Afrus collarti ( Cameron , 1932) Cameron, 1932

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 : 12-14

Afrus collarti ( Cameron, 1932) , comb. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 3, 4 , 8 , 16–21 )

Eulissus collarti Cameron, 1932a: 133 ; Scheerpeltz, 1933: 1317; Herman, 2001: 3626. Eulissus proximalis Tottenham, 1956: 255 ; Herman, 2001: 3628, syn. nov.

Type locality. Democratic Republic of Congo, Ituri, Blukwa, Nisi.

Type material examined. Eulissus collarti Cameron, 1932 . Paratype ♀: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: “Musée du Congo, Ituri: Blukwa:, Nisi 18-XII-1928, A. Collart”, “ Paratype ”, “R. DET., O, 2558”, “ Eulissus , collarti Cam. ” ( MRAC).

Eulissus proximalis Tottenham, 1956 . Holotype ♀: RWANDA: “Coll. Mus. Congo, Ruanda: Gitarama, 1800 m terr. Nyanza, P. Basilewsky II.1958 ”, “ Holotypus ”, “ Eulissus , proximalis, Tottenham , TYPE ” (MRAC).

Both specimens have the determination label “ Afrus collarti (Cam.) , Janák & Bordoni det. 2014”.

Additional material examined. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 1 spec. (not paratype): Nizi, Blukwa, 15.i.1929, A. Collart ( IRSNB); 1 spec.: Kisangani, Stanleyville, 4.xii.1929, A. Collart ( IRSNB); 3 spec.: Boma-Motenge, 8.i.1948, R. Cremer-M. Neuman ( MRAC, JJRC). KENYA: 4 spec.: Shimba For., 17.iii.1970, T. Palm ( ZML, JJRC). REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 3 ♂: Brazzaville, Lefinie reservation, Nambouli river, S. Endrödy- Younga, 7–12.i.1964 ( HNHM, ABFI). SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: 1 spec.: Hluhluwe G. R., 28°01'S- 32°13'E, 1–7.xi.2001, R. Fencl ( JJRC).

Redescription. Body length about 10 mm; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: 5 mm. Dark reddish brown with black head and slightly lighter elytra; antennae and legs brown; sometimes elytra yellowish on the margins and at the suture ( Fig. 1 ). Head, pronotum and elytra with micro-punctation. Labrum as in Fig. 17 . Head and pronotum and related punctation as in Fig. 3, 4 , 16 . Two postocular punctures situated in markedly elongate fossa. Elytra as long as pronotum, slightly dilated posteriad and there wider than pronotum. Surface with very fine and sparse punctation, arranged in three series, one near suture, one median and one lateral; the first with long setae.

Male. Tergite 10 and sternite 9 of male genital segment as in Figs. 18, 19 . Aedeagus ( Fig. 20 ), shortly elongate, 1.1 mm long, characteristic for the short, rounded median lobe; internal sac moderately wide, very short, covered with scales; parameres long.

Differential diagnosis. Afrus collarti differs from A. spegazzinii in the longer impression with postocular setiferous punctures behind the eyes, reddish brown elytra, larger body size and widened median lobe of aedeagus.

Distribution. The species is distributed in Republic of Congo, D. R. Congo, Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa ( Fig. 8 ).

Remarks. As this species fits the generic diagnosis of Afrus (see above), the species was transferred from Eulissus to Afrus . The date of collection indicated in the description of Eulissus collarti is Nizi, 19.xii.28 and not Nisi, 18.xii.28, as indicated on the label.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Distribution of Afrus gen. nov. (▲ = A. collarti (Cameron), ● = A. spegazzinii (Bernhauer )).

FIGURES 1 – 2. 1, Afrus collarti (Cameron); 2, Afrus spegazzinii (Bernhauer). Scale 1 mm.

FIGURES 3 – 7. 3, 4, Afrus collarti (Cameron); 5 – 7, Afrus spegazzinii (Bernhauer). 3, 5, head and anterior part of pronotum (iop—internal ocular puncture, pop—posterior ocular punctures); 4, 7, lateral part of head (SG—subelliptical groove); 6, lateral part of ventral side of pronotum (SL—superior line, IL—inferior line). Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 16 – 21. Afrus collarti (Cameron); 16, head and pronotum; 17, labrum; 18, male tergite 10; 19, male sternite 9; 20, aedeagus; 21 female genital segment.