Philonthus euplectes, Hromádka, 2013

Hromádka, L., 2013, Two new species of the genus Philonthus from Afrotropical region with two nomenclatural changes in the genus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (1), pp. 713-718 : 714-715

Philonthus euplectes nov.sp. ( Figs 1 -5)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " TANZANIA: Mwanza, 11.x.1969, Ardö leg." (c. Hro).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 7.6 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 3.7 mm. Coloration: head black, pronotum, scutellum, elytra and abdomen orange-brown, maxillary and labial palpi and antennomeres 1-3 orange-brown, remaining antennomeres brown, mandibles brown-yellow, legs yellow.

Head wider than long (ratio 28: 23), very slightly narrowed posteriad. Posterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing two long and several short black bristles. Six fine punctures between eyes arranged in straight line. Eyes slightly convex, longer than temples (ratio 11: 8), temporal area with many varying large, coarse punctures. Surface with very fine microsculpture consisting of transverse waves and with many microscopic dots.

Antennae stout and short, gradually but not strongly widened distally, reaching posterior third of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-3 and 11 longer than wide, antennomeres 4-5 as long as wide, antennomere 6 slightly wider than long, antennomeres 7-10 distinctly wider than long. Antennomere 1 longer than antennomere 11, antennomere 2 as long as antennomere 3.

Pronotum highly convex, wider than long (ratio 34: 30), distinctly narrowed anteriad. Anterior angles rectagular, bearing several varying long black bristles, posterior angles markedly rounded. Left dorsal row with seven punctures, right row with six punctures, each sublateral row with three punctures, puncture two slightly shifted to the lateral margin. Surface with very fine microsculpture consisting of transverse waves and with many microscopic dots.

Scutellum very finely and densely punctured, diameter of punctures slightly larger than eye-facets, separated by one puncture diameter or larger here and there. Surface with very fine microsculpture.

Elytra slightly widened posteriad, punctation coarser and denser than that on scutellum, transverse interstices between punctures as large as diameter of one puncture. Surface without microsculpture; setation ginger-haired.

Legs. Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 27: 24), metatarsomere 1 as long as metatarsomere 5, metatarsomere 1 as long as metatarsomere 5, as long as metatarsomeres 2-3 combined.

Abdomen wide, from visible tergite III very slightly narrowed posteriad, first three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines with scattered punctures. Punctation of whole tergites very fine and dense, diameter of punctures as large as eyefacets, separated by mostly smaller distance than one puncture diameter. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 dilated and sub-bilobed, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones, heart-shaped. Sternite IX (Fig. 5), aedeagus (Figs 2-4).

Female. Unknown.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Philonthus euplectes nov.sp. is similar to P. naja HROMÁDKA 2010 , but differs in having shorter antennae, more punctures in sublateral rows, denser and finer punctation of elytra, denser punctation of abdomen and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

E t y m o l o g y: The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic name of the African Jackson´s widowbird Euplectes jacksoni (SHARP 1891).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Tanzania.

Figures

Fig. 1: Philonthus bicoloripennis BERNHAUER 1915: (1) head, lateral view. Figs 2-5: Philonthus euplectes nov.sp.: (2) aedeagus, ventral view; (3) aedeagus, lateral view; (4) apex of paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view; (5) male sternite IX, ventral view. Figs 6-8: Philonthus mandrillus nov.sp.: (6) aedeagus, ventral view; (7) aedeagus, lateral view; (8) apex of paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view. Figs 9-11: Philonthus naja HROMÁDKA 2010: (9) aedeagus, ventral view; (10) aedeagus, lateral view; (11) paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view. Figs 12-14: Philonthus pelecanus HROMÁDKA 2010: (12) aedeagus, ventral view; (13) aedeagus, lateral view; (14) paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view.