Parasthetops unicornus, Perkins, 2008

Perkins, Philip D., 2008, Facial affect recognition in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis, Zootaxa 1864, pp. 1-124 : 15-16

Parasthetops unicornus new species

( Figs. 9 , 11 , 93 )

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Eastern Cape Province, Naudes Nek , 12 mi ENE Rhodes, 30° 40' S, 28° 5' E, 9 March 1951, Brinck & Rudebeck (SSAE 220). Deposited in the LUM . Paratypes (4): Eastern Cape Province, Same data as holotype (2 LUM) ; KwaZulu­Natal Province, Umkomaas River, top of Sani Pass , site 1, ex. stones in current, elev. 2865 m, 29° 35' S, 29° 17' E, 18 December 1996, F. de Moor & C. Dickens (Umk 133 A) (2 AMG) .

Differential Diagnosis. This species is similar in dorsal habitus to P. buunicornus ( Figs. 9 , 10 ); distinguished therefrom by the smaller size (ca. 1.99 mm vs. 2.28 mm), the less strongly striate­impressed elytral series, and the longer elytral setae. The aedeagi of the two species, while distinct from one another, clearly indicate a rather close relationship ( Figs. 11, 13 ).

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 1.99/0.79; head 0.34/ 0.50; pronotum 0.43/0.61; elytra 1.20 /0.79. Dorsum of head dark brown to piceous, pronotum dark brown, elytra brown, maxillary palpi piceo­testaceous, venter dark brown, legs brown to testaceous. Submentum and mentum microreticulate, dull, sparsely punctulate.

Head with labrum obsoletely microreticulate, weakly shining. Clypeus and frons microreticulate at sides, shining and sparsely finely punctulate on disc, punctures separated by about 2–5xpd, size about 1/2 eye facet, or less; anteocellar sulci deep. Ocelli distinct.

Pronotum cordate, widest in front of middle; anterior angles obtuse, posterior rectangular; sides finely margined, weakly crenulate; anterior margin shallowly arcuate over median 3/4, with narrow hyaline border; discal reliefs shining, finely, sparsely punctate, interstices ca. 3–6xpd; posteriorly punctures slightly larger, about 1xef; with foveae as follow: median anterior elongate and much smaller, shallower posterior, not confluent; a small anterior and larger oval shallow posterior admedian; and a large anterior and small deep posterior adlateral on each side; foveae weakly microreticulate and/or punctate, dull; each puncture with very fine and very short seta.

Elytra non­carinate, sides weakly arcuate, apices separately rounded; sutural apices obtuse; sides smooth, weakly explanate; posterior declivity moderately abrupt. Serial punctures moderately large and deep, larger and deeper than largest pronotal punctures, interstices on disc about 1–2xpd; without granules. Series eight with punctures larger, interstices about 1xpd. Series one weakly striate­impressed. Intervals very weakly, if at all, rounded, width on disc about 2–3xpd. All punctures with very short and very fine seta.

Metaventral disc rather flat, with shallow midlongitudinal impression in basal 1/2. Thoracic ventrites and abdominal ventrites 1–5 clothed with dense setae except glabrous midlongitudinal prosternal ridge, glabrous dull mesoventral plaques and small glabrous shining inverted V­shaped basomedian area on metaventrite in front of intercoxal sternite. Ventrite 6 shining, with sparse setigerous punctures across distal 1/2.

Females with elytral explanate margin only very slightly wider than males, elytra more convex over posterior declivity.

Wings fully developed on holotype and all dissected males.

Aedeagus length ca. 0.29 mm, distal process 0.05 mm; main­piece markedly widened at midlength; distal process short, only slightly longer than angulate portion of main­piece ( Fig. 11 ).

Etymology. Named in reference to the shape of the aedeagus.

Distribution. Currently known from one locality each in northern Eastern Cape Province and western KwaZulu­Natal Province. These localities are near the border with Lesotho ( Fig. 93 ).

Notes. The two specimens from the Umkomaas River have the pronotal impressions shallower than those of the holotype. The aedeagus of the male from this locality differs from that of the holotype in the following: the main­piece is slightly narrower in lateral view, and the subapical angulation is slightly more acute; the arcuate, widest part of the main­piece has three setae on the margin, whereas the holotype lacks setae in this area.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Parasthetops unicornus, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURE 10. Parasthetops buunicornus, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURES 11–14. Parasthetops, aedeagi of holotypes. —11. P. unicornus. —12. P. sebastiani. —13. P. buunicornus. —14. P. propitius.

FIGURES 93–94. Geographical distributions of Parasthetops species.