Paraploderus wittei, Makranczy, 2016

Makranczy, György, 2016, Review Of The Genus Paraploderus Herman, 1970 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 62 (1), pp. 59-116 : 88-90

Paraploderus wittei sp. n.

(Figs 1–9, 48–52, 91)

Typematerial – Holotype (m): D. R. CONGO: ParcNationalUpemba, Mabwe [rive Est du lac Upemba, 08°39‘S, 26°31‘E], 585 m, 6.III.1949, leg. G.F. De Witte (2417) tamisage humus humide ( MRAC) ; Paratypes (28): same data as holotype (13, MRAC, 7, BMNH, 1, FMNH, 1, NHMW, 1, CNCI, 1, SMNS, 1, MHNG, 1 f, ISNB, 1, AMNH, 1, HNHM) .

Description – Measurements (in mm, n = 10): EW = 0.55 (0.51–0.59); TW = 0.51 (0.46– 0.55); PW = 0.55 (0.51–0.58); SW = 0.61 (0.56–0.66); AW = 0.69 (0.64–0.74); HL = 0.34 (0.32– 0.37); EL = 0.15 (0.14–0.16); TL = 0.09 (0.08–0.10); PL = 0.38 (0.35–0.40); SL = 0.58 (0.54–0.63); SC = 0.54 (0.50–0.59); FB = 1.36 (1.26–1.46); BL = 2.72 (2.46–3.00). Habitus as in Fig. 91 . Body almostunicolorousdarkbrown, headdarker, blackishbutclypeuslighter. Legs, antennae andmouthpartsmediumbrown, middleofantennasometimesdarker, apicesofmandiblesinfuscate. Epistomalsutureandbasalridgesoftergitesmarkedasthinblackishline. Head transversewithroundedtemplessignificantlynarrowerthaneyes. Clypeusalmost unpunctured, onlyfeebletracesofmicrosculptureandunevennesslaterallyonsurface. Epistomalsutureposteriortoimaginarylineconnectingsupraantennalprominences. Medialportionofoccipitalgroovemoreorlessstraight, neckmediallyshiny, laterallywith tracesofcoriaceousmicrosculpturewithisodiametriccells. Middleofvertexunpunctured; punctationconfinedtogroovesandneartemples, postocularridgethinandinconspicuous. Faintlongitudinalimpressionsrunningonbothsidesofvertexfromepistomalsuturetooc- cipitalgroove, becomingmoremarkedposteriorly. Headsurfaceotherwiseshiny, without microsculpture. Pronotum withcomplete, thinmarginalbead. Surfaceshiny, withoutany microsculpturebutmuchmorestronglypuncturedthanhead, indefinite-bordered, mostly ratherlargepits (slightlyumbilicate) almosteverywhereonsurfaceexceptalongmidline andnarrowlyalongposteriormargin. Longitudinalmidlinemarkedinposterior 1/2. On both sides of midline middle of disc strongly impressed to the middle of sides. Elytra with discmoreorlessflat, twoverythinandshallowlongitudinalimpressionsalongsuturebehindscutellum, anteriorhalfofdiscgentlyimpressedinmiddle. Epipleuralridgepresent onalmostentirelength. Thinmarginalbeadwithobscureconnectiontoepipleuralridge continuingalongposteriormargin, notreachingsuturalcorner, slightlycurvinganteriorly beforeit. Alongsutureveryfinemarginalbeadonlyconspicuousbecauseofdarkercolour. Elytralpunctationmostlyrathershallow, butnotobscuredbyothersculpture, moreorless equallyspaced, moderatelysparse, missingonathin, slightlyelevatedstripealongsuture. Abdomen shinyandsmoothwithonlytinyinsertionpointsofsetaeandextremelyfaint coriaceousmicrosculpturewithisodiametriccells. MalesterniteVIIIasinFig. 50, aedeagus asinFigs 48–49, femalesterniteVIIIasinFig. 51, spermathecaasinFig. 52.

Figs 48–52. Paraploderus wittei sp. n. 48 = aedeagus, lateral view, 49 = aedeagus, frontal view (parameral setation shown on left), 50 = sternite VIII, male, 51 = sternite VIII, female, 52 = spermatheca. Scales: 0.1 mm for Fig. 52, 0.135 mm for Figs 48–49, 0.27 mm for Figs 50–51.

Distribution – ThespeciesisknownfromonlyonelocalityintheD.R. Congo.

Etymology – NamedafterGaston- FrançoisdeWitte (1897–1980), ichtyologistand herpetologistwhoworkedbothinMRACandISNB, andwasheadofthescientificsection intheInstitutionofNationalParksinBelgianCongoin 1937–1951.

Remarks – Theoriginalmaterialcontainedafragmentary‘ paratype’ whichwasclearedandmountedonmicroscopicslide; theillustrationplates withmouthpartsandgeneral (head, pronotum) morphologyarebasedonthis specimen, butthespecimenof Paraploderusgrandis usedinthephylogenetic analysis ( MAKRANCZY 2006), wasalsochecked (onlysketchesmade).

Figures

Figs 91–93. Habitus of Paraploderus species. 91 = P. wittei sp. n., 92 = P. malgaceus sp. n., 93 = P. goergesae sp. n.