Octavius zulu, 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 : 204-206

Octavius zulu sp. nov.

( Figs 20–22 )

Type locality. South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Province, Ngome Forest, 27°50ƍS, 31°24ƍE.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: 3: ‘ SOUTH AFRICA, [KwaZulu-Natal Province]:ZuluDrakensbg., Ngome Forest Res., 27.50 S – 31.24 E, sifted forest lit., 26.ii.1997 E-Y: 3289, leg. Endrödy-Younga // Octavius zulu sp. n., J. Janák det. 2009’ ( TMSA) . PARATYPES: 7332 ♀♀: same data as holotype (6 spec. in TMSA, 3 spec. in JJRC).

Description. Body length 1.4–1.7 mm (M 1.5 mm, HT 1.4 mm), forebody length 0.7 mm (M 0.7 mm, HT 0.7 mm). Microphthalmous, apterous, light rusty brownish, tergites 7 and 8 sometimes darker, head dull, pronotum, elytra and abdomen moderately shiny.

Head slightly narrower than pronotum (R 0.87–0.93, M 0.89, HT 0.94), eyes small, temples about three times as long as eyes (R 2.79–3.32, M 2.98, HT 2.79), slightly arcuate, widened towards posterior angles, posterior angles moderately angular, median impression between disc and base of the head narrow, long and distinct, lateral parts as well as median part of head very densely and ¿nely reticulate and very ¿nely granulose.

Pronotum slightly to moderately broader than long (R 1.07–1.16, M 1.11, HT 1.13), strongly narrowed posteriorly; anterior angles slightly angular, dorsal impressions moderately deep, transverse impression deep, lateral impressions deep, delimited by a ¿ne longitudinal ridge laterally; lateral parts beside lateral impressions densely granulose, remainder of surface very irregularly ¿nely granulate.

Elytra subquadrate, much broader than long (R 1.44–1.47, M 1.47, HT 1.47), with a sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; surface longitudinally slightly undulate, irregularly ¿nely granulate.

Male. Aedeagus ( Fig. 20 ) moderately long (n = 7, length 0.40–0.43 mm, M 0.42 mm, HT 0.40 mm), apex of the median lobe asymmetrical, curved. Parameres distinctly shorter than median lobe, bearing 3 long apical setae. Sternite 8 moderately emarginate in posterior one sixth ( Fig. 21 ), sternite 9 as in Fig. 22 .

Differential diagnosis. Octavius zulu sp. nov. belongs among species with small eyes, with temples less than three times as long as eyes, with the head not or at most slightly widened posteriorly, and granulose temples. It is related to O. deceptor Puthz, 2006 , from which it can be distinguished by distinct median longitudinal impression on the disc and ¿ner granulate lateral parts of the disc of head.

Etymology. This species is named after the tribe Zulu , which inhabit the area where the type locality is situated.

Bionomics. All specimens have been found in siftings of forest litter in indigenous forest.

Distribution. Octavius zulu sp. nov. is currently recorded only from Ngome Forest in Kwa- Zulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The species O. dentipenis Janák, 2007 , and O. sp. cf. zulu sp. nov. (see below), occur at the same locality as O. zulu .

Figures

Figs. 17–22. 17–19 – Octavius kogelbergensis sp. nov., HT male. 20–22 – O. zulu sp. nov., HT male. 17, 20 – aedeagus ventral; 18, 21 – sternite 8; 19, 22 – sternite 9. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.