Neopimus zulu, Janák, 2019

Janák, Jiří, 2019, Revision of the South African genus Neopimus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Zootaxa 4577 (2), pp. 361-370 : 367-369

Neopimus zulu sp. nov.

( Figs. 20–29 )

Type locality. South Africa, Kwa-Zulu Province , Ngomi Forest, 27°51′S, 31°23′E .

Type material. Holotype ♂: “ South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Ntedeka Wilderness Area, Ngomi Forest , 27°51′S, 31°23′E, 24-27.xi.2006, J. Janák leg. // forest litter, sifting // “ HOLOTYPUS Neopimus zulu sp. n., J. Janák det. 2014” ( TMSA).

Paratypes: same data as holotype, 19 ♂, 26 ♀ (1 ♂, 1 ♀ in TMSA, 18 ♂, 25 ♀ in JJRC); “ South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Ntendeka Wildn.Area, Ngomi, Forest ; 27°50.0'S, 31°25.1´E, 1040m; 21.i.2019; J.Janák lgt.”, 42 spec. ( JJRC). “ South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Hluhluwe NP, 28°07′S, 32°04′E, 29.xi.2006, J. Janák leg. // river banks, treading”, 1 ♂ ( JJRC); “ S. Afr.: Zulu: Drakensbg., Ngome Forest Res., 27.49 S – 31.25 E // 25.2.1997; E-Y: 3286, sifted indig. forest, leg. Endrödy-Younga ”, 29 spec. (24 spec. in TMSA, 5 spec. in JJRC); “ S. Afr.: Zulu Drakensb., Ngome Forest Res., 27.50 S – 31.24 E // 26.2.1997; E-Y: 3289, sifted indig. forest, leg. Endrödy- Younga”, 6 spec. (5 spec. in TMSA, 1 spec. in JJRC); “ S. Afr.; KWZ Natal, Ngome forest , 27.49 S – 31.25 E // 27.1.2008; E-Y: 3784, indigenous forest, leg. Ruth Müller ”, 11 spec. (9 spec. in TMSA, 2 spec. in JJRC). All with “ PARATYPUS Neopimus zulu sp. n., J. Janák det. 2014” or “ PARATYPUS Neopimus zulu sp. n., J. Janák det. 2019”

Description: Body length 2.9–3.3 mm (M = 3.1mm, HT = 2.9 mm), forebody length 1.5–1.7 mm (M = 1.7 mm, HT = 1.5). Black to dark brown, abdomen brown, legs and antennae yellowish-brown ( Fig. 20 ).

Head ( Fig. 20 ) moderately convex, a third wider than long (W/L = 1.26–1.35, M = 1.30, HT = 1.28). Surface, except for small unpunctured middle area rugosely, coarsely and densely punctured, punctures about as large as basal diameter of second antennal segment, surface without microsculpture. Labrum medially emarginated, with short internal lobes. Antennae moderately short, segments 1–9 longer than wide, segment 1 slightly shorter than segments 2 and 3 combined, fifth segment longer than wide (L/W = 1.28–1.63, M = 1.46, HT = 1.42), tenth segment slightly longer than wide or about as long as wide (L/W = 1.00–1.08, M = 1.02, HT = 1.08).

Pronotum ( Fig. 20 ) rounded trapezoid shaped, moderately convex, slightly transverse or about as long as wide (L/W = 0.92–1.00, M = 0.95, HT = 0.92) and markedly narrower than head (PW/HW = 0.78–0.87, M = 0.84, HT = 0.87). Sides slightly narrowed posteriorly. Surface, except for relatively wide unpunctured line rugosely, coarsely and moderately densely punctured, slightly sparsely than on head, interstices on average as large as punctures, surface without microsculpture. Unpunctured line in narrowest part in middle of pronotum about three times as wide as diameter of puncture.

Elytra ( Fig. 20 ) rounded trapezoidal, only slightly convex on disc, almost about a half wider than long (R = 1.35–1.50, M = 1.45, HT = 1.44). Sides slightly convex widened behind. Abdomen ( Fig. 20 ) slightly widened to segment VI, extremely finely and sparsely punctured. Interstices on tergite VII about 3–5 larger than diameter of punctures. Surface with very fine microsculpture consisting of transverse mesh.

Male. Sternites III–VII without modifications, posterior margin of sternite VIII ( Fig. 28 ) largely moderately deeply triangularly emarginate, inner part of emargination rounded. Aedeagus ( Figs. 21–27 ) 0.45–0.50 mm (M = 0.47 mm, HT = 0.50 mm). Median lobe with apical process wide in ventral view and markedly bent dorsally in lateral view.

Female. Sternite VIII largely rounded posteriorly.

Differential diagnosis. N. zulu sp. nov. differs from N. tragardhi ( Fagel, 1961) by the longer pronotum, by the elytra markedly less widened posteriorly (cf. Fig. 20 and Figs. 1 , 16 ) and also by the different shape of the aedeagus. N. zulu sp. nov. can be distinguished from N. capensis sp. nov. by the coarsely punctured pronotum and elytra.

Etymology. This species is named after the tribe Zulu, which inhabit the area where the type series was collected.

Bionomics. Almost all specimens were found in siftings of forest litter in indigenous forest.

Distribution. Neopimus zulu sp. nov. is currently recorded from Ngome Forest and Hluhluwe Nature reserve in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 20–28. Neopimus zulu sp. nov. 20, 21, 23, 28, holotype; 22, 24–27, paratypes from Ngome; 20, habitus, 21, 22, 24, 26, aedeagus ventral; 23, 25, 27, aedeagus lateral; 28, male sternite VIII; 21–23, transmitted light; 24–27, reflected light.

FIGURE 29. Distribution map of Neopimus. 1, Neopimus capensis sp. nov.; 2, Neopimus tragardhi; 3, Neopimus zulu sp. nov.

FIGURES 1–6. Neopimus capensis sp. nov. 1, 3–5, holotype; 2, paratype; 1, habitus; 2, dorsal side of forebody; 3, mentum, labial palpi, ligula; 4, labrum; 5, maxillary palpus; 6, male sternite VIII.

FIGURES 16–19. Neopimus tragardhi (Fagel), holotype. 16, habitus; 17, aedeagus ventral; 18, aedeagus lateral; 19 male sternite VIII; 17, 18, reflected light.