Octavius multisetosus, Janák, 2014

Janák, JiĜí, 2014, New species and subspecies of Octavius from South Africa, with a key and additional distribution records (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Euaesthetinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54 (1), pp. 195-231 : 214-216

Octavius multisetosus sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 42–45 , 54 )

Type locality. South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, Fort Fordyce NR, 32°40ƍS, 26°29ƍE.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: 3: ‘ SOUTH AFRICA, Eastern Cape, Fort Fordyce NR, indig. forest, 32°40ƍS, 26°29ƍE, sifting, 1.xii.2009, J. Janák lgt. // Octavius multisetosus sp. n., J. Janák det. 2011’ ( TMSA) . PARATYPES: 73312 ♀♀, same data as holotype (1 spec. in TMSA, 1 spec. in NMPC, 17 spec. in JJRC).

Description. Body length 1.9–2.5 mm (M 2.3 mm, HT 2.0 mm), forebody length 0.9–1.1 mm (M 1.0 mm, HT 1.0 mm). Macrophthalmous, apterous, reddish-brown, head dull, pronotum slightly shiny, elytra and abdomen moderately shiny.

Head distinctly narrower than pronotum (R 0.83–0.89, M 0.86, HT 0.88), eyes moderately large, temples less than twice as long as eyes (R 1.24–1.66, M 1.48, HT 1.42), straight, rounded posteriorly, median impression on disc absent, lateral parts of head moderately granulose, median part very densely and ¿nely reticulate.

Pronotum distinctly broader than long (R 1.14–1.23, M 1.18, HT 1.14), strongly narrowed posteriorly; anterior angles slightly angular, dorsal impressions shallow, transverse impression deep, lateral impressions deep and delimited by a sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; lateral parts beside lateral impressions densely granulose, remainder of surface ¿nely granulose, moderately densely and deeply reticulate.

Elytra subquadrate, much broader than long (R 1.48–1.64, M 1.57, HT 1.56), with a sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; irregularly granulate without distinct reticulation.

Male. Sternite 8 emarginate in posterior sixth ( Fig. 44 ), sternite 9 as in Fig. 45 . Aedeagus strongly sclerotised, (n = 5, length 0.56–0.61 mm, M 0.59 mm, HT 0.61 mm), with asymmetrical median lobe. Internal structure of aedeagus with a long, apically narrowed band with a ¿eld of short scales. Parameres enlarged apically, with numerous setae in apical part ( Fig. 42 ).

Variability. Apical part of aedeagus of most specimens with narrowed but broadly rounded prominence ( Fig. 42 ), in two specimens with sharp prominence apically ( Fig. 43 ).

Differential diagnosis. Octavius multisetosus sp. nov. belongs among species with large eyes, with the temples at most twice as long as eyes, with the head not or at most slightly widened posteriorly, with large body size and the disc of the head without a median impression. It is related to O. ndumu sp. nov., from which can be distinguished only by the aedeagus morphology – it is characterized by the median lobe markedly asymmetrical, with slender apically narrowed internal structure with a row of setae and apically widened parameres with several setae.

Etymology. This species is named after the multisetose parameres (multi + setosus = having many setae). Adjective.

Bionomics. All specimens have been found in siftings of forest litter among small roots at the base of large trees near a brook in indigenous forest.

Distribution. Octavius multisetosus sp. nov. is currently recorded only from Fort Fordyce NR in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It occurs at the same locality with O. bicurvatus sp. nov. ( Fig. 54 ).

Figures

Figs. 1-3. Habitus, males (paratypes). 1 – Octavius kogelbergensis sp. nov.; 2 – O. bicurvatus sp. nov.; 3 – O. multisetosus sp. nov. Abbreviations: MI – median impression, LI – lateral impression, TI – transverse impression, DI – dorsal impression, LR – lateral ridge.

Figs 42–47. 42–45 – Octavius multisetosus sp. nov., male. 42, 44, 45 – HT; 43 – PT. 46, 47 – O. sarkae sp. nov., HT male. 42 – aedeagus ventral; 43 – apical part of aedeagus ventral; 44, 46 – sternite 8; 45, 49 – sternite 9. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Figs. 54–59. Localities. 54 – Fort Fordyce NR; 55 – Kogelberg NR; 56 – Mkhambati NR, forest at Mkhambati river; 57 – Mkhambati NR, Vulture Forest; 58 – Kologha State Forest (with Petr Bulirsch at background); 59 – Table Mt. NP, Echo valley.