Philonthus eremitalpa, Hromádka & A, 2013

Hromádka, L. & A, Central, 2013, Two new species of the genus Philonthus from Central African Republic (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (1), pp. 703-708 : 703-704

Philonthus eremitalpa nov.sp. ( Figs 1-2 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Ƌ: République Centralafricante, Bozo lumiere, 21.v.1981, leg. N. Degallier, // Holotype Philonthus eremitalpa nov.sp. Hromádka det. 2012, [red oblong label printed] (NMPC), Paratypes: 2♀♀: same locality as holotype (cHPC, NMPC), [all paratypes with red oblong labels printed].

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 7.3 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 3.2 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Body and antennae black, mandibles, palpomere three of maxillary and labial palpi brown, remaining palpomeres black-brown, femora brown-yellow, tibiae black, tarsi black-brown.

Head slightly wider than long (ratio 23: 20), posterior angles markedly rounded, bearing one long black bristle. Clypeus with round shallow depression medially. Between eyes four punctures, medial punctures shifted anteriad, distance between medial punctures five times larger than distance between medial and lateral puncture. Eyes shorter than temples (ratio 7: 10), posterior margin with two setiferous punctures. Temporal area with single unequal punctures. Surface with fine microsculpture consisting of transverse waves.

Antennae long reaching posterior margin of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-3 and 11 distinctly longer than wide, antennomere 4 slightly longer than wide, antennomeres 5-10 as long as wide.

Pronotum longer than wide (ratio 28: 23), parallel-sided, anterior angles obtusely and posterior angles markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with six punctures, punctures 2-6 approximately equidistant, distance between punctures 1-2 slightly larger than distance between previous punctures. Each sublateral row with two punctures, puncture two distinctly shifted to the lateral margin. Several varying long bristles in anterior half of sides. Surface with microsculpture similar to that of head.

Scutellum finely and sparsely punctured, diameter of punctures as large as eye-facets, separated by much larger distance than a puncture diameter.

Elytra as long as wide, distinctly widened posteriad, relatively coarsely and densely punctured, diameter of punctures distinctly larger than that on scutellum, separated by one puncture diameter or smaller. Surface without microsculpture; setation brown.

Legs. Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 31: 26), metatarsomere 1 shorter than metatarsomere 5 and much shorter than metatarsomeres 2-3 combined.

Abdomen wide, from visible tergite III gradually narrowed posteriorly. First three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines with scattered punctures. Punctation at base of all tergites much finer than that on elytra, becoming much sparser towards posterior margin of each tergite. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 simple, moderately dilated. Aedeagus ( Figs 1-2 ).

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 similar to that on male.

C o m p r a t i v e n o t e s Philonthus eremitalpa nov.sp. may be distinguished from all species of the special goupe Philonthus marginipennis by its different number of punctures in dorsal rows 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 Grands golden mole Eremitalpa Granti (BROOM 1907).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Central African Republic.

Figures

Figs 1-2: Philonthus erimitalpa nov.sp. (1) aedeagus, ventral view, (2) aedeagus, lateral view.