Octavius kogelbergensis, 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 : 203-204

Octavius kogelbergensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 17–19 , 55 )

Type locality. South Africa, Western Cape Province, Kogelberg NR, Oudebos Forest, 34°20ƍS, 19°00ƍE.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: 3: ‘ SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape, Kogelberg NR, Oudebos , 34°20ƍS, 19°00ƍE, indig. forest, sifting, 11.xii.2009, J. Janák lgt. // Octavius kogelbergensis sp. n., J. Janák det. 2011’ ( TMSA) . PARATYPES: 1133 11♀♀: same data as holotype (1 spec. in TMSA, 1 spec. in NMPC, 20 spec. in JJRC), 733 3♀♀: ‘South Africa, Western Cape, Kogelberg NR, Oudebos for., 34°20.1ƍ S,18°56.7ƍ E, 16.x.2013, J. Janák lgt. // Berlese extraction leaf & log litter sifting // Octavius kogelbergensis sp. n., J. Janák det. 2013’ ( JJRC, 233 not dissected, stored in 96% alcohol), 333 4♀♀: ‘South Africa, Western Cape Kogelberg NR, Platbos for., 34°20.0ƍ S,18°55.8ƍ E, 16.x.2013, J. Janák lgt. // Berlese extraction leaf & log litter sifting // Octavius kogelbergensis sp. n., J. Janák det. 2013’ ( JJRC).

Description. Body length 1.1–1.7 mm (M 1.4 mm, HT 1.3 mm), forebody length 0.55–0.65 mm (M 0.6 mm, HT 0.6 mm). Microphthalmous, apterous, rusty brownish to brownish, head and pronotum dull, elytra and abdomen moderately shiny.

Head slightly narrower than pronotum (R 0.90–0,95, M 0.93, HT 0,92), eyes small, temples slightly more than twice as long as eyes (R 2.00–2.70, M 2.28, HT 2.14), not or hardly arcuate widened towards posterior angles, posterior angles moderately angular, median impression on disc absent, lateral parts of head very ¿nely granulose, median part very densely and ¿nely reticulate.

Pronotum slightly broader than long (R 1.04–1.08, M 1.06, HT 1.05), strongly narrowed posteriorly; anterior angles obtuse, dorsal impressions moderately deep, transverse impression deep, lateral impressions deep, but not delimited by a sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; lateral parts beside lateral impressions densely granulose, remainder of surface very densely ¿nely reticulate.

Elytra subquadrate, much broader than long (R 1.29–1.46, M 1.37, HT 1.41), with a sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; between the latter and suture ¿nely sculptured and coarsely reticulate.

Male. Aedeagus small and wide (n = 5, length 0.23–0.28 mm, M 0.25 mm, HT 0.25 mm), slightly notched apically, internal structure long and narrow, slightly sclerotised; parameres wide, asymmetrical, with 3–5 apical setae, the left paramere shorter than the right ( Fig. 17 ). Sternite 8 moderately emarginate in posterior one-eightth ( Fig. 18 ), sternite 9 as in Fig. 19 .

Differential diagnosis. Octavius kogelbergensis 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 densely reticulate temples. It is related to O. adriani sp. nov., from which it can be distinguished externally by smaller size and shallower reticulate head and pronotum. Octavius kogelbergensis sp. nov. is externally similar also to O. pugionifer Puthz, 2006 , from which it differs by the absence of a narrow posteromedian impression of head. The aedeagus is similar to that of O. brincki ( Puthz, 1976) , but lateral sides of median lobe are not emarginate in posterior half, the parameres are longer and with diferent positioning and number of setae, sternite 8 is deeper emarginate on posterior margin. The new species differs from O. brincki externally by larger eyes and not distinctly widened head posteriorly of eyes.

Etymology. This species is named after the type locality (Kogelberg Natural Reserve, Western Cape). Adjective.

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

Distribution. Octavius kogelbergensis sp. nov. is currently recorded only from Oudebos and Platbos Forests in Kogelberg Nature Reserve in Western Cape Province, South Africa ( Fig. 55 ).

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. 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.

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.