Thoracophorus struyvei, Irmler, Ulrich, 2015

Irmler, Ulrich, 2015, Four new species of the genus Thoracophorus Motschulsky, 1857 for the Neotropical region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Osoriinae), Zootaxa 4039 (3), pp. 431-444 : 441-442

Thoracophorus struyvei n. sp.

Figs. 4 A, B, C, 10E

Type material. HOLOTYPE. male, French Guyana: Coralie (52°21.38'W, 4°30.41'N), collected by car-net, 15.11.2011, leg. T. Struyve ( UIC). PARATYPES: 2 males with same data as holotype (1 UIC, 1 TSC).

Diagnosis. Regarding the shape of swellings, impressions, and elytral carinae T. struyvei n. sp. resembles T. exilis ( Erichson, 1840) more than T. perplexus n. sp.. T. struyvei n. sp. can be mainly differentiated by the characteristic shape of the paramera. They are slightly longer than the central lobe and have a large asymmetric apical plate on which several sensillae occur. The apical lobe is shorter than in T. perplexus n. sp., T. exilis ( Erichson, 1840) and T. proximus Irmler, 1985 . Regarding the shape of the temples, T. struyvei n. sp. resembles T. exilis ( Erichson, 1840) . They are slightly less rounded than in T. perplexus n. sp. and less obtuse than in T. proximus Irmler, 1985 .

Description. Length: 1.8 mm. Colouration: orange; vertex of head and elytra except small anterior margin black; legs and antennae yellow.

Head: 0.23 mm long, 0.30 mm wide; eyes large; prominent; nearly semicircular; temples short; one fourth as long as eyes; narrowed to distinctly separated neck in short convex curve; posterior angles of temples 119°; sides in front of eyes shortly parallel; clypeus margined continued posteriad to posterior edge of eyes; nearly semicircular; obtusely angulate in centre; pair of central swellings on vertex indistinct, without punctation; isodiametric microsculpture deep and dense; surface matte.

Antennae as long as head and half of pronotum combined; clavate; first and second antennomeres thicker than four following antennomeres; first antennomere nearly rectangular; second oval and as thick as first; conical third antennomere slightly shorter than second; fourth to sixth antennomeres as wide as third, but approximately quadrate; following antennomeres wider than long; eighth antennomere as wide as first, ninth and tenth antennomeres wider than first; tenth antennomere nearly twice as wide as long.

Pronotum: 0.25 mm long, 0.32 mm wide; widest at middle; slightly convergent to anterior angle; narrowed to posterior angles in concave curve; sides shortly in front of posterior angles nearly parallel, posterior angles nearly rectangular; central impression with indistinct central swelling; longitudinal lateral impression more distinct; posterior edge with white short bristles; without punctation; isodiametric microsculpture deep and dense; surface matte.

Elytra: 0.38 mm long, 0.38 mm wide; sides parallel; shoulders and posterior angles shortly rounded; three indistinct carinae on each side of suture; without punctation; isodiametric microsculpture deep and dense; surface matte.

Abdomen parallel; anterior segments III to V with weak transverse impression; with few partly granulate setiferous punctures; isodiametric microsculpture dense, but distinctly weaker than on fore-body; surface glossier than that of fore-body..

Aedeagus smoothly curved; apical lobe short; paramera slightly projecting apex of central lobe; paramera widened at apex to triangular lobe; triangular lobe with rounded angles fixed at one side; apical lobe of paramera with numerous sensillae.

Etymology. The specific name honours the collector of the species, Tim Struyve.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 8. Thoracophorus struyvei (4); T. perplexus (5); T. proximus (6); T. exilis (7); T. aequalis (8); aedeagus in lateral aspect (A), antenna (B), shape of temples (C); scale bar: 0.1 mm.