Kenyacus berndi, Kataev, 2019

Kataev, Boris M., 2019, A review of the Afrotropical genus Kenyacus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini) from the Rwenzori Mountains, with description of seven new species, Zootaxa 4679 (3), pp. 463-498 : 478-482

Kenyacus berndi sp. n.

( Figs 30 , 40–46 , 51b )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, “ UGANDA, Western Region, Kasese District, 12 km NWW Nyakalengija, Rwenzori Mts. National Park, main trail from John Matte Hut to Nyabitaba Hut, 0°22.801’N 29°56.711’E, accuracy 6 m, extent 15 m, h = 3241 m, Erica , Hypericum , bushes and grass, sifting leaf litter [3594] [Garmin 60CSx; WGS84] V.I. Gusarov 17.viii.2008 U160” ( ZMUN).

Paratypes: 1 ♂, “ UGANDA, Western Region, Kasese District, 15 km NWW Nyakalengija, Rwenzori Mts. National Park, env. of John Matte Hut , 0°23.189’N 29°55.307’E, accuracy 11 m, extent 100 m, h = 3447 m, Erica forest, sifting leaf litter [3566] [Garmin 60CSx; WGS84] V.I. Gusarov 12.viii.2008 U133” ( ZMUN) ; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, “ UGANDA, Western Region , Kasese District, 13.5 km NWW Nyakalengija, Rwenzori Mts. National Park , env. of John Matte Hut, 0°23.038’N 29°55.801’E, accuracy 7 m, extent 15 m, h = 3427 m, Erica forest, sifting leaf litter [3555] [Garmin 60CSx; WGS84] V.I. Gusarov 11.viii.2008 U123” ( ZMUN, ZIN) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, “ UGANDA, West- ern Region, Kasese District, 13.5 km NWW Nyakalengija, Rwenzori Mts. National Park , env. of John Matte hut, 0°23.001’N 29°55.774’E, accuracy 6 m, extent 20 m, h = 3421 m, Erica forest with mixed vegetation below, sifting leaf litter [3553] [Garmin 60CSx; WGS84] V.I. Gusarov 10.viii.2008 U121” ( ZMUN, ZIN)

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Description (5 males and 3 females measured). Habitus as in Fig. 30 . Body length 3.6–4.0 mm, width 1.6–1.8 mm.

Colour: Body brown to dark brown, dorsal surface slightly shiny, ventral surface paler than dorsal, but three basal abdominal sternites usually clearly infuscate; base of mandibles, labrum, clypeus, lateral margins of pronotum and elytra, as well as elytral suture light brown or brownish yellow; palpi, antennae and legs brownish yellow; antennae more or less markedly infuscate from antennomere 2 or 3.

Head: Comparatively large, in males HWmax/PWmax 0.72–0.77 (m = 0.75), HWmin/PWmax 0.64–0.67 (m = 0.66); in females these indices respectively 0.73–0.76 (m = 0.74), and 0.65–0.66 (m = 0.66). Eyes with large facets, very slightly convex, HWmax/HWmin 1.10–1.16 (m = 1.14) in males and 1.11–1.15 (m = 1.13) in females, separated from buccal fissure at distance of width of antennomere 1. Tempora short, about quarter or third as long as eye, slightly convex or somewhat flat. Frons and vertex convex. Fronto-clypeal suture distinct, superficial or only slightly impressed. Supraorbital setigerous pore located at level of posterior margin of eye, removed from supraorbital furrow at a distance of length of antennomere 2. Labrum almost straight anteriorly. Clypeus with slightly prominent apical angles and almost straight apical margin between them. Mentum and submentum fused, submentum with two setae on each side. Mandibles medium-sized; left mandible evenly bent in apical portion, with acute apex. Dorsal microsculpture in both sexes distinct throughout, similar to that of K. parvus sp. n., consisting of isodiametric meshes. Antennae in both sexes slightly surpassing basal edge of pronotum, with antennomeres 7–9 slightly longer than wide; in female antennae slightly shorter than in male, with slightly shorter and wider antennomeres.

