Philonthus bubalornis, Hromádka, 2014

Hromádka, L., 2014, Four new species of the genus Philonthus from Afrotropical region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 46 (1), pp. 687-694 : 688-690

Philonthus bubalornis nov. sp. ( Figs 1-3)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: " Botswana, (B 11) Moremi Reservs, 19°23´S 23°33E, 18.- 20. 1972. // Holotype Philonthus bubalornis nov.sp. Hromádka, det., 2013, [red oblong label printed)" (NMPC). Paratype: same label data as holotype (cHPC).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 9.1 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 4.2 mm. Coloration: Head, pronotum, scutellum and abdomen black, elytra black-brown, maxillary and labial palpi, posterior half of mandibles black, anterior half of mandibles brown. Base of antennomere 2 yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres black, femora dark brown, tibiae and tarsi black.

Head wider than long (ratio 29: 24), parallel-sided, posterior angles markedly rounded, each bearing two long black bristles. Between eyes only two setiferous punctures, each located near anterior third of each eye. Eyes very slightly convex, as long as temples, posterior margin of each eye with two coarse punctures arranged in vertical row. Surface with very fine microsculpture consisting of transverse waves.

Antennae long, reaching posterior sixth of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-3 and 11 distinctly longer than wide, antennomeres 4-9 slightly longer than wide, antennomere 10 as long as wide. Antennomere 1 twice longer than antennomere 11, antennomere 2 slightly shorter than antennomere 3.

Pronotum slightly narrowed anteriad, anterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing several varying long black bristles, posterior angles markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with five punctures, distance between punctures 2-5 equidistant, distance between punctures 1-2 smaller than distance between previous punctures. Each sublateral row with one puncture, situated behind level of puncture three in dorsal row. Surface with microsculpture, more distinct than that on head.

Scutellum finely punctured, diameter of punctures slightly larger than eye-facets, separated by one puncture diameter or slightly larger.

Elytra wider than long (ratio 50: 47), slightly widened posteriad. Punctation very dense and very fine, diameter of punctures as large as eye-facets, separated mostly smaller than diameter of one puncture. Longitudinal row of 4 coarser punctures situated at about midwidth of each elytron. Surface without microsculpture; setation very dense, brown.

Legs. Metatibia as long as metatarsus, metatarsomere 1 as long as metatarsomere 5 and as long as metatarsomeres 2-4 combined.

Abdomen wide, very gradually narrowed posteriad, first three visible abdominal tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines impunctate. Punctation at base of all tergites much sparser than that on elytra, becoming sparser towards posterior margin of each tergite. Surface without microsculpture, shiny; setation much sparser than that on elytra.

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 strongly dilated and sub-bilobed, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones, heart shape. Aedeagus ( Figs 1-3).

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 much less dilated than those in male, covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 very small.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Philonthus bubalornis nov.sp. is similar to P. nectarinia HROMÁDKA 2012 , (Figs 4-6), from which it may be distinguished by the wider head, shorter eyes, much denser punctation of elytra, without red spot on each elytron, much 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 White-headed buffalo weaver Bubalornis albirostris (VIEILLOT 1817).

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