Mentophilonthus reinecki ( Schubert, 1902 ) 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 : 144-146

Mentophilonthus reinecki ( Schubert, 1902) comb. nov.

( Figs. 73–80 )

Philonthus (Philonthus) reinecki Schubert, 1902: 405 .

Type locality. Republic of South Africa, Natal, Pietermaritzburg.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁, ‘Natal, Pietermaritzburg [blue, oblong label, handwritten]’ ( ZMHB).

Additional material examined. KENYA: 1 spec., ‘ Taita distr., 30.v.–2.vi.1994 ’ ( MZSF) . NAMIBIA: 5 spec., ‘ 15. iv.1993, 18°37´S / 16°49´E, Etosha NP 25 km ; 5 spec., 15.iv.1993 / 18°37´S /16°, NWN Namutoni, elephant dung, leg. B.+ M. Uhlig’ ( ZMHB, LHPC). REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: 3 spec., ‘ 5.ii.1994, 28°02´S / 32°05´E ; Natal : Hluhluwe NP: elephant dung, leg. M. Uhlig’ ( ZMHB, LHPC) ; 14 exs, ‘ 31.xii.1998, Kruger NP: Skukuza , elephant dung, ex sample No. 2, leg. C. Paetel’ ( ZMHB, LHPC) ; 2 spec., ‘ 2.–3.i.1999, Kruger NP., Skukuza, ex zebra dung, ex sample No. 6/ C.Paetel’ ( LHPC) ; 2 exs, ‘ Little Karroo Swartberg Pass , 700m, 26.x.1993, 33.23 S– 22.07 E, Endrödy-Younga’ ( TMNP) .

Redescription. Body length: 8.3–10.8 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 4.0– 4.6 mm.

Colouration. Head black, clypeus along anterior margin and antennal sockets very narrowly reddish-yellow, labrum brown-yellow, mandibles black, pronotum black-brown to chestnut brown, elytra black-brown to brown with suture, epipleura and posterior margin of elytra narrowly yellow-brown, abdomen black-brown, posterior margin of all tergittes narrowly paler. Palpi and antennae brown-black to brown-yellow, antennomeres 1–2 somewhat paler, medial surface of all tibiae vaguely infuscate.

Head suborbicular, slightly wider than long (ratio 29: 25), distinctly widened posteriad, posterior angles entirely rounded, each with one long black bristle. Eyes considerably large, flat, longer than temples (ratio 13: 7). Anterior margin of each eye with one coarse puncture. Posterior margin of each eye with three coarse punctures arranged in transverse row. Dorsal surface with fine microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves and numerous microscopic dots.

Antennae reaching midlength of pronotum when reclined. Antennomere 1 inconspicuously longer than antennomeres 2–3 combined, antennomere 11 about half as long as antennomere 1. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1 = 9; 2 = 4.5; 3 = 4; 4–7 = 3.5; 8–10 = 3; 11 = 4.5.

Pronotum somewhat longer than wide (ratio 41: 39), posterior angles entirely rounded. Each dorsal row and each sublateral row with one puncture. Lateral margins each with one long dark bristle in anterior half. Surface with very fine and dense microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves.

Scutellum sparsely punctate, punctures slightly smaller than eye-facets. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head. Setation black.

Elytra combined somewhat wider than long (ratio 52: 46), widened posteriad. Punctation fine and dense, punctures as large as eye-facets, punctures separated by 1.5 puncture diameters in transverse direction. Longitudinal row of four coarse punctures situated at midwidth of each elytron. Posterior angles of elytra each with one long black bristle. Surface between punctures without distinct microsculpture; setation yellowish-brown.

Legs. Metatibia almost as long as metatarsus. Metatarsomere 1 somewhat longer than metatarsomeres 2–3 combined, metatarsomere 5 somewhat shorter than metatarsomeres 3–4 combined. Relative lengths of metatarsomeres: 1 = 9.5; 2 = 5; 3 = 4; 4 = 3.5; 5 = 7.

Abdomen elongate, slightly narrowed posteriad. First four visible tergites of abdomen with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines very sparsely punctate. Punctation of all visible tergites very fine and sparse, punctures as large as eye-facets, separated by two puncture diameters in transverse direction; setation brown.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–3 strongly dilated, sub-bilobed, densely covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 distinctly narrower than preceding ones. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 77 ), sternite IX ( Fig. 78 ), aedeagus ( Figs. 73–76 ).

Female. Protarsomeres 1–3 much less dilated than those in male, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones, only protarsomeres 1-3 bearing modified pale setae ventrally. Tergite X ( Fig. 80 ), gonocoxites of female genital segment ( Fig. 79 ).

Differential diagnosis. Mentophilonthus reinecki is very similar to M. odzalaensis , from which it may be distinguished by the somewhat denser punctation of the elytra, yellow-brown lateral margins of the elytra and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

Bionomics. Several specimens have been found in elephant and zebra dung.

Distribution. Kenya, Namibia, Republic of South Africa (this paper); Tanzania ( HERMAN 2001).

Figures

Figs.69-80. 69–72 – Mentophilonthus odzalensis Levasseur, 1965: 69–72 – aedeagus (69 – lateral view, 70 – ventral view, 71 – ventral view, without paramere, 72 – underside of paramere).73–80 – Mentophilonthus reinecki (Schubert, 1902): 73–76 – aedeagus (73 – ventral view, 74 – lateral view, 75 – ventral view, without paramere, 76 – underside of paramere with sensory peg setae); 77 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 78 – male sternite IX, ventral view; 79 – genocoxites of female genital segment; 80 – female tergite X, dorsal view.