Philonthus graphiurus, Hromádka & L, 2011

Hromádka, L. & L, Sierra, 2011, Two new species of the genus Philonthus from the Afrotropical region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 43 (2), pp. 1345-1350 : 1347-1348

Philonthus graphiurus nov. sp. (Figs 5-8, Map 1 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: "République Centrafricante, Bozo, lumiére, 21.v.1981, leg., N. Degallier // Philonthus graphiurus sp.nov. Hromádka, det. 2011" ( NMPC).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 12.5 mm. Coloration: head black, pronotum and abdomen brown-orange, posterior margin of all tergites narrowly paler, scutellum and elytra orange-brown, maxillary and labial palpi and antennomeres 1-2 yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres and mandibles brown-yellow, legs yellow-brown.

Head wider than long (ratio 48: 35), parallel-sided. Posterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing several short black bristles. Four punctures between eyes arranged in straight line, distance between medial punctures five times as large as distance between medial and lateral puncture. Eyes flat, longer than temples (ratio 15: 13), whole temporal area with many varying large punctures. Surface with very fine microsculpture, consisting of transverse waves.

Left antenna only with 8 antennomeres, right antenna only with 7 antennomeres, rest of antennae of the holotype are missing. Antennomeres 1-5 longer than wide, antennomeres 6-8 as long as wide, antennomere 2 slightly shorter than antennomere 3.

Pronotum highly convex, wider than long (ratio 54: 48), anterior angles conspicuously deflexed, vaguely rectangularly rounded, posterior angles markedly rounded. Very slightly narrowed anteriad. Each dorsal row with four fine punctures, punctures 2-4 equidistant, distance between punctures 1-2 smaller than distance between previous punctures. Each sublateral row with 2 very fine punctures, puncture 2 distinctly shifted to the lateral margin. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on elytra.

Scutellum very finely punctured, diameter of punctures as large as eye-facets, separated by one puncture diameter or smaller here and there.

Elytra wider than long (ratio 60: 57), parallel-sided. Punctation very fine and dense. Diameter of punctures slightly larger than on scutellum, separated by one puncture diameter, or slightly smaller. Surface without microsculpture; setation brown-yellow.

Legs. Metatibia shorter than metatarsus (ratio 30: 36), metatarsomere 1 longer than metatarsomere 5, as long as metatarsomeres 2-3 combined.

Abdomen wide, parallel-sided, first three visible tergites with 2 basal lines, elevated area

between lines impunctate. Punctation at base of all tergites finer than on elytra, becoming sparser towards posterior margin of each tergite. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 distinctly dilated and sub-bilobed, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Sternite IX (Fig. 8), aedeagus (Figs 5-7).

Female. Unknown.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Philonthus graphiurus nov.sp. may be distinguished from the similar P. dionysiae LEVASSEUR 1962 by the smaller size and shorter elytra.

E t y m o l o g y: The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic name of the African Huet´s dormouse Graphiurus hueti ROCHENBRUNS 1893.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Central Republic of Africa.

Figures

Map 1: Distributions of Philonthus dionysiae LEVASSEUR ♣, P. graphiurus nov.sp. V, P. merops nov.sp. O.