Philonthus philetarius, Hromádka, 2014

Hromádka, L., 2014, Four new species of the genus Philonthus from Afrotropical region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 46 (1), pp. 687-694 : 690-691

Philonthus philetarius nov.sp. (Figs 7-9)

T y p e m a t e r i a l Holotype: " Nigeria, Umudike , 14.-27.ix.1960, J.M. Gregory // Holotypus Philonthus philetarius nov.sp. Hromádka det., 2013, [red oblong label printed]" ( NMPC).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 8.3 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 4.0 mm.

Coloration. Head black, pronotum and abdomen black-brown, elytra black brown, suture and posterior margin narrowly brown-red, both palpi and antennae black, femora blackbrown, tibiae and tarsi black

Head wider than long (ratio 29: 25), parallel-sided, posterior angles obtusely rounded, between eyes four punctures, medial punctures slightly shifted anteriad. Distance between medial punctures five times larger than distance between medial and lateral puncture.Eyes flat as large as temples, posterior margin with two punctures. Temporal area in posterior half with many small setiferous punctures. Surface with very fine irregular microsculpture here and there.

Antennae long, reaching almost posterior margin of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-3 and 11 distinctly longer than wide, antennomeres 4-8 slightly longer than wide, antennomeres 9-10 as long as wide.

Pronotum longer than wide (ratio 38: 34), parallel-sided. Anterior angles conspicuously deflexed, vaguely obtusely rounded, posterior angles markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with five approximately equidistant punctures, each sublateral row with two small punctures arranged in a row parallel to the dorsal row and half way between it and side. Surface with fine microsculpture consisting of transverse waves.

Scuttelum very finely and densely punctured, diameter of punctures slightly larger than eye-facets, separated by one puncture diameter or smaller.

Elytra wider than long (ratio 48: 40), very slightly widened posteriad. Punctation coarser

than that on scutellum, separated mostly by one puncture diameter, smaller here and there. Surface without microsculpture; setation dark brown.

Legs. Metatarsus longer than metatibia (ratio 30: 27), metatarsomere 1 longer than metatarsomere 5 and than metatarsomeres 2-3 combined.

Abdomen wide, very gradually narrowed posteriad, first three visible abdominal tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines very densely and finely punctured. Punctation at base of all tergites extremally finely and densely punctured, diameter of punctures as large as eye-facets, separated mostly smaller than one puncture diameter, becoming slighly 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 covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 smaller than preceding ones. Aedeagus (Figs 7-9).

Female. Unknown.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Philonthus philetarius nov.sp. is similar to P. pseudoabyssinus TOTTENHAM 1940, (Figs 10-11), but differs in having narrower head, densely and finely punctured of elytra and abdomen and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

E t y m o l o g i e: The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic name of the African Sociable weaver Philetarius socius (LATHAM 1790).

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