Thyreocephalus alluaudi ( 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 : 30-32

Thyreocephalus alluaudi ( Fauvel, 1907) comb. nov.

( Figs. 64–69 )

Xantholinus alluaudi Fauvel, 1907: 34 ; Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914: 300; Bernhauer, 1939a: 64; Eichelbaum, 1910: 86. Eulissus alluaudi ; Scheerpeltz, 1933: 1316; Herman, 2001: 3625.

Type locality. Tanzania, Kilimandjaro, Kiboscho.

Type material examined. Lectotype (by present designation) ♂: TANZANIA: “Kiboscho 3, (Kilimanjaro)”, “Ex-Typis”, “Coll. et det. A. Fauvel, Xantholinus alluaudi Fvl. ” ( IRSNB). The specimen is chosen as lectotype of the species. This specimen have additional labels “ Lectotypus, Xantholinus alluaudi Fvl. J. Janák des. 1991” and “ Thyreocephalus alluaudi (Fvl.) , J. Janák det. 1991”. Paralectotypes: 1 ♀: TANZANIA: “Kibonoto 9, (Kilimanjaro)”; 2 ♂: “Nairobi 11, Kilimanjaro”; 1 ♀: “Kibonoto 8, Kilimanjaro” (all IRSNB). All have the label “Coll. et det. A. Fauvel, Xantholinus alluaudi Fvl. ”, “ Paralectotypus, Xantholinus , alluaudi Fvl., J. Janák des. 1991” and “ Thyreocephalus alluaudi (Fvl.) , J. Janák det. 1991”.

Additional material examined. TANZANIA: 1 spec.: Kilimandjaro ( MFNB); 1 spec.: Kilimancharo, Schira, E. Förster ( MFNB); 2 spec.: Kilimandjaro, Kibonoto, 1000–1300 m, Sjostedt 1905–6 ( MFNB); 1 spec.: Arusha ( HNHM); 1 ♂: Arusha env., 1–7.i.1995, Smrž ( NHMW); 1 spec.: Afr. or., Moschi ( MFNB); 1 spec.: S. Tanganyika, Msamwia, 1850 m, xi.1908, Fromm ( ABFI); 1 spec.: D. O. Africa, Tonga ( DEI); 1 ♀: Tonga, D. O. Afr., coll. Benningsen ( DEI). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 1 ♀: P. N. U. [Parc National Upemba], Lusinga, 1760 m, 28.xi.–6.xii.1947, G. F. de Witte ( MRAC). KENYA: 1 ♂: Loitokitok, 6.xi.1989, Hovorka ( NHMW); 2 ♂: Nairobi, Muthaiga, 4.iv.2007, Snížek ( JJRC); 1 ♀: Nairobi, Muthaiga, 9.v.2007, Snížek ( JJRC); 1 spec.: Nairobi Westlands, 19.x.1976, H. Gonget ( ZMUC).

Redescription. Body length 21–22 mm; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: 12– 13 mm. Black with genital segment, segment 8 and apical part of segment 7 reddish; elytra sometimes reddish. Body relatively narrow, shiny. Head and pronotum with micro-punctation. Head and pronotum and pertinent punctation as in Fig. 65 , labrum as in Fig. 66 . Elytra longer and wider than pronotum, posteriad dilated, with less marked humeral angles. Surface with very fine and spaced punctation, arranged in three series, one near suture, one median and one lateral, composed by 7–8 spaced punctures. Abdomen shiny, with feeble traces of transverse micro-striation and fine but deep, sparse punctation, arranged in some series.

Male. Temples with series of fine punctures. Tergite 10 and sternite 9 of male genital segment as in Figs. 67, 68 . Aedeagus ( Fig. 69 ) large, 2.4 mm long, with long median lobe; parameres asymmetrical; inner sac ribbon-like, proportionally short and narrow, covered with sparse little scales.

Female. Temples at most with very fine punctures.

Differential diagnosis. Thyreocephalus alluaudi differs from the most similar T. meridionalis sp. nov. in the reddish apical part of abdomen, rounded temples, roundly emarginated middle part of labrum and in wider aedeagus with asymmetrical parameres.

Distribution. The species is distributed in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Tanzania ( Fig. 64 ).

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, the species was transferred from Eulissus to Thyreocephalus .

Figures

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

FIGURES 65 – 69. Thyreocephalus alluaudi (Fauvel); 65, head and pronotum; 66, labrum; 67, male tergite 10; 68, male sternite 9; 69, aedeagus.