Mentophilonthus vanellus, Hromádka, 2009

Hromádka, Lubomír, 2009, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Mentophilonthus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 49 (1), pp. 119-160 : 156-157

Mentophilonthus vanellus sp. nov.

( Figs. 114–118 )

Type locality. Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♁, ‘ Congo, Mongende , 21.iv.1921, Schouteden, Musée du Congo, Chicago NHMus, M. Bernhauer Collection // Holotype, Mentophilonthus vannelus sp.nov. Hromádka, det. 2007 [red oblong printed label]’ ( FMNH) .

Description. Body length 7.0 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 3.4 mm.

Colouration. Head black, antennal sockets and clypeus along anterior margin very narrowly yellow-brown, pronotum and abdomen chestnut-brown, posterior margin of all tergites narrowly yellow-brown, elytra brown-orange with suture narrowly dark brown, palpi, antennomere 1 and base of antennomere 2 yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres brown.

Head somewhat wider than long (ratio 19: 17.5), distinctly narrowed anteriad. Posterior angles rounded, each with three long, black bristles. Temporal area with several coarse punctures. Eyes flat, much longer than temples (ratio 13: 7). Surface with fine and very dense microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves.

Antennae reaching posterior fourth of pronotum when reclined. Antennomere 1 as long as antennomeres 2–3 combined, antennomere 2 shorter than antennomere 3. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1 = 6.5; 2 = 3; 3 = 3.5; 4–7 = 3; 8–10 = 2.5; 11 = 4.5.

Pronotum longer than wide, (ratio 32: 29), distinctly narrowed anteriad. Each dorsal row with three punctures. Each sublateral row with one puncture. Surface with irregular, indistinct microsculpture here and there.

Scutellum very finely and sparsely punctate, punctures as large as eye-facets, separated by a puncture diameter in transverse direction. Setation brown.

Elytra combined distinctly wider than long (ratio 38: 31), widened posteriad. Sides each with six black bristles of unequal length, punctation very fine, punctures slightly smaller than eye-facets, separated mostly by 2 puncture diameters in transverse direction. Longitudial row of four coarse, setiferous punctures situated at about midwidth of each elytron; surface without microsculpture.

Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 17: 15). Metatarsomere 1 as long as metatarsomeres 2–3 combined, metatarsomere 5 longer than metatarsomere 1. Relative lengths of metatarsomeres: 1 = 5.5; 2 = 3; 3 = 2.5; 4 = 2; 5 = 6.

Abdomen: first four visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines impunctate. Punctation of visible tergites very fine and sparse, punctures much smaller than eye-facets, separated mostly by three puncture diameters in transverse direction. Surface without microsculpture between punctures. Lateral margins of tergites with several black bristles of unequal length.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–3 strongly dilated and sub-bilobed, covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 small, heart-shaped. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 117 ) sternite IX ( Fig. 118 ), aedeagus ( Figs.114–116 ).

Female. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Mentophilonthus vanellus sp. nov. may be distinguished from all species of the genus by the presence of three punctures in dorsal rows of the pronotum (in contrast to one or two punctures present in all other species).

Bionomics. Unknown.

Etymology. The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic name of the lapwing Vanellus armatus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Distribution. Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Figures

Figs. 114–118. Mentophilonthus vanellus sp. nov. 114–116 aedeagus; 114 – ventral view, 115 – lateral view, 116 – apical portion of underside of paramere, with sensory peg setae, ventral view, 117 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view, 118 – male sternite IX, ventral view.