Afrorabigus scopus, Hromádka, 2014

Hromádka, L., 2014, A new species Afrorabigus scopus nov. sp. from Tanzania (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina, Linzer biologische Beiträge 46 (1), pp. 683-686 : 684-685

Afrorabigus scopus nov.sp. ( Figs 1-3 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Tanzania, Tango, viii.1902, Methner // Holotype Afrorabigus scopus nov. sp. Hromádka det., 2013 [red oblong printed label] (NMPC). Paratype: same label data as holotype (cHPC).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 4.8 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 2.4 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Head black, anterior half of pronotum orange, posterior half blackish, scutellum black, elytra orange, sides and suture narrowly blackish, sometimes shoulders and around scutellum blackish, abdomen visible tergites 1-4 black, posteriot margin of each tergite narrowly and paratergites orange, visible tergites 5-6 in anterior third orange-yellow, posterior two thirds darker. Maxillary and labial palpi, antennomeres 1-2 and base of antennomere 3 dirty yellow, legs yellow.

Head wider than long (ratio 18: 15), distinctly narrowed posteriad. Posterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing one long black bristle. Four punctures present between eyes, distance between medial punctures four times as large as distance between medial and lateral puncture. Eyes slightly convex, longer than temples (ratio 8: 5), posterior margin with two coarse punctures, temporal area with several varying large punctures. Surface with traces of very fine microsculpture in places.

Antennae long, slightly widened distally, exceeding posterior margin of pronotum by the lenght of antennomeres 10-11 when reclined. Antennomeres 1-6 and 11 distinctly longer than wide, antennomeres 7-10 slightly longer than wide. Antennomere 1 almost twice longer than antennomere 11, antennomere 2 as long as antennomere 3.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide (ratio 21: 18), parallel-sided, anterior angles conspicuously deflexed, vaguely obtusely rounded, posterior angles markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with six aproximatelly equidistant, punctures,each sublateral row with two punctures, puncture two distinctly shifted laterally. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum very finely punctured, diameter of punctures approximately as large as eyefacets, separated by distance one puncture diameter or slightly larger. Surface with eye like microsculpture; setation dark.

Elytra as long as wide, slightly widened posteriad. Punctation very fine and very dense, diameter of punctures slightly larger than eye-facets, separated by distance smaller than one puncture diameter. Surface without microsculpture; setation greyish.

Legs. Metatibia approximatelly as long as metatarsus, metatarsomere 1 longer than metatarsomere 5, slighly shorter than metatarsomeres 2-4 combined.

Abdomen wide, almost parallel-sided, first three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines densely and finely punctate. Punctation at base of tergites similar to that on elytra, becoming sparser towards posterior margin of each tergite. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 dilated and sub-bilobed, each covereed with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Sternite IX ( Fig. 3 ), aedeagus (1-2).

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 less dilated than in male, each covered with modified pale setae venrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Afrorabigus scopus nov.sp. it differs from all species of this genus by having 6 punctures in dorsal rows of pronotum, (the other species have 4 or 5 punctures in dorsal rows).

E t y m o l o g y: The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic name of African Hamerkop Scopus umbretta GMELIN 1789.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Tanzania.

Figures

Figs 1-3: Afrorabigus scopus nov.sp. (1) aedeagus, ventral view, (2) aedeagus, lateral view, (3) male sternite IX, ventral view. Figs 4-6: Afrorabigus tropheus HROMÁDKA 2011. (4) aedeagus, ventral view, (5) aedeagus, lateral view, (6) male sternite IX, ventral view.