Semiclaviger strunci, Hlaváč & Rakotondravelo, 2024

Hlaváč, Peter & Rakotondravelo, Miderah, 2024, The Pselaphinae of Madagascar. IX. New species of the genus Semiclaviger Wasmann, 1893 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Clavigeritae), Zootaxa 5471 (2), pp. 293-296 : 294

Semiclaviger strunci sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–3 )

Material studied. Holotype: ♂ MADAGASCAR: two labels “MADAGASCAR EST / Marojejy / Rée. Nat. Int. XII” [white, printed], “1300 M / 8-XII-1972 / A. PEYRIERAS” [white, printed] ( MHNG) . Paratypes. 3♂♂: same data as for holotype ( MHNG, PCPH) .

Diagnosis. Body limuloid, entirely glabrous with long setae and strong punctation; antennae tetramerous, antennomeres 1–3 minuscule, not visible dorsaly, antennomere 4 about four times as long as wide; posterior elytral margin with trichome, basal transverse basin interrupted by shallow lateral keels; mesotibia with miniscule preapical spur; aedeagus elongate, lacking internal sclerites, basal bulb and distal lobe subequal in length, with round dorsal diaphragm.

Description. Body ( Fig. 1 ) limuloid; length 1.65–1.75 mm, maximum width in posterior corners of elytra, 0.88–0.90 mm; uniformly reddish-brown, entirely glabrous, shiny, with strong, dense punctation on head, pronotum and elytra; with long, unevenly distributed setae on head, pronotum, elytra and paratergites.

Head capsule (visible part in dorsal view) transverse, about twice as wide as long, neck region completely inserted into pronotum, not visible dorsaly; eyes strongly projecting laterad, bisected into two parts by ocular canthi. Venter of head glabrous, head divided by occipital constriction into larger head capsule and short gular plate, gular plate lacking tentorial pits.

Antenna tetramerous, scape and pedicel minuscule, subequal in length, antennomere 3 slightly longer, weakly separated from antennomere 4, antennomeres 1–3 completely hidden in large antennal cavity, antennomere 4 longest, about four times as long as wide, cylindrical, slightly bent outwards, apex truncate, with dense setation.

Pronotum strongly divergent posteriad, more than twice as long as head capsule, about 2.50–2.60 times as wide as long; with large median, posterior lobe, lateral corners sharp, lacking foveae or carinae, scutellum not visible.

Elytra slightly convergent posteriad; about 1.50–1.60 times as wide as long and 1.62–1.72 times as long as pronotum; with sharp humeral tooth; with well-defined trichomes on posterior margin located laterad.

Venter entirely glabrous, shiny; procoxal cavities confluent; mesoventrite very short, fused with metaventrite, mesocoxae well-separated, isthmus slightly narrower than half of diameter of mesocoxae; metaventrite large, much wider than long, glabrous, on sides with sparse, fine setae, with triangular median depression, metacoxae widely separated by wide, short, slightly concave posterior metaventral process.

Abdomen smooth, lacking punctation, about as long as elytra, only composite tergal plate visible dorsally, slightly convergent posteriad, with basal transverse basin interrupted by shallow lateral keels bearing few setae opposite to elytral trichomes. First visible sternite (III) about 0.7 times as long as second (IV), second with two basolateral foveae, third (V) about as long as first (III), all sternites glabrous and with long lateral setae, pygidium small, ovoid.

Legs short, femur clavate, ventral part of femur with deep channel for accomodation of tibia (interlocking ridge), tibia stick-like, about as long as femur, with long apical setae, mesotibia with minuscule preapical spur.

Aedeagus about 0.36 mm long, elongate, about twice as long as wide; basal bulb and distal lobe well-separated, distal lobe about 1.05–1.10 times as long as basal bulb; endophallus lacking sclerites; dorsal diaphragm round.

Sexual dimorphism. Female unknown, but it is very likely that mesotibia of females will lack minuscule, preapical spur.

Host ant. unknown

Etymology. Patronymic, named after my good friend and the publisher of entomological books, Vladimír Štrunc, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech Republic.

Distribution. North Madagascar (Marojejy National Park).

Remarks. Semiclaviger strunci and S. sikorae share a similar, limuloid body shape which easily separates them from all other clavigerines. However they are separated by more morphological characters. S. strunci is readily separated from S. sikorae by (1) larger body, over 1.6 mm (max 1.3 mm for S. sikorae ), (2) strongly punctate dorsum of the body (smooth for S. sikorae ), (3) minuscule preapical spur on mesotibia (long, sharp spur on mesotibia for S. sikorae ) and (4) different structure of the aedeagus.

Figures

FIGURE 1–3. Semiclaviger strunci sp. nov. 1. Male, total dorsal view. 2. Aedeagus, dorsal view. 3. Aedeagus, lateral view. 4. Distribution of Apoderiger. Scale bar 1.0 mm.