Thyreocephalus pilosus ( Roth, 1851 )

Janák, Jiří & Bordoni, Arnaldo, 2015, Revision of the genus Thyreocephalus and description of Afrus gen. nov. of Africa south of the Sahara (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Zootaxa 4038 (1), pp. 1-94 : 23-26

Thyreocephalus pilosus ( Roth, 1851)

( Figs. 29 , 45–50 )

Xantholinus pilosus Roth 1851: 118 .

Eulissus pilosus ; Eppelsheim 1895: 208; Bernhauer 1912b: 478; Bernhauer & Schubert 1914: 311; Tottenham 1956: 224, 255; Herman 2001: 3628.

Thyreocephalus pilosus ; Cameron, 1950: 33.

Type locality. Ethiopia.

Type material examined. Lectotype (by present designation) ♂: ETHIOPIA: “ Abyssinia ”, “ Type von Xantholinus pilosus Roth ”, “ Thyreocephalus pilosus (Roth) , J. Janák det. 1992”. The specimen is chosen as lectotype. The labels “ Lectotypus Xantholinus pilosus Roth, Janák & Bordoni des. 2014” and “ Thyreocephalus pilosus (Roth) , Janák & Bordoni det. 2014” were added to this specimen.

Additional material examined. CAMEROON: 1 ♀: Joko, Colin ( JJRC). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 3 spec.: Zaire, Umg. Lwiro, iii.1985, W. Banyw'ne ( SMNS, ABFI, DEI); 1 spec.: Kivu, Masisi ( IRSNB); 1 ♀: Lulua, Kapanga, i.1933, G. F. Overlaet ( MRAC). ERITREA: 4 spec.: Adua, xi ( NHMW, MFNB); 1 spec.: Adua, vi ( MFNB); 16 spec.: Adua ( FMNH, MFNB, NHMW, NMHP, ABFI, JJRC); 3 spec.: Erythrée ( IRSNB); 1 spec.: Asmara ( MFNB). ETHIOPIA: 16 spec.: Abyssinien ( MFNB, DEI, ABFI, IRSNB, NHMW); 1 spec.: Abyssinia, Dr. Hofmann ( NHMW); 1 spec.: Lac Daka, 14.iii.1914 ( JJRC); 1 spec.: Abyssinie cent., Maraco ( JJRC); 1 spec.: Arussi Galla, Ganale Gudda, iii–v.1893,V. Bottego ( MCSNG); 1 spec.: Illubabor Prov., Umgebung Bedele, iv.1994, Werner ( DEI); 1 spec.: Grambela, Illubabor, 5.v.2001, Werner & Sudre ( DEI); 1 ♂: Jimma, Kaffa prov., vii.1971, G. de Rougemont ( GROB). UGANDA: 1 spec.: without additional data ( NMPC); 1 spec.: Uganda Central, Ch., i–ii.1909, Alluaud ( NMPC); 3 spec.: Victoria Nyanza, Arcipelago di Sesse, Bugala, 1908, E. Bayon ( MCSNG, ABFI).

Cited material (not examined). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Parc Nat. Albert-Rutshuru ( Cameron, 1950). RWANDA: terr. Nyanza, Gitarama, 1850 m ( Tottenham, 1956).

Redescription. Body length 14–18 mm; length from anterior margin of head to posterior margin of elytra: 8–9 mm. Head and pronotum black, elytra yellowish, with scutellum and adjacent area infuscate, almost black; metasternum black, abdomen yellowish with tergites 3 and 4 almost completely brown black; first visible sternite at least partly black; antennae brown dark; legs brown black. Shiny, very robust and large. Head and pronotum with very fine micro-punctation. Head and pronotum and related punctation as in Fig. 45 ; labrum as in Fig. 46 . Elytra sub-quadrate, as long and wide as pronotum, with slightly rounded sides and less marked humeral angles. Surface with very sparse punctation, arranged in three series, one near suture, one median and one lateral. Abdomen with transverse micro-striation and very fine and sparse punctation, arranged in some series, more dense on the sides.

Male. Lateral parts of temples with series of moderately coarse punctures. Tergite 10 and sternite 9 of male genital segment as in Figs. 47, 48 . Aedeagus ( Fig. 49, 50 ) elongate, 1.7 mm long, with dilated median lobe; parameres symmetrical; inner sac very narrow, tube-like, covered with small spinulae.

Female. Lateral parts of temples impunctate or at most with few fine punctures.

Differential diagnosis. Thyreocephalus pilosus differs from the most similar T. brunneiventris ( Tottenham, 1956) and T. secretus ( Tottenham, 1956) in the abdomen with at least partly black first visible sternite and by the apically broadly rounded median lobe of the aedeagus.

Distribution. The species is distributed in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda ( Fig. 29 ). The identification of specimens cited from Rwanda has to be confirmed.

Remarks. As the superior line of pronotal hypomeron is turning downwards well before middle, joining or almost joining inferior line next to front margin of procoxae and continuing onto anterior margin of pronotum, the species was transferred from Eulissus to Thyreocephalus .

Figures

FIGURE 29. Distribution of species in Thyreocephalus pilosus group (● = T. africanus (Bernhauer), Δ = T. brunneiventris (Tottenham), ▲ = T. pilosus (Roth), ☆ T. pseudoafricanus sp. nov., ○ = T. secretus (Bernhauer), ★ = T. tsingidianus sp. nov.).

FIGURES 45 – 50. Thyreocephalus pilosus (Roth); 45, head and pronotum; 46, labrum; 47, male tergite 10; 48, male sternite 9; 49, aedeagus; 50, paramere.