Philonthus heliosciurus, Hromádka & A, 2013

Hromádka, L. & A, Central, 2013, Two new species of the genus Philonthus from Central African Republic (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (1), pp. 703-708 : 705-706

Philonthus heliosciurus nov.sp. (Figs 3-5)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Ƌ: République Centraafricante, Bozo lumiere, 21.v.1981, leg. N. Degallier, // Holotype Philonthus heliosciurus nov.sp. Hromádka det. 2012 [red oblong label printed] (NMPC).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 9.2 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 4.1 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Head black, pronotum and scutellum black-brown, elytra strawcoloured, suture narrowly black. Maxillary and labial palpi and mandibles dark brown, antennae black-brown. Femora brown-yellow, tibiae brown-black, tarsi dark brown, paler distally.

Head small, rounded, slightly wider than long (ratio25: 22), posterior angles markedly rounded, bearing two long black bristles. Between eyes four fine punctures, distance between lateral and medial punctures as large as one puncture diameter, distance between medial punctures seven times larger than distance between lateral and medial puncture. Eyes flat and large, distinctly longer than temples (ratio 11: 7). Posterior margin with three punctures arranged in a shape like the pyramid, temporal area with scattered punctures. Surface without microsculpture.

Antennae long, exceeding posterior margin of pronotum by the length of antennomeres 1-2 combined, all antennomeres longer than wide, antennomere 1 longer than antennomere 11, antennomere 2 shorter than antennomere 3.

Pronotum wider than long (ratio 39: 35), distinctly narrowed anteriorly. Anterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing several varying long bristels, posterior angles markedly rounded.

Each dorsal row with five approximately equidistant punctures, each sublateral row with two fine punctures, arranged in a row parallel to the dorsal row and half way between it and side. One long black bristle in the middle of each side. Surface without microsculpture.

Scutellum densely and coarsely punctured, diameter of punctures larger than eye-facets, separated by one puncture diameter or larger here and there. Setation black.

Elytra wider than long (ratio 51: 43), widened posteriad, punctation finer and sparser, diameter of punctures as large as that on scutellum, separated by one and half puncture diameters or larger here and there. Several longer and many short black bristles on sides.

Surface without microsculpture; setation black.

Legs: Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 30: 28), metatarsomere 1 longer than metatarsomere 5, as long as metatarsomeres 2-3 combined.

Abdomen from visible tergite IV very gradually narrowed posteriad. First three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines very densely and finely punctate. Punctation of whole tergites much finer and denser than that on elytra, diameter of punctures smaller than eye-facets, separated mostly by one puncture diameter or larger here and there. Surface without microsculpture; setation dark brown.

Male: Protarsomeres 1-3 very strongly dilated and sub-bilobed, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones, heart-shaped. Aedeagus (Figs 3-5).

Female: Unknown to the autor.

E t y m o l o g y: The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic

name of the African Gambian sun squirrel Heliosciurus gambianus (OGILBY 1835).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Central African Republic.