Acylophorus rossii Bordoni

Lott, Derek A., 2010, The species of Acylophorus Nordmann (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) in continental sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 2402, pp. 1-51 : 10-11

Acylophorus rossii Bordoni

( Figs 3 , 35 , 53 , 79 , 111 )

Acylophorus rossii Bordoni, 1994: 309 ; Herman, 2001: 3036.

Diagnostic characters. Bordoni’s description contains illustrations of the aedeagus, head, maxillary palpi and posterior tarsi in addition to a textual description of morphological features. The following section contains additional diagnostic features as well as variations exhibited by further specimens studied.

Length 7–8mm (The figure in the original description of 8.5 mm for overall body length does not agree with my own measurements of type material). Variable in colour. Head black. Pronotum dark brown to black, often with diffuse reddish margins. Elytra dark brown to black. Abdomen weakly iridescent. Legs pale. Antennae dark with base of segment I and sometimes segment XI pale. The terminal segment of the maxillary palpi is darker than the penultimate segment.

Head of average size (pronotum 1.7x wider than head), slightly transverse (1.05x wider than long) with rounded temples bulging behind relatively small eyes and antennal insertion right on front margin ( Fig. 3 ). Micro-punctures very sparse and confined to front of head and inside eyes. Dense short pubescence behind eyes. Two pairs of interocular setae. A line of five postocular setae plus an additional short seta on hind margin of eye. Right mandible with three medial teeth, but with middle tooth reduced; left mandible with two medial teeth ( Fig. 35 ). Maxillary palpi with terminal segment elongate and densely pubescent, more or less symmetric, longer than glabrous penultimate segment which is also elongate ( Fig. 53 ). First segment of antenna almost as long as next four. Segments I to VIII elongate, X transverse ( Fig. 79 ).

Pronotum only slightly transverse (1.1x wider than long) with rounded sides and widest in basal half. Shining with no micro-punctures. One pair of dorsal setae. One pair of lateral setae. Marginal setae shorter than in A. orientalis . Elytra transverse (1.55x wider than long) with pubescence arising from relatively fine asperate punctures. Marginal fringe of thick bristles about as long as the hairs on the rest of the elytra. Abdominal tergites with evenly spaced, relatively sparse asperate punctures and a marginal fringe of bristles similar to those on the elytra.

Paramere bilobed, lobes parallel and proximate, each lobe ridged, though not as strongly as in A. orientalis , pegs confusedly arranged along inner margins at apex ( Fig. 111 ). Median lobe longer than paramere with rather narrow, spoon-shaped apex.

Type material. Paratype 3: “S. Leone W. Area Regent Rossi lg 20.xii.92 / PARATYPUS Acylophorus rossii sp. n. Bordoni det. 1992” (cBord).

This species was given the manuscript name, A. natalensis , by Bernhauer. Types were labelled accordingly, but he never published a description.

Further material examined. SIERRA LEONE: Northern Province: near Bumbuna, W Rossi, 29. ii.1992, 1 (cBord); Kambai / Binkolo, W Rossi, 16.ii.1993, 132Ƥ (cBord & cLott); Binkolo / Kamabesi, W Rossi, 13. i.1997, 5 (cBord); Southern Province: Tiwai Island, W Rossi, 8. x.1989, 13 (cBord); Western Area: Picket Hill, W Rossi, 1. xi.1995, 10 (cBord); Regent, W Rossi, 31.iii–11. iv.1996, 18 (cBord); York, W Rossi, 18. xii.1992, 13 (cBord). SOUTH AFRICA: Natal, no date, Sharp collection, 131Ƥ ( BMNH & FMNH).

Distribution and bionomics. Probably widespread in continental Africa having been found in South Africa and Sierra Leone, but so far unknown from in between and collected less frequently than A. orientalis and A. nitens ( Fig. 141 ). There are long series of specimens taken from several localities in Sierra Leone, where it has been found in marshes and river margins ( Bordoni, 1994).

Comparative notes. Ve ry similar to A. nitens but distinguished by the smaller eyes in front of more pronounced temples and the more slender and separated lobes of the paramere in the aedeagus. There are also subtle differences in the shape of the medial teeth of the mandibles, but it is not known how much these might be subject to intraspecific variation.

Figures

FIGURE 141. Distribution of species in the Acylophorus orientalis group = A. nitens new species, = A. rossii Bordoni, = A. capensis Cameron, = A. dankalensis Bordoni).

FIGURES 1 – 8. Forebodies of species in the Acylophorus orientalis group. 1, A. orientalis Fauvel; 2, A. nitens new species; 3, A. rossii Bordoni, 4. A. bumbunae Bordoni; 5, A. capensis Cameron; 6, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 7, A. tshuapensis new species; 8, A. makhoreae new species.

FIGURES 33 – 41. Mandibles of Acylophorus species. 33, A. orientalis Fauvel; 34, A. nitens new species; 35, A. rossii Bordoni, 36, A. capensis Cameron; 37, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 38, A. makhoreae new species; 39, A. antennalis Cameron (RD Congo); 40, A. antennalis Cameron (R Congo); 41, A. collarti Cameron.

FIGURES 51 – 76. Terminal segments of the maxilliary palpi of Acylophorus species. 51, A. orientalis Fauvel; 52, A. nitens new species; 53, A. rossii Bordoni, 54, A. bumbunae Bordoni; 55, A. capensis Cameron; 56, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 57, A. tshuapensis new species; 58, A. makhoreae new species; 59, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 60, A. antennalis Cameron; 61, A. collarti Cameron; 62. A. micans new species; 63, A. allardi Levasseur; 64, A. congoensis Cameron; 65, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 66, A. mareei Bernhauer; 67, A. salifi new species; 68, A. lomaensis Levasseur; 69. A. minor new species; 70, A. trigonocephalus Cameron; 71, A. setiger new species; 72, A. usambarae Bernhauer; 73, A. grandis Bernhauer; 74, A. bafutensis Levasseur; 75, A. kambuiensis Bordoni, 76. A. lualabaensis Levasseur.

FIGURES 77 – 96. Antennae of Acylophorus species. 77, A. orientalis Fauvel; 78, A. nitens new species; 79, A. rossii Bordoni, 80, A. bumbunae Bordoni; 81, A. capensis Cameron; 82, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 83, A. tshuapensis new species; 84, A. makhoreae new species; 85, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 86, A. antennalis Cameron; 87, A. collarti Cameron; 88. A. micans new species; 89, A. allardi Levasseur; 90, A. congoensis Cameron; 91, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 92, A. mareei Bernhauer; 93, A. methneri Bernhauer; 94, A. salifi new species; 95, A. lomaensis Levasseur; 96. A. minor new species.

FIGURES 109 – 116. Aedeagi of species in the Acylophorus orientalis group. 109, A. orientalis Fauvel; 110, A. nitens new species; 111, A. rossii Bordoni, 112. A. bumbunae Bordoni; 113, A. capensis Cameron; 114, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 115, A. tshuapensis new species; 116, A. makhoreae new species.