Achmonia amabilis ( Boheman, 1848 ) Boheman, 1848

Janák, Jiří & Bordoni, Arnaldo, 2014, Revision of the genus Achmonia of Africa south of the Sahara (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Zootaxa 3872 (3), pp. 257-274 : 269-270

Achmonia amabilis ( Boheman, 1848) , comb. nov.

( Figs. 5, 10 , 18 , 64–67 , 69–70 )

Xantholinus amabilis Boheman, 1848: 274 ; Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914: 300.

Eulissus amabilis ; Scheerpeltz, 1933: 1316; Tottenham, 1956: 255; Herman, 2001: 3625.

Eulissus semiflavus Bernhauer, 1913: 231 ; Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914: 311; Tottenham, 1956: 255; Herman, 2001a: 3629; Thyreocephalus semiflavus ; Cameron, 1950g: 33, syn. nov.

Eulissus gerardi Bernhauer, 1929: 121 ; Scheerpeltz, 1933: 1317; Tottenham, 1956: 255; Herman, 2001a: 3627, syn. nov.

Type locality. South Africa, “Montes Makhaliensis”.

Type material examined. Xantholinus amabilis Boheman. Lectotype (by present designation) ♂: SOUTH AFRICA: “I. Walb”, “Caffra/ ria”, “ Type ” (white label, printed), “ amabilis Boh. ”, “ Typus ” (red label, printed) ( SMNH). This specimen is chosen as lectotype and the label: “ Lectotypus ♂ Xantholinus amabilis Boh., J. Janák des. 2004” was added to the specimen. Paralectotypes (by present designation) 2 ♂: same data as LT ( SMNH). These specimens are choosen and the labels: “ Paralectotypus Xantholinus amabilis Boh., J. Janák des. 2004” were added to the specimens.

Eulissus semiflavus Bernhauer. Lectotype (by present designation) ♀: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: “Zentralafrika/ Kongo gebiet/ v. Bang-Haas”, “ semiflavus Fvl. / Congo ”, “ semiflavus / Bernh. Typus ” ( FMNH). This specimen is chosen as lectotype and the labels: “ Lectotypus Eulissus semiflavus Bernh., Janák & Bordoni des. 2014” and “ Achmonia amabilis (Boh.) Janák & Bordoni, 2014 ” were added to the specimen.

Eulissus gerardi Bernhauer. Lectotype (by present designation) ♀: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: “Musée du Congo / Manyema 1913”, “r. Kasa Niemba/ Dr. Gérard”, “ Gerardi Brh./ Typ.”, “ Eulissus / Gerardi / Brnh. Typus ” ( FMNH). This specimen is chosen as lectotype and the labels: “ Lectotypus Eulissus gerardi Bernh., Janák & Bordoni des. 2014” and the determination “ Achmonia amabilis (Boh.) , Janák & Bordoni det. 2014”.

Additional material examined. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 1 ♂: Kikondja, Bequaert 18.x.1911 ( MRAC); 2 ♀: Lulua, Kapanga, x.1932 and i.1933, G. Overlaet ( MRAC); 1 ♂: Katanda, 950 m, 13–19.x.1933, G. de Witte ( MRAC); 1 ♂, 1 ♀: P.N.U., Mabwe, 585 m, G. de Witte 8–20.i.1949 ( MRAC, JJRC); 1 ♀: P.N.U., Kankunda, 1.300 m, 14–28.xi.1947, Mis. G. F. de Witte: 1036a ( MRAC); 2 ♀: Stanley Pool Congo, ( IRSNB). KENYA: 1 ♀: Amboseli, 11.III.1970, T. Palm ( MZLU). MALAWI: 1 ♀: Nyassa, 44.50 ( FMNH). MALI: 1 ♂: Ht Sénegal, Kayes ( IRSNB). SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: 1 specimen: Natal, Boh. ( MFNB); 2 ♀: Natal, Ithala Game res., M. Snížek 6.ii.2003 ( JJRC); 1 ♂, Zululand, Hluhluwe, van Son 1960 ( TMSA); 1 ♀: Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park, 18.i.2007, M. Klícha leg. ( JJRC); 1 ♀: Hluhluwe Game Res., 28.05 S— 32.04 E, 19.xi.1992, E-Y: 2835, white rhino dung, leg. Endrödy-Younga ( JJRC); Mpumalanga: 1 ♀: Transvaal, 20 km S Sabie ( TMSA); 1 ♂: Pretorius Kop, B. Preez 16.iv.1981 ( ABFI); 3 specimens: Kruger NP, Skukuza, C. Paetel 31.xii.1998, ( ABFI, MFNB); 1 ♂: Kruger NP, Lower Sabie, 25.08 S— 31.58 E, 10.iii.1996, E-Y: 3227, elephant dung, leg. Endrödy-Younga ( JJRC); 1 ♂: Kruger NP, Punda Maria, 22.41 S— 31.01 E, 7.ii.1994, E-Y: 2983, elephant dung, leg. Endrödy-Younga ( TMSA); 1 ♀: Kruger NP, Nyandu sands, 22.38 S— 31.23 E, 9.ii.1994, E-Y: 2990, ground & vegetation, leg. Endrödy-Youngha ( JJRC).

