Epicaris bezdeki, Hlaváč & Baňař, 2014

Hlaváč, Peter & Baňař, Petr, 2014, A review of the Pselaphinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 121-132 : 128-129

Epicaris bezdeki sp. nov.

( Figs 8 –11)

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC): (p) ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA, Dixam plateau, Firmihin, ( Dracaena forest), 490 m, 12°28.6′N, 54°01.1′E, 15-16.xi.2010, at light, J. Bezděk leg.’ PARATYPES: 1 J: same data as holotype ( PHCP); 8 JJ: ‘ Yemen, Socotra Island, Firmihin, 400-500m, N 12°28′27′′ E 54°0′54′′, 6-7.ii. 2010, at light, L. Purchart & J. Vybíral lgt.’ ( NMPC, PHCP); 1 J: (p) ‘ Yemen, Socotra Isl., Noged, Mokhar, 31.iii.2001, leg. V. Bejček & K. Šťastný’ ( NMPC); 1 J: (p) ‘ YEMEN, Soqotra Is., 2003, 2-3/xii., Dixam plateau, WADI ESGEGO, 300m, N12°28′09′′, E54°00′36′′ [GPS], David Král lgt. / (p) YEMEN – SOQOTRA 2003 Expedition; Jan Farkač, Petr Kabátek & David Král’ ( NMPC); 7 spec.: (p) ‘ YEMEN: Socotra isl., Vadi Faar, 1.iv.2001 ’ ( CULS, NMPC, PHCP); 3 spec.: (p) ‘ YEMEN: Socotra isl., Vadi Faar, 69 m, 12.433N, 54.195S, 3.xii.2000, Leg. Bejček & Šťastný’ ( NMPC); 3 spec.: (p) ‘ YEMEN: Socotra isl., Calantia, 29-30.iii.2001 ’ ( CULS, NMPC); 5 spec.: (p) ‘ YEMEN: Socotra isl., Zerik, 25-27.iii.2001 ’ ( CULS, NMPC, PHCP); 3 spec.: ‘ YEMEN: Socotra isl., Shoab, 10.iii.2000 ’ ( NMPC); 1spec.: ‘ Yemen, Soqotra Is., 2.-3.xii.2003, Dixam plat.: Wadi Esgego, N 12°28′09′′ E 54°00′36′′, 300 m [GPS]: Jan Farkač lgt. / YEMEN – SOQOTRA 2003, Expedition; Jan Farkač, Petr Kabátek & David Král’ ( NMPC). 1spec.: ‘ Yemen, Soqotra Island, Aloove area, ALOOVE vill. env., Jatropha unicostata shrubland, with Boswellia elongata trees, 19-20.vi.2012, 12°31,2’ N, 54°07,4’E, 221 m / SOCOTRA expedition 2012, J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, P. Kment, I. Malenovský, J. Niedobová & L. Pulchart leg.’ ( NMPC).

Description. Body (Fig. 11) shiny, reddish-brown, length: 3.05–3.35 mm, width: 1.10–1.15 mm, unevenly and sparsely covered by spatulate pubescence.

Head about as long as wide or slightly longer than wide; maxillary palpi ( Fig. 8 ) with palpomere II pedunculate, palpomere III cylindrical, about twice as long as wide and less than half of length of II, palpomere IV spherical, shorter than III, with long, acute apical pseudosegment; antennae long, about 1.35 mm long, scape twice as long as pedicel, pedicel smallest, 1.7 times as short as antennomere III, IV–VII subequal in length, about 1.3 times as long as III, VI and VII wider than VI and V, antennomere VIII slightly longer than VII, antennal club formed by apical three antennomeres, weakly defined, terminal antennomere 1.4 times as long as X.

Pronotum about as long as wide, slightly longer than head.

Elytra about 1.2 times as wide as long.

Abdomen 1.15–1.20 times as long as elytra.

Aedeagus as in Figs 9–10 .

Differential diagnosis. Epicaris bezdeki sp. nov. differs from its congeners E. ventralis ( Raffray, 1882) and E. crassicornis Raffray, 1913 by having very small maxillary palpi, that are not visible in dorsal view and which lack lateral spines.

Etymology. Named after our friend Jan Bezděk (Brno), well-known specialist on Chrysomelidae and the collector of the holotype.

Collection circumstances. All specimens were collected at light in an arid area. The presence of well-developed trichomes on the elytral apices indicates that this species is most probably a myrmecophile, a way of life that is quite common for many Ctenistini ( PARK 1942, JEANNEL 1950, CHANDLER 2001).

Figures

Figs 6–10. 6–7 – Articerodes syriacus (Saulcy, 1865). 6 – aedeagus, dorsal aspect; 7 – aedeagus, lateral aspect. 8–10 – Epicaris bezdeki sp. nov. 8 – left maxillary palpus; 9 – aedeagus, dorsal aspect; 10 – aedeagus, lateral aspect. Scale bars in mm.