Thyreocephalus nairobiensis ( Fauvel, 1907 ) Fauvel, 1907

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 : 39-42

Thyreocephalus nairobiensis ( Fauvel, 1907) comb. nov.

( Figs. 82–86 , 92–96 )

Xantholinus nairobiensis Fauvel, 1907: 34 ; Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914: 306; Herman, 2001: 3814. Eulissus turneri Bernhauer, 1937b: 299 ; Herman, 2001: 3629, syn. nov.

Type locality. Kenya, Nairobi, Wa Kikuyu et Masai.

Type material examined. Xantholinus nairobiensis . Holotype ♀: KENYA: “ nairobiensis, Wa-Kikuyu et Masai ”, “ nairobiensis, Fvl. ”, “ Type ” ( IRSNB). The label “ Thyreocephalus nairobiensis (Fauvel, Bordoni & Janák det. 2014” was attached to this specimen.

Eulissus turneri . Lectotype (by present designation) ♀: KENYA: “ Type ”, “Naivasha, Kenya Colony, 1935, Allen Turner”, “ Eulissus, Turneri Brnh. , type ” ( BMNH). The specimen is chosen as lectotype. The labels “ Lectotypus Eulissus turneri Bh., Bordoni des. 2011” and Thyreocephalus nairobiensis (Fvl.) , Janák & Bordoni des. 2014” were attached to the specimen. Paralectotypes: 2 ♀: KENYA: “Naivasha, Kenya Colony, 1935, Allen Turner”, “Ostafrika, Brit. Mus., Don. Marshall ”, “ turneri, Brnh. Type, Eulissus ”; “ Paralectotypus Eulissus turneri Bh., Janák & Bordoni des. 2011”; “ Thyreocephalus turneri (Bh.) , Janák & Bordoni det. 2011” ( FMNH).

Additional material examined. TANZANIA: 1 ♀: Tanzania bor., Arusha env., 1–7.i.1995, Smrž ( NHMW); 1 ♂: Africa or., Katona, Arusha Ju, 1905 ( JJRC).

Redescription. Body length 14–15 mm; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: 7– 7.5 mm. Reddish brown to black with elytra and last two visible abdominal segments red ( Figs. 82, 84 ). Shiny. Head and pronotum with micro-punctation. Head and pronotum and related punctation as in Figs. 83, 85 , 92 ; labrum as in Fig. 93 Elytra shorter and wider than pronotum, slightly dilated posteriad, with rounded humeral angles. Surface with fine punctation, arranged in three irregular series, one wide near suture, one median and one lateral. Abdomen with evident transverse micro-striation and deep, rather dense punctation, arranged in more series on each segment.

Male. Temples with longitudinal impression, rather finely and densely punctate ( Figs. 83 , 92 ).Tergite 10 and sternite 9 of male genital segment as in Figs. 94, 95 . Aedeagus ( Fig. 96 ) ovoid, 1.8 mm long, with long median lobe, symmetrical parameres and tube-like inner sac, covered with fine spinulae.

Female. Temples without longitudinal impression ( Fig. 85 ).

Differential diagnosis. Thyreocephalus nairobiensis differs from the similar T. manfredi sp. nov. in reddish last abdominal segment, different shape of the aedeagus with shorter apical lobe and symmetrical parameres.

Distribution. The species is distributed in Kenya and Tanzania ( Fig. 86 ).

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 and the pronotum is without dorsal rows of punctures, the species was transferred from Xantholinus to Thyreocephalus . In the description of T. turneri the species is cited from Nairobi. Naivasha is located in Rif Valley Prov., northwest of Nairobi, on the shore of Lake Naivasha.

Figures

FIGURE 86. Distribution of species in Thyreocephalus nairobiensis group (● = T. nairobiensis (Fauvel), ■ = T. manfredi sp. nov., ▲ = T. meridioafricanus sp. nov.).

FIGURES 80 – 85. 80, 81, Thyreocephalus manfredi sp. nov.; 82 – 85, T. nairobiensis (Fauvel); 82, 83, male; 84, 85, female; 80, 82, 84, habitus; 81, 83, 85, head and anterior part of pronotum. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURES 92 – 96. Thyreocephalus nairobiensis (Fauvel); 92, head and pronotum; 93, labrum; 94, male tergite 10; 95, male sternite 9; 96, aedeagus.