (220); head in anterodorsal view (221); head and prothorax in lateral view (only bristles on head are shown) (222); antenna (223); aedeagus in ventral (224, 226) and lateral (225, 227) views.