Acylophorus minor Lott

Lott, Derek A., 2010, The species of Acylophorus Nordmann (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) in continental sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 2402, pp. 1-51 : 28-29

Acylophorus minor Lott , new species

( Figs 20 , 69 , 96 , 131 )

Description. Length 5–5.5mm. Body dark brown with pronotum and apical margins of abdominal tergites paler. Abdominal tergites iridescent. Appendages red-brown, apical segments of antennae yellow.

Head small (pronotum 2x wider than head), more or less as long as wide with temples barely suggested ( Fig. 20 ). Antennae inserted right on front margin with no pigmented area in front. Genae well developed and produced at sides of front margin. No micro-punctures visible at 80x magnification. Short pubescence behind eyes localised and very sparse. Two pairs of interocular setae arising from foveate punctures much closer to eyes than each other and five postocular setae visible from above on each side. No extra seta by hind margin of eye. Underside of head weakly depressed at base. Gular sutures continued to base of head, converging toward base but well separated throughout their length. Mandibles similar to A. salifi . Maxillary palpi with terminal segment densely pubescent, markedly asymmetric, longer than short, triangular, penultimate segment, which is glabrous ( Fig. 69 ). First segment of antenna longer than next four ( Fig. 96 ). Segments I to V elongate, VII to XI transverse.

Pronotum less transverse than in A. salifi (1.2x wider than long) with rounded sides and widest in basal half. Shining with no micro-punctures. One pair of dorsal setae. One pair of lateral setae. Marginal setae long. Elytra strongly transverse (1.8x wider than long) with pubescence arising from fine, asperate punctures. Fringe of bristles on hind margin longer than the hairs on the rest of the elytra. Asperate punctures on abdominal tergites stronger than on elytra, denser toward base.

Paramere bilobed, each lobe weakly arched and curved inwards at apex, pegs confusedly arranged in apical half of each lobe ( Fig. 131 ). Median lobe longer than paramere, expanded at apex which is rounded.

Type material. Holotype 3: “ CÔTE D’IVOIRE Riv. Sassandra / MUSÉUM PARIS 12-1930- IV-1931 P.A. CHAPUIS / Acylophorus Pauliani Brh Typ / Chicago NHMUS M. Bernhauer Collection / HOLOTYPE Acylophorus minor sp. n. 3 det. DA Lott, 2009” ( FMNH). Paratypes 13: “K431 OPRS NIGERIA 1951 / PARATYPE Acylophorus minor sp. n. 3 det. DA Lott, 2009” ( MMUM); 1Ƥ: “K700 IBADAN NIGERIA 21 4 53 / PARATYPE Acylophorus minor sp. n. 3 det. DA Lott, 2009” ( MMUM); 1Ƥ: “K711 IBADAN NIGERIA 14 4 53 / PARATYPE Acylophorus minor sp. n. 3 det. DA Lott, 2009” ( MMUM).

This species was given the manuscript name, A. pauliani by Bernhauer and a type was labelled accordingly, but he never published a description of the species.

Distribution and bionomics. Only known from four specimens collected in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria ( Fig. 146 ). There are no ecological data.

Comparative notes. Similar to A. lomaensis . Distinguished by the form of the aedeagus.

Etymology. The specific name is the masculine form of the comparative adjective meaning “lesser” and refers to the relatively small size of the species.

Figures

FIGURE 146. Distribution of species in the Acylophorus salifi group = A. lomaensis Levasseur, = A. minor new species).

FIGURES 18 – 20. Forebodies of species in the Acylophorus salifi group. 18, A. salifi new species; 19, A. lomaensis Levasseur; 20. A. minor new species. FIGURES 21 – 25. Forebodies of species in the Acylophorus trigonocephalus group. 21, A. trigonocephalus Cameron; 22, A. setiger new species; 23, A. usambarae Bernhauer; 24, A. grandis Bernhauer; 25, A. bafutensis Levasseur.

FIGURES 51 – 76. Terminal segments of the maxilliary palpi of Acylophorus species. 51, A. orientalis Fauvel; 52, A. nitens new species; 53, A. rossii Bordoni, 54, A. bumbunae Bordoni; 55, A. capensis Cameron; 56, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 57, A. tshuapensis new species; 58, A. makhoreae new species; 59, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 60, A. antennalis Cameron; 61, A. collarti Cameron; 62. A. micans new species; 63, A. allardi Levasseur; 64, A. congoensis Cameron; 65, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 66, A. mareei Bernhauer; 67, A. salifi new species; 68, A. lomaensis Levasseur; 69. A. minor new species; 70, A. trigonocephalus Cameron; 71, A. setiger new species; 72, A. usambarae Bernhauer; 73, A. grandis Bernhauer; 74, A. bafutensis Levasseur; 75, A. kambuiensis Bordoni, 76. A. lualabaensis Levasseur.

FIGURES 77 – 96. Antennae of Acylophorus species. 77, A. orientalis Fauvel; 78, A. nitens new species; 79, A. rossii Bordoni, 80, A. bumbunae Bordoni; 81, A. capensis Cameron; 82, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 83, A. tshuapensis new species; 84, A. makhoreae new species; 85, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 86, A. antennalis Cameron; 87, A. collarti Cameron; 88. A. micans new species; 89, A. allardi Levasseur; 90, A. congoensis Cameron; 91, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 92, A. mareei Bernhauer; 93, A. methneri Bernhauer; 94, A. salifi new species; 95, A. lomaensis Levasseur; 96. A. minor new species.

FIGURES 126 – 131. Aedeagi of species in the Acylophorus salifi group. 126, A. salifi new species (Burkina Faso); 127, A. salifi new species (Zimbabwe); 128, A. salifi new species (RD Congo); 129, A. lomaensis Levasseur (Lac Tumba, RD Congo); 130, A. lomaensis Levasseur (R. Lukendu, RD Congo); 131. A. minor new species. FIGURES 132 – 133. Male sternite IX and styles of tergite IX of Acylophorus species. 132, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 133, A. kambuiensis Bordoni.