Tychobythinus theryi (Guillebeau, 1894)

Sabella, Giorgio, Nouira, Vera D’Urso Said, Souissi, Rhida & Besuchet, Claude, 2013, A review of Tychobythinus theryi species group with description of a new species from Algeria (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae), Zootaxa 3701 (1), pp. 63-75 : 64-66

Tychobythinus theryi (Guillebeau, 1894)

( Figs. 1–3 )

Machaerites Theryi Guillebeau 1894 a: CCXCII; 1894b: 47;

Bryaxis (groupe V) Theryi Raffray 1904: 276 ;

Bythinopsis Theryi Raffray 1908: 284 ; 1911: 125; 1924: 85;

Anopsibythus Theryi Jeannel 1956: 60 , 62, fig. 54 (habitus, the caption wrongly reports: male from Saint-Charles); Tychobythinus theryi Besuchet 1962: 349 ; Newton & Chandler 1989: 48; Löbl & Besuchet 2004: 315.

Type material. Lectotype, female, present designation. NORTHEASTERN ALGERIA. Skikda province: Saint Charles, (A. Théry ) (ex coll. Peyerimhoff, MNHN). Paralectotypes, 2 females, present designation, same data of lectotype (ex coll. Peyerimhoff, MNHN).

Redescription. Body length 1.15–1.25 mm, pubescence not very dense consists of long and flattened setae (length: 0.07–0.08 mm) on head, pronotum, elytra and abdomen, other suberected setae shorter (length: 0.03–0.04 mm) on antennae and legs. Tegument slightly but distinctly punctate.

Head ( Fig. 1 ) wider (0.215–0.225 mm) than long (0.175–0.190 mm), frontal lobe width 0.125–0.130 mm its dorsal surface glossy with some punctures concentrated on sides and shallow median sulcus. Clypeal carina reaches ocular region, occipital carina reaches over posterior edge of vertexal foveae, tempora rounded. Gular region flattened, anteriorly bounded by a deep transverse depression and lacking median longitudinal carina, its surface glossy. Segment II of maxillary palpi with 24–30 tubercles, segment III slightly longer than wide with 4–6 tubercles, apical segment of maxillary palpi ( Fig. 2 ) more than 3 times longer (0.225 mm) than wide (0.065 mm) with lateral margin straight. Antenna ( Fig. 3 ) 0.550–0.560 mm long with scape about 3.5 times longer (0.155– 0.160 mm) than wide (0.046–0.048 mm), antennomere II slightly ovoid and asymmetric longer (0.049 mm) than wide (0.039–0.040 mm), antennomere III longer than wide, antennomeres IV and V subequal in size and as long as wide, VI–VIII shorter than previous subequal in size and wider than long, antennomeres IX and X distinctly transverse, XI about two times longer than wide, and about 2 times longer than combined length of IX and X.

Pronotum wider (0.300 mm) than long (0.230–0.240 mm), widest a little before the middle, pleural carina barely visible, deep antebasal sulcus.

Elytra width 0.500 mm, lenght 0.480–0.495 mm.

Metasternum with surface impressed by large and thick punctures.

Legs not particularly elongated, protrochanters with 4–6 larges and prominent tubercles; profemora with 14– 16 large and prominent tubercles. Metatibiae 0.400– 0.410 mm long.

Male. Unknown.

Comparative notes. T. theryi is distinguished from other species of the theryi group by the shorter antennae (0.550–0.560 mm long, at least 0.660 mm in other species of this group) and by the segment III of maxillary palpi slightly longer than wide (distinctly longer than wide in other species of theryi group). It is similar to T. longipalpis by having short and flattened setae (0.070–0.080 mm against 0.125–0.130 mm in other species of this group), and the gular region not modified (with median longitudinal carina, tubercles or excavations in other species of theryi group). It is also similar to T. normandi for the surface of metasternum distinctly punctated (smooth and glossy in other species of this group).

Tychobythinus bordei (Peyerimhoff, 1919) ( Figs. 4–6 )

Machaerites ( Bythoxenus s. Raffray) Bordei Peyerimhoff 1919: 72 , fig. 1 (habitus); Machaerites Bordei Raffray, 1924: 85 ;

Anopsibythus Bordei Jeannel 1956: 61 ; 64, fig. 53 (habitus); Tychobythinus bordei Löbl & Besuchet 2004: 314 .

Type material. Lectotype, female, present designation. NORTHEASTERN ALGERIA. Annaba province: Bône (old name of Annaba), 19.II.1918 (R. de Bordé) (ex coll. Peyerimhoff, MNHN).

Redescription. Body length 1.37 mm, pubescence not very dense, consists of long and flattened setae (length: 0.125–0.130 mm) on head, pronotum, elytra and abdomen, other suberected setae shorter (length: 0.030–0.040 mm) on antennae and legs. Tegument smooth and glossy.

Head ( Fig. 4 ) longer (0.250 mm) than wide (0.225 mm), frontal lobe width 0.125 mm its dorsal surface glossy with some punctures and well impressed median sulcus. Very evident clypeal carina reaches ocular region, very marked and well visible median occipital carina reaching to the posterior edge of median sulcus of frontal lobe, tempora rounded. Gular region convex entirely traversed by evident median longitudinal carina, its surface glossy. Segment II of maxillary palpi with 28–30 tubercles, segment III distinctly longer than wide with 4–6 tubercles, last segment of maxillary palpi ( Fig. 5 ) about 3.5 times longer (0.300 mm) than wide (0.085 mm) with lateral margin slightly concave. Antenna ( Fig. 6 ) 0.710 mm long, scape about 4.5 times longer (0.210 mm) than wide (0.047 mm), antennomere II, slightly asymmetric, longer (0.062 mm) than wide (0.037 mm), antennomeres III–VII distinctly longer than wide, III slightly longer than other funicular antennomeres, IV and V subequal in length, VI shorter than previous, VII slightly longer than VI, VIII slightly longer than wide and shorter than previous funicular antennomeres. Antennomere IX as long as wide, X slightly wider than long, XI more than 2 times longer than wide, and 2 times longer than length of IX and X combined.

Pronotum slightly wider (0.335 mm) than long (0.325 mm), widest at forequarter, pleural carina barely visible, very deep antebasal sulcus with strongly marked edges.

Elytra width 0.550 mm, length 0.500 mm.

Metasternum with surface smooth and glossy.

Legs elongated, protrochanters with 3–4 small tubercles; profemora with 14–16 small tubercles, base of mesofemora with 4–5 small protuberances on its anterior edge. Metatibiae 0.490 mm long.

Male. Unknown.

Comparative notes. T. bordei is distinguished from other species of the theryi group by the very long occipital median carina reaching the posterior edge of median sulcus of frontal lobe (at most reaching the anterior edge of vertexal foveae in other species). It is similar to T. normandi in having the anterior margin of mesofemora with 4–5 small tubercles, while its lateral margin of the last article of the maxillary palpi is slightly concave and similar to T. longipalpis .

Remarks. In the original description Peyerimhoff (1919: 72) mentioned two females, one of them is lost.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Tychobythinus theryi. Scale: 0, 1 mm. 1 — Head, schematic drawing. 2 — Left maxillary palpus, lectotype. 3 — Right antenna, lectotype.

FIGURES 4 – 6. Tychobythinus bordei. Scale: 0, 1 mm. 4 — Head, schematic drawing. 5 — Left maxillary palpus, lectotype. 6 — Right antenna, lectotype.