Paulianidia densepunctata Janák & Baňař, 2024

Janák, Jiří & Baňař, Petr, 2024, Four new species and new records of the genus Paulianidia of Madagascar (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Zootaxa 5428 (2), pp. 253-268 : 254-256

Paulianidia densepunctata Janák & Baňař , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–8 , 121 )

Type locality. Madagascar, Ambohitantely Special Reserve

Type material. Holotype ♂: MADAGASCAR: “ABT/ Nov.2011 /11 MADAGASCAR, AMBOHITANTELY Spec. Res.; 1497 m, S18°10’52.2” E 47°17’22.5; 18.xi.” // “2011; sifting forest litter, Winkler app. extraction; L.S. Rahanitriniaina lgt.” // “ HOLOTYPUS Paulianidia densepunctata sp. nov., Janák & Baňař det. 2023” ( MMBC) .

Description: Body length 6.4 mm, forebody length 3.6 mm. Dark brown, abdomen dark reddish brown, legs, mouthparts and antennomeres reddish brown ( Fig. 1 ).

Head ( Fig. 2 ) moderately convex, a quarter longer than wide (W/L = 1.23). Surface with moderately fine and very dense punctures and with very small interstices. Eyes small, temples about 1.4 times as long as eyes (R = 1.42). Temples markedly roundly narrowed posteriorly. Antennae long and slender, fifth antennomere about 1.3 times as long as wide (L/W = 1.32), tenth antennomere slightly transverse (L/W = 0.89).

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) egg-shaped, moderately convex, with shallow basal impressions, about 1.1 times as long as wide (L/W = 1.13) and slightly narrower than head (PW/HW = 0.94). Sides slightly roundly widened posteriorly. Surface with moderately fine and very dense punctures and with very narrow, hardly visible interstices, similar as on head, punctation less dense along very narrow, in anterior part of pronotum at most one puncture wide unpunctured midline.

Elytra ( Fig. 2 ) elongate with very slightly rounded sides, distinct depression along suture in first quarter behind scutellum, markedly flattened along suture, about 1.1 times longer than wide (R = 1.15). Surface with raised, dense, granular sculpture. Interstices shining, without microsculpture.

Abdomen ( Fig. 1 ) slightly widened to segment V, very finely and densely punctured. Interstices on average about 1.5 times larger than diameter of punctures, surface less shining, with distinct microsculpture of transverse fields. Tergite VII with distinct membranous fringe apically.

Male. Posterior margin of sternite VII with very short almost invisible middle projection ( Fig. 7 ), sternite VIII with long triangular emargination in posterior third ( Fig. 8 ). Aedeagus ( Figs. 4–6 ) moderately long and slender, less than 1 mm long (AL = 0.91 mm). Median lobe in ventral view with wide middle part and moderately wide subrounded apex.

Female unknown.

Differential diagnosis. The new species is arranged in a group of the species with raised, granular punctured elytra together with P. nigra Lecoq, 2008 , P. marojejy Lecoq, 2008 and P. densipennis Jarrige, 1978 . P. densepunctata Janák & Baňař , sp. nov. differs from P. marojejy by larger eyes and rounded temples, from P. nigra by much densely and coarsely punctate and less anteriorly narrowed pronotum, from P. densipennis (only in female hitherto known) by larger body, larger eyes and head slightly wider than pronotum. The aedeagus of the new species is slender than that of P. marojejy (cf. Fig. 84 ) and not divided in two projections apically, slightly similar to P. nigra (cf. Figs. 87–91 ), but much more slender and in details different.

Etymology. The name refers to the densely punctured elytra.

Distribution. Paulianidia densepunctata Janák & Baňař , sp. nov. is currently recorded only from the Ambohitantely Special Reserve in the northern central part of Madagascar ( Fig. 121 ).

Bionomics. The type was sifted from forest litter.

Figures

FIGURES 1–18. 1–8: Paulianidia densepunctata sp. nov., holotype: 1, habitus; 2, forebody; 3, outer part of left elytron; 4–6, aedeagus (4, ventral; 5, 1/3 lateral; 6, lateral); 7, male sternite VII; 8, male sternite VIII. 9–18: P. hova Lecoq, paratypes: 9–14, 16–17; specimen from Ranomafana: 15, 17; 9, habitus; 10, forebody; 11–15, aedeagus (11, 14–15, ventral; 12, 1/3 lateral; 13, lateral); 16, male sternite VII; 17, posterior part of male sternite VII; 18, male sternite VIII. Scales 1 mm: 1–2, 9–10; 0.5 mm: 4–6, 7–8, 11–18; scale 0.1 mm: 3.

FIGURES 116–122. 116–120: Paulianidia steineri Lecoq, Andasibe: 116–118, aedeagus (116, ventral; 117, 1/3 lateral; 118, lateral); 119, male sternite VII; 120, male sternite VIII. Scale 0.5 mm: 116–120. 121: Distribution of P. densepunctata sp. nov., (rhombus), P. valohoaka sp. nov. (star), P. tanala sp. nov. and P. vohimana sp. nov. (rectangle). 122: Distribution of Paulianidia species in Madagascar.

FIGURES 68–91. 68–70: Paulianidia ikoka Lecoq, holotype: 68, aedeagus, ventral, transmitted light; 69, male sternite VII; 70, male sternite VIII. 71–72: P. itremo Lecoq, holotype: aedeagus ventral (71 ex Lecoq 2008: 3D). 73–77: P. ivohibensis Lecoq, Ranomafana: 73–75, aedeagus (73, ventral; 74, 1/3 lateral; 75, lateral); 76, male sternite VII; 77, male sternite VIII. 78–82: P. janaki Lecoq, paratype: 78–80, aedeagus (78, ventral; 79, 1/3 lateral; 80, lateral); 81, male sternite VII; 82, male sternite VIII. 83–84: P. marojejy Lecoq, holotype: 83, habitus; 84, aedeagus, ventral. 85: P. microptera Lecoq, holotype, aedeagus ventral. 86: P. minima Lecoq, holotype, habitus. 87–91: P. nigra Lecoq, holotype: 87–89, aedeagus (87, ventral; 88, 1/3 lateral; 89, lateral); 90, male sternite VII; 91, male sternite VIII. Scales 1 mm: 83, 86; 0.5 mm: 68–70, 71–72, 73–77, 78–80, 81–82, 84–85, 87–89, 90–91.