Pronotum: Slightly transverse, PWmax/PL 1.32–1.39 (m = 1.36), widest at the end of anterior third, markedly narrowed posteriorly, PWmax/PWmin 1.26–1.37 (m = 1.32); lateral seta inserted slightly before widest point. Sides rounded anteriorly, without distinct border, in most specimens almost straightly converging from widest point to basal angles, occasionally very shallowly sinuate in basal half. Apical margin arcuately emarginate; apical angles projecting ahead, acute, with tip blunted or very narrowly rounded. Basal margin very slightly narrower than apical margin and noticeably narrower than elytral base, moderately or somewhat deeply emarginate; both apical and basal margins not bordered. Basal angles right or acute, blunted or narrowly rounded at tip, more or less markedly projecting posteriorly. Disc moderately convex, more strongly sloped to apical angles, slightly depressed basally and flattened at basal angles, forming latero-basal depressions not distinctly delimited from other parts of disc. Lateral depressions beginning from apical angles as narrow furrows, slightly widened in basal half, reaching basal margin. Basal fovea very shallow or slightly deepened, reaching basal pronotal edge, usually fused with lateral depression along pronotal base and separated from it by small convexity anteriorly. Surface of pronotum impunctate. Anterior transverse depression variable, usually distinct and long, slightly deepened. Median line thin, superficial, usually reaching apical and basal margins of pronotum. Microsculpture distinct throughout, similar to that of K. parvus sp. n. ( Fig. 16 ), consisting of large isodiametric meshes along basal and apical margins and of finer, slightly transverse meshes on remaining surface.

Elytra: Oval, slightly widened posteriorly, widest just behind middle, in males EL/EW 1.32–1.42 (m = 1.37), EL/PL 2.42–2.55 (m = 2.50), EW/PWmax 1.31–1.42 (m = 1.35); in females these indices respectively 1.35–1.40 (m = 1.37), 2.49–2.57 (m = 2.54), and 1.35–1.38 (m = 1.36). Humeri slightly prominent, evenly rounded at tip. Preapical sinuation very shallow; as in most other species, in many specimens sides in apical fifth rather sharply curved inside and then almost straightly converging to apex. Sutural angle in both sexes more or less narrowly rounded at tip; occasionally apex of sutural angle only slightly blunted. Basal edge slightly or moderately sinuate, somewhat widely arcuately curving inside humerus up to lateral margin or forming with lateral margin a very obtuse angle. Lateral gutter distinct, narrow along entire length. Elytral disc convex in lateral and caudal views. Striae thin, impunctate, faintly crenulate, slightly crenulate, impressed along entire length, their bases removed from basal elytral border. Parascutellar setigerous pore present, large. Parascutellar striole highly reduced, in many specimens absent. Intervals slightly convex, almost not narrowed posteriorly; intervals 2 and 3 almost parallel-sided or slightly widened at apex; interval 3 without discal pore. Microsculpture distinct throughout, similar to that of K. parvus sp. n. ( Fig. 20 ), consisting of transverse meshes.

Ventral surface of thorax and abdomen, and legs similar to those in K. parvus sp. n.

Male genitalia: Median lobe ( Figs 40, 42 ) stout, moderately or rather strongly arcuate in lateral view, with large basal bulb; in dorsal view wide, somewhat sharply narrowed distally in apical quarter or fifth. Terminal lamella in lateral view short, straight, without apical capitulum; in dorso-caudal view comparatively narrow, narrowly rounded at apex and with straight or slightly rounded sides ( Fig. 41 ). Internal sac without any sclerotic elements, apical folding spiny patch comparatively short, not reaching basal bulb.

