Philonthus caffer, Boheman, 1848

Hromádka, Lubomír, 2009, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the Philonthus caffer species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (1), pp. 161-190 : 188-189

Key to the species of the Philonthus caffer group

1 Each dorsal row of pronotum with 4 punctures. ......................................................... 2

– Each dorsal row of pronotum with 5 punctures. ......................................................... 3

2 Each elytron with red patch ( Fig. 7 ), femora yellow-brown, tibiae and tarsi blackbrown. ............................................................................................... P. aonyx sp. nov.

– Elytra uniformly black, legs uniformly black-brown. ... P. iridicollis Bernhauer, 1932

3 Elytra uniformly black. ................................................................................................ 4

– Elytra uniformly red, or black with red patches posteriorly (sometimes only posterior margin red). ................................................................................................................. 5

4 Eyes longer than temples (ratio 10: 8.5). ....................... P. aminius Tottenham, 1955

– Eyes shorter than temples (ratio 10: 15). .................... P. leptophilus Hromádka, 2006

5 Elytra uniformly red. ................................................................................................... 6

– Elytra bicoloured. ........................................................................................................ 7

6 Larger species (body length 7.5 mm), pronotum hardly longer than wide (ratio 28: 25), apex of paramere wide ( Fig. 24 ). ...................................... P. cliens Eppelsheim, 1890

– Smaller species (body length 6.2–6.4 mm), pronotum as long as wide, apex of paramere narrower ( Fig. 45 ). ........................................................ P. kenyanus Bernhauer, 1939

7 All antennomeres longer than wide. ........................................................................... 8

– Most antennomeres as long as wide. .......................................................................... 9

8 Antennae long, reaching posterior margin of pronotum when reclined. Elytra pale, each elytron with dark triangular spot anteriorly. ............... P. maridadus Tottenham, 1962

– Antennae shorter, reaching posterior fourth of pronotum when reclined. Elytra pale, only shoulders and area around scutellum narrowly black. ......... P. bucorvus sp. nov.

9 Head and pronotum black, with blue metallic reflex.Abdomen black with blue-greenish reflection. .................................................................... P. gabonensis Levasseur, 1966

– Body without metallic reflex. .................................................................................... 10

10 Apex of median lobe very wide, paramere very short. ............................................. 11

– Apex of median lobe narrow, bluntly or sharply pointed, paramere long. ............... 12

11 Elytra black anteriorly, with posterior fourth red. Legs yellow-brown. ........................ ............................................................................................ P. biguttulus Fauvel, 1907

– Elytra black, each elytron with red patch in posterior half. Femora yellow-brown, tibiae and first tarsomere of all tarsi brown-black. .................... P. tomicus Tottenham, 1962

12 Femora and tibiae brown, medial face of all tibiae vaguely darker, tarsi yellow-brown, elytra black-brown, epipleura and posterior margin of elytra narrowly yellow-brown, head and pronotum with slight purple iridescence. Median lobe narrowed subapically ( Fig. 54 ). .......................................................................... P. limbipennis Fauvel, 1905

– Legs yellow-brown with darker tibiae. ..................................................................... 13

13 Eyes as long as temples or longer. ............................................................................ 14

– Eyes shorter than temples. ........................................................................................ 15

14 Pronotum longer than wide, femora and tarsi yellow-brown, tibiae darker. Paramere not reaching apex of median lobe ( Fig. 59 ). ....... P. sequens Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914

– Pronotum as long as wide, legs yellow-brown. Paramere almost reaching apex of median lobe ( Fig. 25 ). .................................................................... P. combustus Fauvel, 1907

15 Antennae reaching posterior margin of pronotum when reclined, elytra black, narrowly red-orange around suture and posterior margin, legs yellow-brown. ............................. ............................................................................................................. P. falco sp. nov.

– Antennae reaching posterior sixth of pronotum when reclined, almost entire elytra red, femora and tarsi yellow-brown, tibiae darker. ...................... P. caffer Boheman, 1848

Figures

Figs. 1–11. 1–2 – Philonthus aminius Tottenham, 1955; 3–7 – P. aonyx sp. nov.; 8–11 – P. biguttulus Fauvel, 1907 (8–9: Angola; 10–11: Ethiopia). 1, 3, 8, 10 – aedeagus, ventral view; 2 – male sternite VIII, ventral view; 4 – aedeagus, lateral view; 5 – apex of paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view; 6 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 7 – elytra; 9, 11 – paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view.

Figs. 12–24. 12–13 – Philonthus biguttulus Fauvel, 1907 (Côte d’Ivoire); 14–16 – P. bucorvus sp. nov.; 17–20 – P. caffer Boheman, 1848; 21–24 – Philonthus cliens Eppelsheim, 1890. 12, 14, 17, 21 – aedeagus, ventral view, 13 – paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view; 15, 18, 22 – aedeagus, lateral view; 16, 20 – male sternite IX, ventral view; 19, 23 – aedeagus without paramere, ventral view; 24 – apex of paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view.

Figs. 38–53. 38–44 – Philonthus iridicollis Bernhauer, 1932; 45–48 – P. kenyanus Bernhauer, 1939; 49–53 – P. leptophilus Hromádka, 2006. 38, 45, 49 – aedeagus, ventral view; 39, 46, 50 – aedeagus, lateral view; 40, 51 – paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view; 41, 52 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 42, 48, 53 – male sternite IX, ventral view; 43 – female tergite X, ventral view; 44 – gonocoxite of female genital segment; 47 – aedeagus without paramere, ventral view.

Figs. 54–61. 54–56 – Philonthus limbipennis Fauvel, 1905. 57–58 – P. maridadus Tottenham, 1962; 59–61 – P. sequens Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914; 62–63 – P. tomicus Tottenham, 1962. 54, 57, 59 – aedeagus, ventral view; 55, 58, 60 – aedeagus, lateral view; 56, 61 – apex of paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view; 62 – aedeagus, dorsal view; 63 – paramere, ventral,view.

Figs. 25–37. 25–29 – Philonthus combustus Fauvel, 1907; 30–34 – P. falco sp. nov.; 35–37 – P.gabonensis Levasseur, 1966. 25, 30, 35 – aedeagus, ventral view; 26, 31, 36 – aedeagus, lateral view; 27, 33 – apex of paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view; 28 – female tergite X, ventral view; 29 – gonocoxite of female genital segment; 32, 37 – aedeagus without paramere, ventral view; 34 – elytra.