Acylophorus muscorum Jarrige, 1965

(Figs. 37–51, 174)

Acylophorus muscorum Jarrige, 1965: 140; Herman, 2001: 3034.

Type locality. Madagascar, massif du Tsaratanana.

Type material. Holotype ♂: MADAGASCAR: massiv du Tsaratanana, forêt mousses, 1500 m, X-1949, R. Paulian according to the original description (MHNP?). Not examined, not found in MHNP.

Additional material examined. MADAGASCAR: 5 ♂ 3 ♂: MADAGASCAR, Est, Andasibé ( Périnet), 900– 1000 m, 6.– 7.2.1993, J. Janák lgt. (JJRC, MFNB) ; 1 ♂: Maromiza pr. Andasibé (Périnet), 1000–1200 m, 9.2.1993, J. Janák lgt. (JJRC) ; 3 ♂, 2 ♀: same data, but 950–1150 m, 8.– 10.1.1995, forêt humide, bord d’un ruisseau, J. Janák lgt. (JJRC); 1 ♀: 10 km W of Maheriara, Route Morarano Chrome-Ambakireni, 1 200–1300 m, 21.1.1995, forêt humide, tamisages, J. Janák lgt. (JJRC) ; 1 ♀: E Madagascar, S of Ambositra, RN km 295.5 by Ambatofitorahana, ca. 1700 m, 5.– 6.1.1999, rest of rain forest, stream bank, treading, J. Janák lgt. (JJRC) .

Redescription (n=10). Body length 6.6–9.0 mm (M= 7.5 mm), forebody length 3.2–3.8 mm (M= 3.6 mm). Body (Fig. 37) black or brownish black, pronotum brown with reddish sides, elytra brown, abdominal tergites slightly iridescent; antennae brown with base of first two segments and segments 10–11 light reddish; legs and maxillary palpi reddish.

Head rounded (Fig. 38), about as long as wide (L/W=0.97–1.02, M=1.00), markedly roundly narrowed behind eyes, with two pairs of interocular setae. Temples slightly shorter than eyes (LT/LE=0.83–0.97, M=0.90). Dorsal side of head shining, with scattered micropunctures. Dense pale grey pubescence behind eyes. Four postocular setae visible on each side, additional seta on hind margin of eye absent. Left mandible with one tooth, right mandible with two teeth (Fig. 39). Maxillary palpi with terminal segment wide and long, pubescent, asymmetric, much wider and longer than pubescent penultimate segment which is triangular (Fig. 40). First segment of antenna nearly as long as next five; segments 1 to 4 elongate, segment 5 about as long as wide (L/W=0.87–1.03, M=0.94), segments 6–9 transverse, segment 10 markedly transverse (R=0.62–0.76, M=0.71).

Pronotum slightly transverse (R=1.01–1.07, M=1.04), markedly widened behind, with sides markedly rounded, widest in basal half (Fig. 38), shining, without micropunctures. One pair of dorsal setae and one pair of lateral setae. Marginal setae short. Elytra transverse (R=0.73–0.79, M=0.76) with short, pale, but not shining pubescence arising from dense aspirate punctures. Apical fringe of bristles slightly longer than pubescence on other parts of the elytra. Abdominal tergites with short and dense pubescence, arising from aspirate punctures, slightly finer and sparser than on elytra.

Meso- and metatarsi with empodial setae longer than claws (similar as in Figs. 9, 10).

Male (n=5). Sternite 9 long and narrow (Fig. 49), apex of tergite 10 very widely rounded and short apical setae (Fig. 48). Aedeagus (Figs. 41–47) 0.86–0.92 mm long (M= 0.88 mm). Parameres bilobed, lobes widely separated, sensory pegs confusedly arranged at the very apex (Figs. 46, 47). Median lobe of aedeagus markedly overreaching paramere, apex pointed (Figs. 41–47).

Female. Tergite 10 truncate apically (Fig. 50), valves as in Fig. 51.

Differential diagnosis. Acylophorus muscorum differs from all hirtherto known Afrotropical species by combination of relatively long temples, two pairs of interocular punctures, pubescent both last two segments of maxillary palpi and widely separated lobes of paramere.

Distribution. The species is distributed in East Madagascar (Fig. 174).

Bionomics. Most of specimens were found by treading on banks of streams, and in siftings of litter on wet places. A teneral specimen was found in January.