Philonthus brendelli, Hromádka, 2008

Hromádka, Lubomír, 2008, Revision of Afrotropical species of the Philonthus abyssinus species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 48 (1), pp. 37-50 : 39-41

Philonthus brendelli sp. nov.

( Figs. 6-8 )

Type locality. Central African Republic, Uamgebiet Bosum [= Ouham river valey, Bosum].

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ Central African Republic, Uamgebiet Bosum , 9°19′00″S; 15°11′00″E, 11.-20. vi., Tessmann, S [red oblong printed label]’ ( NMPC) . PARATYPE: J, ‘ Central African Republic, Quango Gebiet , 4°19′00″N ; 22°33′00″E, V. Mechow [red oblong printed label]’ ( LHPC) .

Description. Body length 9.1-9.3 mm, length of fore body (to the end of elytra) 4.8- 5.0 mm.

Colouration. Head black, pronotum, elytra and abdomen black-brown, posterior margins of first four visible tergites rather broadly reddish-brown, paratergites reddish-brown, clypeus along anterior margin and antennal sockets narrowly yellow-brown, mandibles, maxillary and labial palpi, antennae and legs brown.

Head quadrangular, wider than long (ratio 33: 26), parallel-sided, vaguely narrowed behind eyes. Posterior angles of head capsule slightly rounded, with 2 long black bristles. Clypeus medially with wide and deep depression. Temples a little longer than eyes (ratio 12: 11). Four coarse punctures between eyes, distance between medial interocular punctures four times as long as distance between medial and lateral punctures. Posterior margin of eyes with 2 coarse punctures. Surface with very irregular, almost indistinct microsculpture.

Antennae short, reaching middle of pronotum when reclined, antennomeres 6-10 slightly wider than long. Antennomere 1 almost as long as antennomeres 2-3 combined, antennomere 11 distinctly longer than antennomere 3.

Pronotum vaguely longer than wide (ratio 35: 33), parallel-sided, widest at middle, vaguely narrowed both posteriad and anteriad. Posterior angles of pronotum markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with 4 coarse punctures; each sublateral row with 2 punctures. Pronotal margin with 1 long black bristle at anterior third. Microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum densely and coarsely punctate, punctures somewhat larger than diameters of punctures on elytra, distance between punctures much smaller than their diameters. Surface without microsculpture.

Elytra hardly wider than long (ratio 47: 46), parallel-sided. Punctation fine and scattered, punctures somewhat larger than eye-facets, separated by two (sometimes by three) diameters of punctures. Anterior angles of elytra with 1 long black bristle; sides of elytra with several shorter black bristles. Surface without microsculpture, very shiny, setation grey.

Legs. Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 24: 21). Metatarsomere 1 somewhat shorter than metatarsomere 5, metatarsomere 5 shorter than metatarsomeres 2-3 combined.

Abdomen parallel-sided, first four visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines on first three visible tergites impunctate, on fourth tergite sparsely punctate. Punctation of tergites somewhat finer than that on elytra, becoming sparser towards apex of each tergite. Surface between punctures without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Protasomeres 1-3 simple, moderately dilated, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally; sternite VIII ( Fig. 8 ); aedeagus ( Figs. 6-7 ).

Female. Unknown to the author.

Differential diagnosis. This new species is very similar to P. elgonensis , but differs by the apical portion of median lobe in ventral view almost parallel-sided with truncate apex ( Fig. 9 ).

Etymology. The species is named in honour of my friend Martin Brendell, curator of the Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom.

Distribution. Central African Republic.

Figures

Figs. 1-8. 1-5 – Philonthus abyssinus Fauvel, 1880; 6-8 – P. brendelli sp. nov. 1, 6 – aedeagus, ventral view; 2, 7 – aedeagus, lateral view; 3, 8 – apical portion of sternite VIII, ventral view; 4 – sternite IX, ventral view; 5 – tergite X, dorsal view.

Figs. 9-16.9-12 – Philonthus elgonensis Tottenham,1940; 13-16 – P.pseudoabyssinus Tottenham, 1940.9, 13 – aedeagus, ventral view; 10, 14 – aedeagus, lateral view; 11, 15 – apical portion of sternite VIII, ventral view; 12 – tergite X, dorsal view; 16 – sternite IX, ventral view.