Parasimus saotomicus, Hlaváč & Baňař, 2022

Hlaváč, Peter & Baňař, Petr, 2022, Pselaphinae of the Cameroon Volcanic Line. Part 1. New Pselaphinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from the island São Tomé, Zootaxa 5222 (3), pp. 267-276 : 273-275

Parasimus saotomicus sp. nov.

Figs 15 – 17

Material studied: Holotype, ♁: SÃO TOMÉ, with three labels „ SÃO TOMÉ, 1324m / Antenna, Bom Successo / 00°16′31′′N, 06°36′14′′E / (21–29). x.2016, FIT“ [white, printed], “ Turner, C. R., Tasane, T., leg. / BMNH (E) 2017- 11 / TripRef: ST-001 ( ANHRT 21 )” [white printed], “QR code / NHMUK010846851 ” [white printed] ( BMNH).

Diagnosis. Maxillary palpi small, barely visible from above; antennae with seven antennomeres, antennomeres densely pubescent and punctured, stout, scape very long, about 4 times as long as pedicel, antennomeres 4 and 7 subglobular, about same size, antennomeres 2, 3 and 4, 5 distinctly smaller; each elytron with two basal foveae, discal striae reaching to half of elytral length, sutural striae entire. First visible abdominal tergite (IV) with basal transversal impression, lacking carinae, about as long as second visible tergite (V).

Description. Body ( Fig. 15 ) bicoloured, head, pronotum, elytra, antennae, and legs reddish-brown, abdomen pitchy black, maxillary palpi ligther than other appendages; whole body with setae. Body length 2.77 mm, maximum width 1.02 mm.

Head slightly transverse, with coarse microsculpture, about 1.1 times as wide as long; with two large antennal cavities on sides of rostrum, rostrum narrow, short, with median carina reaching posterior margin of head, lacking frontal foveae, with two well-separated dorsal tentorial pits; eyes large, not proturberant, located at anterior part of head, temples long, with deep lateral impression on anterior part, convergent posteriad. Gular plate roughly punctured, punctures large, lacking gular carina, posterior part in front of posterior tentorial pits with bunch of long, curved, golden setae extending to lateral margins of head; posterior tentorial pits small, widely separated, situated in front of transverse carina demarcating neck region ventrally. Maxillary palpi small, barely visible from above.

Antennae about 1.3 mm long, scape about 4 times as long as pedicel and 3.07 times as long as wide; pedicel small, quadrate, slightly shorter than antennomere 3 which is 1.3 times as wide as long, antennomere 4 semiglobular, 1.46 as long as 3, antennomeres 5 and 6 transverse, subequal in length, about half of length of 4, antennomere 5 about 1.5 times as wide as long, 6 about 1.3 times as wide as long, terminal antennomere apparently globular with slender, pointed protrusion on apex, including protrusion 1.3 times as long as wide.

Pronotum 1.05 times as long as wide and as long as head, with coarse microsculpture.

Prosternum short, densely setose, prosternal process short, pointed. Procoxae confluent.

Mesoventrite laterally largely demarcated from metaventrite by transverse carina, with massive prepectus, anteromedian asetose transverse impression functioning as procoxal rest, procoxat rest with anterior projections on lateral side, with large transverse median mesoventral fovea and pair of lateral mesoventral foveae. Mesocoxae widely separated by elongate mesoventral process, with truncate apex reaching middle of mesocoxae, touching anterior tip of anterior metaventral process which also has truncate apex. Metaventrite strongly transverse, with large, well-demarcated metaventral disc impressed at middle and elevated to two lateral, triangular, pointed projections on each side; with lateral mesocoxal fovea, lacking lateral metaventral foveae, anterior metaventral process truncate, posterior metaventral process broad and short, with straight posterior margin.

All visible abdominal sternites densely setose, visible sternite 1 (III) entirely covered by long, dense, golden setae, bearing elongate, anteriorly oval process separating metacoxae.

Elytra, shiny, with fine and sparse punctuation on almost whole surface, with two basal foveae, discal striae reaching half of elytral length, sutural striae entire. Hind wings fully-developed.

First visible abdominal tergite (IV) with basal transversal impression, lacking carinae, about as long as second visible tergite (V).

Legs stout, with punctuation, external edge of meso and metatibiae with fine dentation.

Aedeagus ( Figs 16–17 ) in dorsal view symmetrical, median lobe 1.63 times as long as wide and 0.45 mm long, basale capsule lacking diaphragm; distal margin of median lobe rounded with wide, short projection; endophallus lacking sclerites; parameres dorsally with wide apices almost meeting mesad, each with 2 apical setae.

Natural History. The holotype was collected by a flight intercept trap. No other details concerning the ecology of the species is known.

Etymology. Named after the island São Tomé, the type locality.

Distribution. São Tomé.

Remarks. Parasimus saotomicus can be readilly separated from the other four species of the genus by the different structure of the antennae, especially antennomeres 3 and 4 which are large and subglobular and with antennomeres 4 about as large as 5 and 6 combined. The antennae of congeneric species are following: Parasimus pachycerus Jeannel, 1949 has antenomeres 3 an 4 smaller than 5 and 6, antemomeres 2–7 evenly expanded to apices ( Jeannel 1949: 114, fig. 14). Parasimus leleupi Jeannel, 1953 has antennomeres 3 and 4 distincly larger than 5 and 6, both with a large median tooth on the mesal side ( Jeannel 1953: 152, fig. 129). Parasimus bitalensis Jeannel, 1953 has antennomeres 3 strongly elongate, about twice as long as 4 ( Jeannel 1953: 153, fig. 132). Parasimus grandicollis Jeannel, 1958 has antennomeres 3 and 4 distincly larger than 5 and 6, both with a large tooth on their lateral sides, 5 with tooth placed at the base, and 6 with the tooth at the apex ( Jeannel 1958: 350, fig. 9).

Figures

FIGURES 13–17. 13–14. Afroplectus (s.str.) turneri sp. nov., male holotype; 13, dorsal habitus; 14, aedeagus.15–17. Parasimus saotomicus sp. nov.; 15, dorsal habitus; 16, aedeagus, lateral view; 17, aedeagus, dorsal view. Scale bar in mm.