Gabrius chrysochloris, Hromádka, 2014

Hromádka, L., 2014, Five new species of the genus Gabrius from Afrotropical region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Philothina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 46 (1), pp. 695-702 : 695-696

Gabrius chrysochloris nov.sp. ( Figs 1-3)

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d Holotype:, Ethiopia: Bale, 8 km W of Dinshu, 0706N. 3944E, 3050m. xii.1971, // Holotypus Gabrius chrysochloris nov.sp. Hromádka det., 2014, [red oblong label printed], (NMPC).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 5.8 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra 3.0 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Head black, pronotum and scutellum dark brown, abdomen slightly paler, posterior margin of all tergites narrowly brown-yellow, maxillary, labial palpi, antennomere 1 and base of antennomere 2 brown-yellow, remaining antennomeres black. Femora and tarsi brown, tibiae darker.

Head wider than long (ratio 27: 23), parallel-sided, posterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing several varying long bristles. Between eyes four coarse punctures, medial punctures distinctly shifted anteriad. Distance between medial punctures five times larger than distance between medial and lateral puncture. Clypeus with a large rounded depression medially. The interocular punctures consist of four punctures on each side arranged in a square like the four on gaming disc. Eyes small, more than twice shorter than temples (ratio 5: 11), posterior margin with one coarse puncture, temporal area with several coarse punctures. Surface with microsculpture consisting of transverse waves.

Antennae long, reaching posterior margin of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-3 and 11 distinctly longer than wide, antennomeres 4-5 slightly longer than wide, antennomeres 6-7 as long as wide, antennomeres 8-10 wider than long. Antennomere 1 longer than antennomere 11, antennomere 3 as long as antennomere 2.

Pronotum longer than wide (ratio 25: 22), parallel-sided, anterior angels obtusely rounded bearing several varying long bristles, posterior angles markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with six punctures, punctures 2-6 equidistant, distance between punctures 1-2 larger than distance between previous punctures. Each sublateral row with two punctures, puncture two shifted to the lateral margin. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum densely and coarsely punctured, diameter of punctures larger than eye-facets, separated mostly by one puncture diameter. Surface without microsculpture; setation dark.

Elytra as long as wide, very slightly widened posteriad. Punctation fine and dense, diameter of punctures slightly larger than that on scutellum, separated smaller than one puncture diameter. Surface without microsculture; setation dark.

Legs. Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 21: 15), metatarsomere 1 as long as metatarsomere 5 and as metatarsomeres 2-3 combined.

Abdomem wide, from visible tergite III gradually narrowed posteriad. First three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines finely pnctate. Punctation at base of all tergites slighly finer than that on elytra. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

D i f f e r e n t i a l d i a g n o s i s Gabrius chrysochloris nov.sp. may be distinguished from a similar G. elephantulus nov.sp. by the paler pronotum and abdomen, denser punctation and narrower elytra and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

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

E t y m o l o g y: The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic of the African Cape golden mole Chrysochloris asiatica LINNAEUS 1758.