Acylophorus bumbunae Bordoni

Lott, Derek A., 2010, The species of Acylophorus Nordmann (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) in continental sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 2402, pp. 1-51 : 11-12

Acylophorus bumbunae Bordoni

( Figs 4 , 54 , 80 , 112 )

Acylophorus bumbunae Bordoni, 1994: 311 ; Herman, 2001: 3027.

Diagnostic characters. Bordoni’s description contains illustrations of the aedeagus, head, maxillary palpi and posterior tarsi in addition to a textual description of morphological features. Note, however, that the illustration of the aedeagus in Bordoni (1994) is incorrectly labelled. Fig. 9 in that work shows the aedeagus of A. bumbunae , not fig. 8. The following section contains additional diagnostic features.

Length 7mm. Head black. Pronotum dark brown to black, often with diffuse reddish margins. Elytra dark brown to black. Abdomen weakly iridescent. Legs pale. Antennae dark with base of segment I and sometimes segment XI pale. The terminal segment of the maxillary palpi is darker than the penultimate segment.

Head of average size (pronotum 1.7x wider than head), more or less as long as wide with rounded temples bulging behind relatively small eyes and antennal insertion right on front margin ( Fig. 4 ). Micro-punctures very sparse and confined to front of head and inside eyes. Dense short pubescence behind eyes. Two pairs of interocular setae. A line of five postocular setae plus an additional short seta on hind margin of eye. Maxillary palpi with terminal segment elongate and densely pubescent, more or less symmetric, longer than glabrous penultimate segment which is also elongate ( Fig. 54 ). First segment of antenna longer than next three. Segments I to VIII elongate ( Fig. 80 ).

Pronotum slightly transverse (1.15x wider than long) with rounded sides and widest in basal half. Shining with sparse, but evenly distributed micro-punctures. One pair of dorsal setae. One pair of lateral setae. Marginal setae shorter than in A. orientalis . Elytra strongly transverse (1.7x wider than long) with pubescence arising from relatively fine asperate punctures. Apical fringe of thick bristles about as long as the hairs on the rest of the elytra. Abdominal tergites with evenly spaced, relatively sparse asperate punctures and a marginal fringe of bristles similar to those on the elytra.

Paramere bilobed, lobes parallel and well separated, slightly converging toward apex, each lobe keeled as in A. orientalis , pegs confusedly arranged along inner margins at apex ( Fig. 112 ). Median lobe not longer than paramere, barely expanded but strongly flattened at apex.

Type material. Holotype 3: “ SIERRA LEONE Northern Province near Bumbuna 12.v. 91 W. Rossi / Laboulbeniales n. 1646 Walter Rossi / HOLOTYPUS / HOLOTYPUS Acylophorus bumbunae sp. n. Bordoni det. 1992” (cBord).

Distribution and bionomics. Only known from three specimens collected in dead leaves on the banks of the River Seli in Sierra Leone ( Bordoni, 1994) ( Fig. 142 ).

Comparative notes. Very similar to A. rossii . The external differences given by Bordoni (1994) include the larger eyes, the more transverse pronotum and elytra, but these characters can be difficult to appreciate, given that the differences are small and that comparison of these particular characters is difficult, unless specimens are set perfectly during their preparation. The significant difference between the two species occurs in the form of the aedeagus. The illustration accompanying the original description exaggerates certain features. Fig. 112 is redrawn from the holotype. The important features are the relatively short median lobe in comparison with the paramere and its flattened apex.

Figures

FIGURE 142. Distribution of species in the Acylophorus orientalis group = A. bumbunae Bordoni, = A. tshuapensis new species, = A. makhoreae new species).

FIGURES 1 – 8. Forebodies of species in the Acylophorus orientalis group. 1, A. orientalis Fauvel; 2, A. nitens new species; 3, A. rossii Bordoni, 4. A. bumbunae Bordoni; 5, A. capensis Cameron; 6, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 7, A. tshuapensis new species; 8, A. makhoreae new species.

FIGURES 51 – 76. Terminal segments of the maxilliary palpi of Acylophorus species. 51, A. orientalis Fauvel; 52, A. nitens new species; 53, A. rossii Bordoni, 54, A. bumbunae Bordoni; 55, A. capensis Cameron; 56, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 57, A. tshuapensis new species; 58, A. makhoreae new species; 59, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 60, A. antennalis Cameron; 61, A. collarti Cameron; 62. A. micans new species; 63, A. allardi Levasseur; 64, A. congoensis Cameron; 65, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 66, A. mareei Bernhauer; 67, A. salifi new species; 68, A. lomaensis Levasseur; 69. A. minor new species; 70, A. trigonocephalus Cameron; 71, A. setiger new species; 72, A. usambarae Bernhauer; 73, A. grandis Bernhauer; 74, A. bafutensis Levasseur; 75, A. kambuiensis Bordoni, 76. A. lualabaensis Levasseur.

FIGURES 77 – 96. Antennae of Acylophorus species. 77, A. orientalis Fauvel; 78, A. nitens new species; 79, A. rossii Bordoni, 80, A. bumbunae Bordoni; 81, A. capensis Cameron; 82, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 83, A. tshuapensis new species; 84, A. makhoreae new species; 85, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 86, A. antennalis Cameron; 87, A. collarti Cameron; 88. A. micans new species; 89, A. allardi Levasseur; 90, A. congoensis Cameron; 91, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 92, A. mareei Bernhauer; 93, A. methneri Bernhauer; 94, A. salifi new species; 95, A. lomaensis Levasseur; 96. A. minor new species.

FIGURES 109 – 116. Aedeagi of species in the Acylophorus orientalis group. 109, A. orientalis Fauvel; 110, A. nitens new species; 111, A. rossii Bordoni, 112. A. bumbunae Bordoni; 113, A. capensis Cameron; 114, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 115, A. tshuapensis new species; 116, A. makhoreae new species.

FIGURES 9 – 17. Forebodies of species in the Acylophorus densipennis group. 9, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 10, A. antennalis Cameron; 11, A. collarti Cameron; 12. A. micans new species; 13, A. allardi Levasseur; 14, A. congoensis Cameron; 15, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 16, A. mareei Bernhauer; 17 A. methneri Bernhauer.