Ambohitantella, Hlaváč, Peter & Nakládal, Oto, 2016

Hlaváč, Peter & Nakládal, Oto, 2016, The Pselaphinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) of Madagascar. VI. Description of Ambohitantella banari gen. et sp. n. with notes on Nearticerodes Jeannel, 1954 and Triceratomerus Jeannel, 1960, Zootaxa 4189 (1), pp. 183-188 : 184

Ambohitantella gen. nov.

( Figs. 1, 4–5 )

Diagnosis. Body length 1.55-1.60 mm, head slightly narrower than pronotum, head and pronotum lacking foveae and sulci, antennae 3-segmented, terminal segment pedunculate in basal half, strongly expanded in apical half, elytra lacking foveae and striae with well-defined trichome near posterior corners. Abdomen slightly longer than elytra, composite tergite (IV–VI) glabrous, with deep transversal impression, lacking trichomes.

Description. Body ( Fig. 1 ) entirely yellowish-brown. Length 1.55–1.60 mm.

Head widest across eyes, about as long as wide, head capsule glabrous, with sparse puncturation on rostrum, neck region nude, eyes laterally prominent, rostrum short, clearly longer then temples, obtuse, slightly rounded, temples convergent, slightly longer than length of eyes, frontal and vertexal foveae absent. Venter of head glabrous, gular part large, rectangular, tentorial pits well-separated.

Antennae long, with three antennal segments, scapes and pedicels small, semi-equal in length, scapes hardly visible dorsally, terminal segment pedunculate in basal half and strongly clavate at apex, slightly convex at apical margin, more than 6 times as long as pedicel.

Pronotum as long as wide, slightly longer than head, glabrous, with fine sparse puncturation, lacking foveae, carinae or sulci. Prosternum smooth in middle, slightly rough on sides, hypomera not separated by hypomeral carina, procoxae joint. Mesoventrite short, considerably shorter than metaventrite, meso and metaventrite fused, both with wrinkle microsculpture on sides, mesocoxae separated by thin isthmus, disc of metaventrite convex, posterior part in front of posterior metaventral process with semicircular impression, posterior metaventral process large, slightly concave, metacoxae largely separated.

Elytra about 1.50 times wider than long and longer than pronotum, glabrous, with very fine puncturation, lacking foveae and carinae, posterior corners with long, macrosetae-like trichome, humeri rounded with welldefined humeral calli.

Abdomen slightly longer than elytra, composite tergite (IV–VI) glabrous, lacking pubescence, with deep transversal impression, lacking trichomes, with three visible paratergites, first paratergites with well-developed trichome. Second visible sternite (IV) much longer than first (III) and more than 1.50 times longer than third (V), with short median keel and basolateral foveae.

Legs long and slender, midlegs strongly modified in males, mesofemora with short spine, mesotibiae longly curved bearing preapical spur.

Aedeagus ( Figs 4–5 ) symmetrical, parameres fused to median lobe, basal bulb elongate, distinctly longer and well-delimited from shorter and at apex narrow and truncate apical lobe, dorsal diaphragm large, oval.

Sexual dimorphism. Midlegs in females unmodified, mesotibiae straight, slightly expanded posteriad, femora lacking spine, mesotibiae lacking apical spur.

Etymology. Locotypic, named after Ambohitantely Special Reserve where the type species was collected. Gender feminine.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Ambohitantella banari gen. et sp. nov. Hlaváč & Nakládal, male: 1, habitus, dorsal view; 4, aedeagus, dorsal view; 5, aedeagus, lateral view; Nearticerodes laevis Raffray, male: 2, habitus, dorsal view; Triceratomerus sparsepunctatus Jeannel, male: 3, habitus, dorsal view; 6, aedeagus, dorsal view; 7, aedeagus, lateral view.