Parasthetops confluentus, Perkins, 2008

Perkins, Philip D., 2008, Facial affect recognition in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis, Zootaxa 1864, pp. 1-124 : 21-22

Parasthetops confluentus new species

( Figs. 23 , 26 , 97 )

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Eastern Cape Province, Little Karroo, Baviaanskloof N valley, river stones, 33° 37' S, 24° 15' E, 28 October 1993, Endrödy­Younga (#2916). Deposited in the TMSA . Paratypes (14): Lesotho: Drakensberg, Sani Pass Valley , water collection,, 29° 36' S, 29° 20' E, 8 March 1976, Endrödy­Younga (#1053) (1 TMSA) ; South Africa: Eastern Cape Province, Little Karroo, Baviaanskloof N valley, river stones, 33° 37' S, 24° 15' E, 28 October 1993, Endrödy­Younga (#2916) (6 TMSA) ; Little Karroo, Baviaanskloof, river stones, 33° 38' S, 24° 15' E, 28 October 1993, Endrödy­Younga

(#2914) (3 TMSA); Little Karroo, Baviaanskloof , shore washing, 33° 38' S, 24° 15' E, 28 October 1993, Endrödy­Younga (#2915) (1 TMSA) ; Western Cape Province, Little Karroo, Kammanasieberge , water and shore, 33° 37' S, 22° 33' E, 21 November 1992, Endrödy­Younga (#2931) (3 TMSA) .

Differential Diagnosis. Distinguished from other members of the rufulus group by the wide and deep pronotal median sulcus, and the very weakly striate­impressed elytral series ( Fig. 23 ). The aedeagus of P. confluentus is similar in some respects to that of P. namibiensis ( Figs. 26, 27 ), a larger species with much more elongate and differently shaped elytra, and narrower pronotal median sulcus ( Fig. 24 ).

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 1.77/0.68; head 0.29/ 0.42; pronotum 0.36/0.52; elytra 1.09 /0.68. Dorsum of head dark brown to piceous, pronotum dark brown, elytra brown, maxillary palpi piceo­testaceous, venter dark brown, legs brown to testaceous. Submentum and mentum microreticulate, dull, sparsely punctulate.

Head with labrum obsoletely microreticulate, weakly shining. Clypeus and frons microreticulate at sides, shining and sparsely finely punctulate on disc, punctures separated by about 2–5xpd, size 1xef or slightly larger; anteocellar sulci deep. Ocelli distinct.

Pronotum cordate, widest in front of middle; anterior angles obtuse, posterior rectangular; sides finely margined, weakly crenulate; anterior margin shallowly arcuate over median 3/4, with narrow hyaline border; discal reliefs shining, finely, sparsely punctate, interstices ca. 3–6xpd; anteriorly and posteriorly very deeply and coarsely punctate; with deep foveae as follow: median anterior and posterior, deeply confluent, forming median groove; a small anterior and larger oval posterior admedian; and a large anterior and small deep posterior adlateral on each side; foveae microreticulate and/or punctate, dull; each puncture with very fine and very short seta.

Elytra non­carinate, parallel­sided or nearly so, apices subtruncate; sutural apices rectangular; sides nearly smooth, weakly explanate; posterior declivity very weak and gradual. Serial punctures moderately large and deep, interstices about 1xpd, series very weakly, roundly, striate­impressed; without granules. Intervals very weakly, if at all, rounded, width on disc about 2xpd. All punctures with very short and very fine seta.

Metaventral disc rather flat, with shallow midlongitudinal impression in basal 1/2. Thoracic ventrites and abdominal ventrites 1–5 clothed with dense setae except glabrous midlongitudinal prosternal ridge, glabrous dull mesoventral plaques and small glabrous shining inverted V­shaped basomedian area on metaventrite in front of intercoxal sternite. Ventrite 6 shining, with sparse setigerous punctures across distal 1/2.

Females with elytral explanate margin wider, especially at posterior angles where elytra widest, apices more truncate.

Wings fully developed on holotype and all dissected males.

Aedeagus length ca. 0.52 mm, flagellum 0.12 mm; main­piece weakly arcuate on right side, ventral view, apical angulation small; setae of main­piece rather long; flagellum sinuate ( Fig. 26 ).

Etymology. Named in reference to the confluent median foveae of the pronotum.

Distribution. Currently known from three very widely separated localities, one each in Lesotho, Eastern Cape Province, and Western Cape Province ( Fig. 97 ).

Figures

FIGURE 23. Parasthetops confluentus, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURE 24. Parasthetops namibiensis, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURES 26–29. Parasthetops, aedeagi of holotypes. —26. P. confluentus. —27. P. namibiensis. —28. P. rufulus. —29. P. striatus.

FIGURES 97–100. Geographical distributions of Parasthetops species.