Redescription. Body length ( Fig. 5 ) 12–20 mm; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: 7–11 mm. Head and pronotum black, scutellum and elytra yellowish, abdomen yellowish, with tergites 3–5 in middle with dark brown coloured spot with bronze reflections; antennae and anterior tarsi and tibiae dark reddish brown, middle and posterior tarsi and tibiae yellowish. Labrum quadrilobate, with only slightly prominent inner lobes ( Fig. 18 ). Head and pronotum with micro-punctation. Head without postocular punctures ( Figs. 18 , 64 ), punctures near posterior margin with fine long setae. Protrusion near posterior angles of head distinct. Anterior margin of pronotum with several fine, long setae. Elytra as long as pronotum, posteriad, slightly dilated and slightly wider than pronotum, with rounded humeral angles; surface with fine and sparse punctation, arranged in three series; with additional punctures near posterior margin and some of these with very long, fine setae. Abdomen with very fine and dense, transverse micro-waves and fine and not sparse punctation.

Male. Protrusion near posterior angles of head distinct, in some males similar to that of female, in others, markedly more extended outwards. Temples more or less densely punctured ( Fig. 64 ). Tergite and sternite of male genital segment as in Figs. 66, 67 . Aedeagus ( Fig. 69 ) length 1.7–1.8 mm, median lobe very long, with enlarged apex; parameres very large ( Fig. 70 ); internal sac very narrow, covered by very fine and sparse scales.

Female. Temples smooth or at most with a few (about 5) fine punctures ( Fig. 65 ).

Ratios (n = 12): HL/HW: 0.83–0.91 (M 0.88); TeL/EyL: 1.40–1.83 (M 1.66); PL/PW: 1.01–1.06 (M 1.04); EL/ EW: 0.92–1.00 (M 0.97); PW/HW: 0.89–1.00 (M 0.96); EW/PW: 1.01–1.12 (M 1.07); EL/PL: 0.97–1.04 (M 1.01); A5L/A5W: 0.54–0.71 (M 0.63); A10L/A10W: 0.54–0.71 (M 0.59).

Differential diagnosis. Achmonia amabilis differs from other Afrotropical species of the genus by the yellowish abdomen with tergites 3–5, at middle, with a dark brown coloured spot with bronze reflections, and also by the shape of the aedeagus.

Distribution. The species is distributed in D. R. Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mali and South Africa ( Fig. 2).

Bionomics. Some specimens were collected in elephant and rhino dung.

Remarks. As the labrum of Achmonia amabilis is dark, completely chitinised and quadrilobate ( Fig. 64 ), the species was transferred from Eulissus to Achmonia .

Figures

FIGURES 3 – 12. 3, 8, 12, Achmonia carinata sp. nov., HT male; 4, 7, 9, A. simulator sp. nov., PT male, 4, 9 from Mposhi, 7 from Joko; 5, 10, A. amabilis (Boheman), female from Ithala; 6, 11, A. congoensis (Bernh.), male from P. N. Garamba. 3 – 6, habitus; 7, lateral part of pronotum, ventral; 8 – 11, head; 12, pronotum and elytra. SL, superior line; IL, inferior line; EL, elytral length; p, postocular puncture. Scales 1 mm (3 – 6) and 0.5 mm (7 – 12).

FIGURES 13 – 24. 13, 14, 21, 22, Achmonia doloc (Bord.), HT from Java; 15, A. eppelsheimi (Bernh. & Schub.) from Nepal; 16, A. shibatai (Bord.), HT from Taiwan; 17, A. nigra (Bord.), HT from China; 18, 23, 24, A. amabilis (Boh.) from South Africa; 19, A. simulator sp. nov., PT from Mposhi; 20, A. carinata sp. nov., HT. 13, head and pronotum; 14 – 20, labrum; 21, 23, maxillary palpus; 22, 24, labial palpus. 13, 14, 21, 22 from Bordoni (2004 a), 15 from Bordoni (2004 b), 16 from Bordoni (2010), 17 from Bordoni (2009). Scale 0.1 mm; 13, 15 and 17 without scale.

FIGURES 54 – 68. 54 – 63, Achmonia simulator sp. nov., 54 – 57, 63, PT male from Joko, 58 – 61, HT male, 62, PT from Bolama; 64 – 67, A. amabilis (Boheman), 64, 66, 67, LT male, 65, female from Ithala; 68, A. congoensis (Bernh.), male from Malo. 54, aedeagus lateral; 55, 58, 61, aedeagus dorsal; 56, 59, paramere; 57, 60, median lobe of aedeagus; 62, sternite 9 and sclerites of tergite 10; 63, left metatibia and metatarsus; 64, 68, head; 66, sternite 9; 67, tergite 10; 65, lateral part of head. Scales 1 mm (64 = 65, 68), 0.5 mm (54 = 55, 58, 61, 62; 63; 66 = 67) and 0.1 mm (56 = 57, 59, 60).

FIGURES 69 – 74. 69 – 70, A. amabilis (Boheman), LT male; 71 – 74, A. congoensis (Bernh.), male from Malo. 69 – 70, aedeagus dorsal; 70, 72, paramere; 73, sternite 9; 74, tergite 10. Scale 0.5 mm (69 = 71, 73, 74; 70 = 72).