Female genitalia: Very small ( Figs 43–46 ); laterotergite (hemisternite) more or less symmetrical, wide, membranous apically, without setae and spines. Basal stylomere elongate, with few very short and fine setae apically. Apical stylomere curved, slightly shorter than basal stylomere, with short thick seta at ventral edge of outer margin and with moderately wide base in ventral view; in lateral view narrowed distally, with blunted apex ( Fig. 43–45 ).

Etymology. The species is named after my colleague and friend Bernd Jaeger (Berlin), an excellent specialist on the Stenolophina carabid beetles.

Distribution ( Fig. 51b ). This new species is known from the middle part of the Bujuku Valley up to the vicinity of John Matte Hut at altitudes of 3241–3447 m in the south-eastern part of the Rwenzori Mountains, where it occurs sympatrically with K. parvus sp. n., K. gusarovi sp. n., and K. pusillus sp. n.

Bionomics. According to the label data, specimens were collected by sifting leaf litter in Erica and Hypericum forest, in some localities with pronounced bush and herbaceous layers ( Fig. 94 ).

Comparison. In appearance K. berndi sp. n. is very similar to the sympatric K. parvus sp. n., but distinctly differs from the latter species in smaller body size (length 3.6–4.0 mm versus 4.1–4.7 mm) and much shorter elytra in relation to pronotum (EL/PL 2.42–2.57 versus 2.59–2.87) ( Fig. 30 ). In addition, K. berndi sp. n. also differs from K. parvus sp. n. in having eyes, on average, less convex; supraorbital setigerous pore located more anteriorly; antennae with shorter and wider antennomeres 7–9; and pronotum in most specimens with deeper emargination on apical and basal margin, and with sharper, rectangular or acute, basal angles. There are also distinct differences in the genitalia of males and females: median lobe of K. berndi sp. n. in dorsal view ( Fig. 40 ) is wider, more sharply narrowed distally and with more narrowly rounded apex; internal sac is with much shorter apical folding spiny patch, not reaching basal bulb; and apical stylomere ( Figs 43–46 ) is less elongate, with wider base and blunted apex. Compared to the two other sympatric species, K. berndi sp. n. is much smaller than K. gusarovi sp. n. (length 4.5–4.6 mm) and larger than K. pusillus sp. n. (length 3.2–3.6 mm). The latter species is also markedly distinguished from K. berndi sp. n. by pronotum with more widely rounded basal angles and with more or less straight basal margin.

Figures

FIGURE 51. Kenyacus, distribution. a, K. trechoides sp. n.; b, K. berndi sp. n.; c, Kenyacus sp.

FIGURE 94. Erica belt in vicinity of John Matte Hut (ca. 3400 m) near the type localities of K. gusarovi sp. n. and K. parvus sp. n. Habitat of K. gusarovi sp. n., K. parvus sp. n. and K. berndi sp. n. Photo: Vladimir Gusarov.

FIGURES 30, 31. Kenyacus, habitus. 30, K. berndi sp. n. (holotype); 31, K. trechoides sp. n. (holotype). Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 32–49. Kenyacus. 32–39, K. parvus sp. n. (32–34, holotype; 35–37, paratype, loc. U160; 38, 39, paratype, loc. U121); 40–46, K. berndi sp. n. (40–42, holotype; 43, 44, paratype, loc. U121; 45, 46, same, loc. U123); 47–49, K. trechoides sp. n. (holotype). 32, 35, 40, 47, median lobe, dorsal view; 34, 37, 42, 49, same, lateral view; 33, 36, 41, 48, apex of median lobe, dorso-caudal view; 38, 43, 45, stylus, lateral view; 39, 44, 46, laterotergite and stylus, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 14–21. Kenyacus, microsculpture (14–17, male pronotal; 18–21, male elytral). 14, 18, K. ruwenzorii (Alluaud, 1917); 15, 19, K. gusarovi sp. n.; 16, 20, K. parvus sp. n.; 17, 21, K. angustatus sp. n. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.