Darwinilus Chatzimanolis

Chatzimanolis, Stylianos, 2014, Darwin's legacy to rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae): A new genus and a new species, including materials collected on the Beagle's voyage, ZooKeys 379, pp. 29-41 : 31-32

Darwinilus Chatzimanolis gen. n.

Type species.

Darwinilus sedarisi Chatzimanolis, sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Darwinilus can be distinguished from all other Xanthopygina genera by the combination of the following characters: a) serrate antennae (antennomeres 5-11; antennomeres 6-10 asymmetrical in Terataki Chatzimanolis, Triacrus Nordmann and Trigonopselaphus but not as in Darwinilus ); b) clypeus with shallow emargination; c) protibia strongly curved and d) absence of porose structure on abdominal sternite VII in males. Darwinilus is probably closely related to the genera Terataki Chatzimanolis and/or Haematodes Laporte and Weiserianum Bernhauer but can be easily distinguished from these genera by the presence of serrate antennae in Darwinilus and the lack of porose structure on abdominal sternite VII in males (present in Terataki , Haematodes and Weiserianum ).

Description.

Habitus as in Fig. 1, body large, robust. Head hexagonal in shape (Figs 2-3), widest at temples. Eyes medium-sized, positioned anteriorly, distance between eyes as wide as twice length of eye. Postoccipital suture and ventral basal ridge present; presence of infraorbital ridge not clear but ridge situated between postmandibular ridge and gular suture extends from posterior to middle part of gena; postmandibular ridge present and prominent; gular sutures converging medially; without neck (no nuchal ridge). Epicranium with large prominent macrosetae around lateral margins. Anteclypeus expanded, clypeus with small v-shaped emargination medially. Antennae serrate, 11-segmented; antennomeres 1-3 with several rows of macrosetae; antennomeres 4-11 covered with microtrichiae. Mouthparts with labrum medially emarginate to its base. Mandibles curved, elongate, symmetrical, with prominent fold extending from base to near middle; right mandible with at least one prominent tooth; prostheca setose. Maxilla with galea and lacinia setose; maxillary palpi 4-segmented; palpomeres with several large setae; P1 short; P2-P4 elongate; P2-P3 curved, wider distally; P2 2.2 times as long as P1; P3 shorter than P2; P4 subequal to P3, rounded apically. Labium with mentum having two anterolateral setae on each side; ligula short, entire; labial palpi 3-segmented; P1 subequal to P2; P2 widest anteriorly, with many large setae; P3 elongate, longer than P2, securiform [but not as dilated as in Zackfalinus Chatzimanolis or Dysanellus Bernhauer; see Chatzimanolis 2012]. Pronotum slightly wider than head; with small translucent postcoxal process; pronotal hypomeron expanded; superior and inferior marginal lines of hypomeron separate throughout their length and superior line fully visible from above (typical of Xanthopygina ). Anterolateral corners of pronotum prominent. Pronotum (Fig. 4) with microsculpture and punctures of various sizes; with prominent macrosetae along margins. Basisternum with transverse microsculpture and various setae; anterior marginal depression present; sternacostal ridge present; furcasternum without carina. Elytra (Fig. 5) longer than pronotum; with long yellow macrosetae, especially prominent at lateral and posterior margins. Elytra depressed near mesoscutellum. Hind wings fully developed. Mesoventrite without median carina or mesoventral process; metaventrite with transverse microsculpture and uniform medium-sized punctation; metaventral process small, triangular. Legs with tarsal segmentation 5-5-5; tibia with ctenidium and several rows of small spurs; meso- and metatibia with two long apical spurs, spurs as long as basitarsus; protibia strongly curved; meso- and metatibia slightly curved. Protarsus enlarged in males [no females are known]; meso- and metatarsi not enlarged; empodium with two setae. Abdomen (Figs 6-7) with abdominal tergites III–V with anterior basal carina but without curved (arch-like) ridge and without accessory basal lines. Abdominal sternite VII in males without porose structure. Male genitalia (Figs 8-9) typical of Xanthopygina ; aedeagus with long median lobe; paramere partially divided distally.

Etymology.

The genus name is derived from the word “Darwin” in honor of Charles Darwin who collected the beetle during the voyage of the Beagle. The name is masculine.