Acylophorus hova, Janák, 2018

Janák, Jiří, 2018, Revision of the genus Acylophorus Nordmann, 1837 from Madagascar and Mascarene Islands (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Acylophorina), Zootaxa 4462 (2), pp. 151-191 : 168-170

Acylophorus hova sp. nov.

( Figs. 78 –92, 176)

Type locality. Madagascar, Ankarafantsika National Park , 16 18' 10.7", S 46 48' 47.1" E.

Type material. Holotype ♂: MADAGASCAR: “AKF/08/2011 MADAGASCAR NW,

ANKARAFANTSIKA N.P.; 23.iv.2011, S16°18’10.7‘‘E46°48’47.1‘‘; 81m, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., L.S.Rahanitriniaina & R.Raveloson lgt.”, „HOLOTYPUS Acylophorus hova sp. nov., J. Janák det. 2017” (MMBC).

Paratypes: 3 ♂: same data as holotype (2 ♂: MMBC, 1 ♂: JJRC) ; 4 ♂, 3 ♀: “AKF/05/2011 MADAGASCAR NW, ANKARAFANTSIKA N.P.; 23.iv.2011, S16°18’05.1‘‘ E46°49’08.3‘‘; 89m, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., L.S.Rahanitriniaina & R.Raveloson lgt. ” (2 ♂, 2 ♂: MMBC, 2 ♂, 1 ♀: JJRC) ; 1 ♀: “AKF/07/2011 MADAGASCAR NW, ANKARAFANTSIKA N.P.; 23.iv.2011, S16°18’07.8‘‘ E46°48’59.5‘‘; 79m, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., L.S.Rahanitriniaina & R.Raveloson lgt.” ( MMBC) ; 1 ♀: “AKF/09/2011 MADAGASCAR NW, ANKARAFANTSIKA N.P.; 23.iv.2011, S16°18’09.9‘‘ E46°48’39.3‘‘; 87m, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., L.S.Rahanitriniaina & R.Raveloson lgt.” ( MMBC) ; 1 ♀: “AKF/11/2011 MADAGASCAR NW ANKARAFANTSIKA N.P.; 24.iv.2011, S16°18’09.0‘‘ E46°48’55.6‘‘; 83m, sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extr., L.S.Rahanitriniaina & R. Raveloson lgt.” ( MMBC). All paratypes with additional label: „ PARATYPUS Acylophorus hova sp. nov., J. Janák det. 2017” .

Description. Body length 6.5–7.7 mm (M=7.0 mm, HT= 7.3 mm), forebody length 2.4–2.8 mm (M= 2.6 mm, HT= 2.7 mm). Body dark brown ( Fig. 78 ), pronotum reddish-brown with reddish margins, apical margin of elytra reddish-brown, abdominal tergites brown, markedly bluish iridescent; antennae brown with first segment almost completely and sometimes last 1–2 segments partly reddish; legs reddish, tarsi and maxillary palpi light reddish.

Head suboval ( Fig. 79 ), about as long as wide (L/W=0.94–1.05, M=0.98, HT=0.99), widened behind eyes, with two pairs of interocular setae. Temples markedly shorter than eyes (LT/LE=0.60–0.74, M=0.68, HT=0.60). Dorsal side of head shining, without micropunctures. Only sparse pale grey pubescence behind eyes. Four postocular setae visible on each side, additional seta on hind margin of eye absent. Mandibles with large teeth ( Fig. 80 ). Maxillary palpi with terminal segment wide and quite short, pubescent, asymmetric, as wide as or only slightly wider and longer than glabrous penultimate segment which is triangular ( Fig. 81 ). First segment of antenna slightly longer than next five; segments 1 to 4 elongate, segment 5 longer than wide (L/W=1.04–1.37, M=1.20, HT=1.38), segments 6 as long as wide, segments 7–9 transverse, segment 10 markedly transverse (R=0.73–0.83, M=0.77, HT=0.83).

Pronotum ( Fig. 79 ) slightly transverse (W/L=1.12–1.22, M=1.17, HT=1.17), markedly widened behind with sides slightly rounded, widest in basal half, shining, without micropunctures. One pair of dorsal setae and one pair of lateral setae. Marginal setae short. Elytra markedly transverse (R=1.42–1.74, M=1.53, HT=1.74) with short, pale, but not shining pubescence arising from dense aspirate punctures. Apical fringe of bristles slightly longer than pubescence on other parts of the elytra. Abdominal tergites with short, moderately dense pubescence, interstices in transverse direction on middle part of tergite IV about two times as large as diameter of punctures. Meso- and metatarsi with short empodial setae, shorter than claws ( Figs. 87, 88 ).

Male (n=5). Sternite 9 long and narrow ( Figs. 90 ), apex of tergite 10 narrowly rounded, with very long apical setae ( Fig. 89 ). Aedeagus ( Figs. 82–86 ) 0.76–0.85 mm long (M= 0.79 mm, HT= 0.78 mm). Parameres bilobed, lobes markedly separated, sensory pegs confusedly arranged in posterior quarter ( Fig. 86 ). Median lobe slightly overreaching paramere, apex narrowly rounded ( Figs. 84, 86 ).

Female. Posterior margin of tergite 10 pointed (Fig. 91), valves as in Fig. 92.

Differential diagnosis. Acylophorus hova sp. nov. is very similar to A. montanus sp. nov., but differs by wider pronotum, which is more widened behind, at most partly lighter last antennal segments, densely punctate abdomen, narrowely rounded apex of median lobe in males and pointed apical margin of tergite 10 in females.

Distribution. The new species is known only from Ankarafantsika in northern part of Central Madagascar ( Fig.176 ).

Bionomics. All specimens of Acylophorus hova sp. nov. were collected by siftings of forest litter.

Discussion. The new species shares very similar shape of aedeagus with Acylophorus montanus sp. nov. Originally I supposed that all the differences between the two species fell within an intraspecific variability of one species. However after examination of females, where significant difference between the shape of apical margin of tergite 10 was found, it became apparent that these are two different species. Later I found a few additional differencies in both sexes.

Figures

FIGURES 78–86. Acylophorus hova sp. nov., 78, 79, 85, 86, holotype; 80–84 paratypes. 78, habitus; 79, head and pronotum; 80, mandibles; 81, maxillary palpus; 82, 85, aedeagus lateral; 83, aedeagus ventro-lateral; 84, 86, aedeagus ventral. 85, 86, transmitted light. 82–86, same scale bars.

FIGURES 87–90. Acylophorus hova sp. nov., paratypes. 87, metatarsus lateral; 88, metatarsus dorsal; 89, male tergites 9, 10; 90, male sternite 9; 91, female tergites 9, 10; 92, valves. 87, 88, same scale bars.

FIGURES 172–177. Distribution maps. 172, Acylophorus tristis Jarrige; 173, A. derougemonti sp. nov.; 174, A. muscorum Jarrige; 175, A. delphinus Fauvel (D), A. madecassus sp. nov. (Ŧ); 176, A. minutus Jarrige (D), A. hova sp. nov. (Ɨ), A. montanus sp. nov. (Δ); 177, A. sogai Jarrige.