Thendelecrotona natalica, Nik, Grzegorz Pa Ś, 2007

Nik, Grzegorz Pa Ś, 2007, A new genus and species of the aleocharine tribe Thamiaraeini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 1527, pp. 31-38 : 36-37

Thendelecrotona natalica sp. n.

( Figs. 1–9 )

Type material. Holotype: ɗ: Republic of South Africa, Royal Natal National Park, Thendele, 1550 m, 10.XII.2004, leg. G. Paśnik ( TMSA). Paratypes: 8ɗɗand 11ΨΨ: same data as holotype ( ISEA); 8ɗɗand 11ΨΨ: same data as holotype ( TMSA).

Description. Body. Length 2.2–2.4 mm, convex, moderately glossy; body colour black, legs brown with yellow tarsi, antennae brown with antennomeres 1–3 yellow.

Head circular in outline, convex, widest across eyes; eyes large, strongly protruding from lateral contours of head, seen from above longer than postocular region; temples gradually arcuately narrowed to neck, surface of head with obsolete transversely stretched microsculpture; puncturation fine and very dense, interstices between punctures equal to their diameter, pubescence short and dense, directed mediad. Antennae short, strongly increasing in width apically, antennomere 3 shorter than 2, antennomere 4 as long as wide, antennomeres 5–10 transverse, increasing in width, antennomere 10 about 2 times wider than long.

Pronotum transverse, 1.35–1.45 times wider than long, convex, widest at middle, lateral sides arcuate, more strongly narrowed to apex than to base; before base without transverse impression, surface lacking microsculpture; puncturation fine and very dense; interstices between punctures equal to their diameter; pubescence at midline directed posteriad.

Elytra transverse, slightly wider than pronotum, lateral sides straight, at suture as long as pronotal length at midline; surface without microsculpture; puncturation fine and dense.

Abdomen acuminate, bases of tergites III–IV each with shallow transverse impression, impressions smooth, impunctuate, tergal puncturation fine and very dense, interstices between punctures subequal to their diameter, surface of tergites lacking microsculpture, pubescence relatively short and dense, directed straight posteriad.

Male. Median lobe of aedeagus as in Fig. 7 .

Female. Spermatheca as in Fig. 8 .

Bionomics. All types were collected in the Royal Natal National Park in South Africa at an altitude of approximately 1550 m ( Fig. 9 ). The specimens were collected from flowers of Protea sp., together with numerous other species of Staphylinidae . The beetles were observed in the flowers every day in the morning. Presumably, the beetles were feeding on pollen.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Thendelecrotona natalica gen. & sp. n. Scale bar 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 2 – 6. Mouthparts of Thendelecrotona natalica gen. & sp. n. 2 — right maxilla, 3 — labium, 4 — right mandible, 5 — labrum, 6 — mentum. Scale bars 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 8. Genitalia of Thendelecrotona natalica gen. & sp. n. 7 — median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view, 8 — spermatheca. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Type locality of Thendelecrotona natalica gen. & sp. n.