Mentophilonthus lampropterus ( Bernhauer, 1934 )

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 : 136-138

Mentophilonthus lampropterus ( Bernhauer, 1934)

( Figs. 49–53 )

Philonthus (Philonthus) lampropterus Bernhauer, 1934: 239 .

Mentophilonthus lamropterus: LEVASSEUR 1966: 213 .

Type locality. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kivu, Kibumba.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁, ‘ Congo Belge, Kivu: Kibumba, 7. ix. 1932 / L.Burgeon, Chicago Museum, Bernhauer, Collection, // TYPE Philonthus lampropterus Bernhauer det. [ochre oblong label, handwritten]’ ( FMNH) .

Additional material studied. KENYA: 2 spec. Mt. Algon T. Palm , lgt. ( LHPC, MZLU).

Redescription. Body length: 8.5 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 4.3 mm.

Colouration. Head and pronotum black, elytra yellow-brown, darkly transluscent here and there, maxillary and labial palpi black-brown, antennae black, base of antennomeres 2 and 3 paler, scutellum and suture of elytra black, abdomen black-brown, tergite 8 paler, legs black-brown, femora brown-yellow.

Head of rounded shape, wider than long (ratio 25.0: 21.5). Posterior angles entirely rounded, each with two long, black bristles. Eyes flat, longer than temples (ratio 10: 7). Posterior margin of each eye with two punctures. Temporal area with several smaller punctures. Dorsal surface with fine microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves.

Antennae reaching midlength of pronotum when reclined. Antennomere 1 distinctly shorter than antennomeres 2–3 combined, antennomere 11 as long as antennomere 3. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1 = 9; 2 = 5; 3 = 6; 4–10 = 3; 11 = 6.

Pronotum wider than long (ratio 37.5: 33). Anterior angles with several black bristles, posterior angles entirely rounded. Lateral margins each with one long, black bristle at midlength. Each dorsal row with two punctures. Each sublateral row with one puncture. Surface shiny, with fine microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves.

Scutellum finely punctate, diameter of punctures equal to those of eye-facets. Surface with very fine microsculpture.

Elytra combined wider than long (ratio 50: 44), widened posteriad. Punctation fine and relatively sparse, diameter of punctures slightly larger than those of eye-facets, separated by two puncture diameters in transverse direction. Longitudinal row of four larger punctures situated at midline of each elytron. Surface without microsculpture; setation brown-yellow.

Legs. Metatibia somewhat longer than metatarsus (ratio 26: 24). Metatarsomere 1 almost as long as metatarsomeres 2–3 combined, metatarsomere 5 shorter than metatarsomere 1. Relative lengths of metatarsomeres: 1 = 7; 2 = 4; 3 = 3.5; 4 = 3; 5 = 6. All tibiae with dark bristles of unequal length.

Abdomen parallel-sided, first four visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines impunctate. Punctation of visible tergites somewhat finer than that on elytra. Surface between punctures without microsculpture; setation brown-yellow.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–3 distinctly dilated, sub-bilobed, densely covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 much narrower than preceding ones. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 52 ), sternite IX ( Fig. 53 ), aedeagus ( Figs. 49–51 ).

Female. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Mentophilonthus lampropterus is very similar to M. schoutedeni , from which it differs by a darker antennomere 1, finer and denser punctation of the scutellum, different punctation of the elytra and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

Bionomics. Unknown.

Distribution. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya.

Figures

Figs. 49–55. 49–53 – Mentophilonthus lampropterus (Bernhauer, 1934): 49–51 – aedeagus (49 – ventral view, 50 – lateral view, 51 – underside of paramere with sensory peg setae); 52 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 53 – male sternite IX, ventral view; 54–55 – Mentophilonthus manis sp. nov.: 54 – female tergite X; dorsal view, 55 – gonocoxites of female genital segment.