Philonthus galago, Hromádka, 2010

Hromádka, Lubomír, 2010, A revision of the Afrotropical species of the Philonthus arrowianus species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 50 (1), pp. 131-144 : 137-138

Philonthus galago sp. nov.

( Figs. 15–24 )

Type locality. Republic of South Africa, Natal, Underberg-Mkomazana Lodge 1400-1800 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘RSA-Natal, 11.ii.2001, 29°37´S- 29°25´E, Underberg-Mkomazana Lodge 1400- 1800m, Dr. R. Fencl lgt. // Holotypus Philonthus galago sp. nov. Hromádka, det. 2009 [red oblong printed label]’ ( NMPC). PARATYPES: REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♀, same data as in holotype ( JJRC). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: 2 ♀♀, Congo, Kundelungu, N. P., 6.iii.1950, N. Leleup ( LHPC). MALAWI: 2 ♀♀, 1J, North.Reg. Nyika Plateau, Chelinda 2300m, 1.-21.xii.1981, R. Jocqué ( MRAT). ZAMBIA: 1J, Lusaka, vii.1985, M. Burda lgt. ( LHPC). All paratypes with red printed label.

Description. Body length 11.2–11.9 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 5.9– 6.3 mm.

Colouration. Head, pronotum, scutellum and abdomen black, elytra carmine, elytral suture, shoulders and posterior margin narrowly black, maxillary and labial palpi dark brown, terminal palpomere of both palpi vaguely paler, mandibles and antennae black, base of antennomere 2 brown-yellow. Legs black-brown, tarsomeres 4–5 of meso- and metatarsus brown-yellow.

Head quadrate, as long as wide, parallel-sided behind eyes, posterior angles obtusely rounded. Eyes flat, shorter than temples (ratio 11: 16). Four punctures between eyes, distance between medial interocular punctures about four times the distance between medial and lateral interocular puncture. Four smaller punctures arranged in a straight line near postero-median angle of each eye. Temporal area with several punctures of variable size. Surface without microsculpture.

Antennae long and slender, reaching posterior fourth of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1–8 and 11 longer than wide, antennomeres 9–10 as long as wide. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1 = 11; 2 = 8; 3–8 = 5; 9–10 = 4; 11 = 6.5.

Pronotum longer than wide (ratio 44: 40), inconspicuously narrowed anteriad. Anterior angles almost rectangular, posterior angles markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with five more or less equidistant punctures. Each sublateral row with two punctures, puncture 1 on the same level as puncture 3 of dorsal row. Surface without microsculpture.

Middle portion of scutellum coarsely and densely punctate, lateral portions impunctate. Punctures larger than eye facets, distances between punctures very small. Setation long and black.

Elytra combined as long as wide, indistinctly widened posteriad, coarsely and densely punctate, punctures similar to those on scutellum, separated by one puncture diameter in transverse direction. Surface between punctures without microsculpture; setation long and brown-yellow.

Legs. Metatatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 36: 34). Metatarsomere 1 somewhat longer than metatarsomere 5, relative lengths of metatarsomeres: 1 = 11; 2 = 6; 3 = 5; 4 = 4; 5 = 10.

Abdomen slightly narrowed anteriad and posteriad from visible tergite V. First four visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines very sparsely punctate. Base of all tergites more densely punctate than elytra, punctation becoming distinctly sparser towards posterior margin of each tergite. Surface without microsculpture.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–3 strongly dilated, sub-bilobed, each densely covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 small and heart-shaped. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 18 ), sternite IX ( Fig. 19 ), aedeagus ( Figs. 15–17, 22–24 ).

Female. Protarsomeres 1–3 less dilated than in male, protarsomere 4 small, only protarsomeres 1–3 bearing modified pale setae ventrally. Tergite X ( Fig. 20 ), gonocoxite of female genital segment ( Fig. 21 ).

Differential diagnosis. Philonthus galago sp. nov. may be distinguished from the similar P. meges by shorter eyes and antennae, wider elytra and a different shape of the aedeagus.

Etymology. The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the generic Latin name of the African Senegal Bushbaby Galago senegalensis E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1796.

Distribution. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Zambia, Republic of South Africa (Natal).

Figures

Figs 15–29. Philonthus species. 15–25 – P. galago sp. nov. (15–21 – Republic of South Africa, 22–24 – Malawi). 15 – aedeagus, ventral view; 16 – aedeagus, lateral view; 17 - apex of paramere with sensory peg setae; 18 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 19 – male sternite IX, ventral view; 20 – female tergite X, ventral view; 21 – gonocoxite of female genital segment; 22 – aedeagus, ventral view; 23 – aedeagus, lateral view; 24 – apex of paramere with sensora peg setae. 25–29 – P. meges Tottenham, 1949 (25 – aedeagus, ventral view; 26 – aedeagus, lateral view; 27 – apex of paramere with sensory peg setae; 28 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 29 – male sternite IX, ventral view).