Gabrius taphozous, Hromádka, 2011

Hromádka, L., 2011, Revision of the genus Gabrius STEPHENS 1829 from Madagascar and adjoining Islands (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (2), pp. 1377-1397 : 1391

Gabrius taphozous nov.sp. (Figs 40-42)

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d Holotype. ″ Madagascar Nord 600-700 m, Masiv Anjanaharibe Nord, sentier Ambodihasina – Ambalarombe, Riv. Andramonta env., 24.-29.ii.1996, forêt humide, marais, J. Janák + P. Moravec lgt. // Holotype Gabrius taphozous nov.sp. Hromádka 2010, [red oblong printed label]″ (cJRC), Paratypes: 4 spec., same label data as holotype (cJRC, cHPC). [All paratypes with red oblong labels, printed].

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 5.5 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 2.7 mm. Whole body black, maxillary and labial palpi dark brown, mandibles brown, slightly paler distally. Antennomeres 1-2 brown, apex of antennomere 11 slightly paler, remaining antennomeres black-brown, legs yellow-brown.

Head wider than long (ratio 20: 17), very slightly narrowed posteriorly, posterior angles markedly rounded, bearing 2 long black bristles. Clypeus with a small depression medially. Between eyes 4 punctures, arranged in straight line, distance between medial punctures five times as large as distance between medial and lateral puncture. Eyes shorter than temples (ratio 6: 8), posterior angles bearing 1 corse puncture, temporal area impunctate. Surface lacks microsculpture.

Antennae long, slightly widened distally, reaching posterior fifth of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-4 and 11 longer than wide, antennomeres 5-6 as long as wide, antennomeres 7-10 slightly wider than long. Antennomere 1 twice longer than antennomere 11, antennomere 2 shorter than antennomere 3.

Pronotum highly convex, longer than wide (ratio 23: 19), parallel-sided, anterior angles bearing several short bristles, posterior angles markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with 6 approximately equidistant punctures, each sublateral row with 2 punctures, puncture 2 slightly shifted to the lateral margin. Surface lacks microsculpture.

Scutellum coarsely and densely punctate in the middle, diameter of punctures slightly larger than eye-facets, separated between punctures smaller than 1 puncture diameter in transverse direction.

Elytra as long as wide, slightly widened posteriorly. Punctation coarse and sparse, diameter of punctures larger than that on scutellum, separated by one and half or two puncture diameters. Surface lacks microsculpture; setation yellow-brown.

Legs. Metatarsus shorter than metatibia (ratio 11: 15), matatrsomere 1 as long as metatarsomere 5, as long as metatarsomeres 2-3 combined.

Abdomen wide, very gradually narrowed posteriorly, punctation at base of all tergites finer and denser than that on elytra, becoming finer and sparser towards posterior margin of each tergite. Surface lacks microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

E t y m o l o g y. The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic name of the African and Madagascarian Tomb bats Taphozous mauritianus GEOFFROY 1818.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s G. taphozous nov.sp. it differs from similar G. phelsuma by the narrower head and elytra and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Madagascar.