Thyreocephalus meridionalis, Janák, Jiří & Bordoni, Arnaldo, 2015

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 : 32-34

Thyreocephalus meridionalis sp. nov.

( Figs. 64 , 70–74 , 240 )

Type locality. Namibia, Popa Falls, 18° 07' 16'' S, 21° 34' 51'' E

Type material. Holotype ♂: NAMIBIA: “ Namibia, Popa Falls, 18°07'16''S, 21°34'51''E, M. Uhlig 13.XII.1993 ”, “ Holotypus Thyreocephalus meridionalis sp. nov., Janák & Bordoni det. 2015” ( MFNB). Paratype s: BOTSWANA: 1 ♀: “ Botswana. 10 km N of Maun, J. Moravec” ( JJRC); MOZAMBIQUE: 1 ♀: “ Mozambique: Zambesia, 50 km S Gurué, 15.47 S – 37.97 E ”, “ 8.12.2006; E-Y: 3746, on mushrooms, leg. Gussman, Müller” ( JJRC). NAMIBIA: 1 ♀: “ Namibia, East Caprivi, Katima Mulilo, Zambezi riv., 19– 25.1.1999, 950 m, Rudolf Kmeco leg.” ( JJRC); 1 ♀: “ Namibia bor. or., Katima Mulilo, Caprivi zipfel, 15– 24.1.1995, M. Snížek lgt.” ( JJRC); ZAMBIA: 1 ♀: “NO Zambia, E Mkushi env., Snizek & Tichy 16.18. XII.2004 ” ( GROB); 1 spec.: “NW Zambia, Mutumbwe, B. & P. Malec 24–30.I.2005 ” ( MFNB); 1 ♂: “ Zambia, Livingstone Victoria Fals [sic!], 26– 31.12.1994, Lgt. Snizek” ( JJRC); 1 spec.: “ Zambia, Kapiri, Mposhi, 160 km N Lusaka, B. & P. Malec 2.II.2005 ” ( MFNB); ZIMBABWE: 1 ♀: “ Rhodesia, Atlantica, Ecol. Res. Station, nr. Salisbury [Harare], 25:III:1970, at light, Coll. J. R. Clover & A. C. Kistner Field No 1883” ( FMNH); 1 ♂: “ Zimbabwe W, Bulawayo, Shangani, Naletale ruins, 20.12.2012, Snížek ( JJRC); 1 ♂: “ Zimbabwe, Kyle Recr. Park at Lake Mutiri Kwi, M. Uhlig 2–4. XII. 1995, 20.13S, 31.00E ” ( ABFI); SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumalanga: 1 ♀: “ RSA (N), Mpumalanga, 24.5851S / 30.8633E, Mariepskop (forestry office), 1330 m, tree trunk, 16.11.2012, leg. P. Jałoszyński” ( TMSA); 1 ♀: “S. Afr.; Kruger Nat. Pk, Skukuza – Sabi River, 24.57 S – 31.42 E ”, “ 22.2.1995: E-Y: 3111, riverinefor. litter, leg. Endrödy-Younga” ( TMSA); 1 spec.: “ South Africa, Transvaal, Duiwelskloof, 23.42S, 30.06E, V. M. Uys 12– 14.I.1987 ” ( SANC); 1 spec.: “Mp' home (?) Transv., M. Knothe” ( MFNB). The label “ Paratypus Thyreocephalus meridionalis sp. nov., Janák & Bordoni det. 2015” was added to all paratypes.

Description. Body about 22–25 mm long; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: 12–14 mm. Black with reddish genital segment, exceptionally tip of abdomen beginning from apical part of segment 7 reddish. Elytra with feebly bluish reflections. Head and pronotum and related punctation as in Fig. 70 ; labrum as in Fig. 71 . Head and pronotum with very minute, sparse micro-punctation. Pronotum with sinuate sides. Elytra sub-quadrangular, slightly dilated posteriad, with marked humeral angles. Surface with fine punctation bearing long, brown setae, arranged in three series of very sparse punctures, one near suture of 3–4, one median of 4–5 more coarse and one lateral of 5–6 punctures. Abdomen with extremely fine and dense, transverse microstriation and sparse punctation.

Male. Temples with fine punctures. Tergite 10 and sternite 9 of the male genital segment as in Figs. 72, 73 . Aedeagus ( Fig. 74 ) 1.88 mm long, sub-ovoid, with long median lobe of characteristic apex; parameres symmetrical; inner sac shorter than in T. alluaudi .

Female. Temples impunctate or with very fine punctures.

Differential diagnosis. Thyreocephalus meridionalis sp. nov. differs from the most similar T. alluaudi in more robust body, in angular temples, longer pronotum, different shape of labrum with sharply emarginated middle part and narrower aedeagus with symmetrical parameres.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Latin meridionalis - e (southern), in relation to the distribution of the species.

Bionomy. Some specimens were collected in mushrooms and in forest litter. One specimen was collected on a tree trunk ( Fig. 240 ).

Distribution. The new species is distributed in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe ( Fig. 64 ).

Remarks. A specimen from Zimbabwe, Shangani has the same colorations as T. alluaudi , but other characters such as shape of the head, pronotum, labrum and aedeagus are typical of T. meridionalis .

Figures

FIGURE 64. Distribution of species in Thyreocephalus ater group (● = T. ater (Laporte), ▲ = T. alluaudi (Fauvel), Δ = T. meridionalis sp. nov.).

FIGURES 70 – 74. Thyreocephalus meridionalis sp. nov.; 70, head and pronotum; 71, labrum; 72, male tergite 10; 73, male sternite 9; 74, aedeagus.

FIGURES 238 – 240. 238, 239, Tsingidi, Republic of Congo (type locality of Thyreocephalus tsingidianus sp. nov. and T. pseudoafricanus sp. nov.); 238, forest; 239, pitfall traps; 240, Mariepskop, South Africa (type locality of T. meridionalis sp. nov.) — arrow indicates a place where the specimen was collected.