Mentophilonthus hystrix, Hromádka, 2009

Hromádka, Lubomír, 2009, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Mentophilonthus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 49 (1), pp. 119-160 : 134-135

Mentophilonthus hystrix sp. nov.

( Figs. 43–48 )

Type locality. Namibia, Damaral Grootberg Pass.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁, ‘ Namibia, Damaral Grootberg Pass , 19′55″S 13′59″E, 16.ii.1975, E–Y: 669, elephant dung, leg. Endrödy–Younga // Mentophilonthus hystrix sp. nov. Hromádka, det., 2007 [red oblong printed label]’ ( TMNP) . PARATYPES: 8 spec., same label data as holotype ( TMNP, LHPC).

Description. Body length 6.4–6.8 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 2.2–2.6 mm.

Colouration. Head black; pronotum and scutellum black-brown; elytra dark brown, with suture narrowly darker, abdomen black-brown, maxillary and labial palpi brown, antennomere 1 and base of antennomere 2 brown-yellow, remaining antennomeres black-brown, femora yellow-brown, tibiae and tarsi somewhat darker.

Head wider than long (ratio 19: 12), posterior angles obtusely rounded. Eyes flat, longer than temples (ratio 7.5: 6.5). Anterior margin of each eye with one coarse puncture. Temporal area with several coarse setiferous punctures. Dorsal surface with fine, dense microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves.

Antennae reaching midlength of pronotum when reclined. Antennomere 1 twice as long as antennomere 2, antennomere 2 as long as antennomere 3, antennomeres 5–10 slightly transverse. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1 = 6; 2–3 = 3; 4–7 = 2.5; 8–10 = 2; 11 = 3.

Pronotum as long as wide, distinctly narrowed anteriad. Anterior angles with several black bristles of unequal length. Posterior margin continuously rounded with lateral margins. Each dorsal row with two punctures, each sublateral row with one puncture. Microsculpture similar as that on head. Lateral margins with one long black bristle in anterior third.

Scutellum with scattered very small punctures. Surface with distinct microsculpture, without setation.

Elytra combined wider than long (ratio 36: 33), hardly widened posteriad. Punctation consisting of tiny punctures with several larger intermixed punctures, with several larger punctures near scutellum and along suture. Longitudinal row of three coarser punctures situated at midwidth of each elytron. Surface without microsculpture and setation.

Legs. Metatibia slightly longer than metatarsus (ratio 19: 18), all tibiae with several brown bristles of unequal length. Metatarsomere 1 somewhat longer than metatarsomeres 2–3 combined, metatarsomere 5 shorter than metatarsomere 1. Relative lengths of metatarsomeres: 1 = 6; 2 = 3; 3 = 2.5; 4 = 2; 5 = 5.

Abdomen parallel-sided anteriorly, slightly narrowed from visible tergite III posteriad. First four visible abdominal tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines impunctate. Punctation of visible tergites very fine, sparser medially, diameter of punctures somewhat smaller than eye-facets, separated mostly by 2 puncture diameters in transverse direction.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–3 only weakly dilated, scarcely sub-bilobed, ventral side covered with modified pale setae, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 46 ), sternite IX ( Fig. 47 ), aedeagus ( Figs. 43–45 ).

Female. Protarsomeres 1–4 similar to those of male. Tergite X ( Fig. 48 ).

Differential diagnosis. Mentophilonthus hystrix sp. nov. may be distiguished from the most similar species M. tristichus by the longer and paler elytra, wider head and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

Etymology. The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic name of the African porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis Eters, 1852.

Bionomics. All specimens have been found in elephant dung.

Distribution. Namibia.

Figures

Figs. 39–48. 39–40 – Mentophilonthus dilutior (Bernhauer, 1928): 39 – female tergite X, dorsal view; 40 – gonocoxites of female genital segment. 41–42 – Mentophilonthus equus sp. nov.: 41 – female tergite X, dorsal view; 42 – gonocoxites of female genital segment. 43–48 – Mentophilonthus hystrix sp. nov.: 43–45 aedeagus (43 – ventral view, 44 – lateral view, 45 – underside of paramere with sensory peg setae); 46 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 47 – male sternite IX, ventral view; 48 – female tergite X, dorsal view.