Parasthetops benefossus, Perkins, 2008

Perkins, Philip D., 2008, Facial affect recognition in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis, Zootaxa 1864, pp. 1-124 : 26-27

Parasthetops benefossus new species

( Figs. 31 , 32 , 97 )

Type Material. Holotype (male): South Africa: Western Cape Province, Wiedouw farm, river stones, 31° 43' S, 18° 43' E, 19 August 1983, Endrödy­Younga (#1945). Deposited in the TMSA . Paratypes (4): Western Cape Province, Stellenbosch, Krom River, NIWR­ERS 3A, river, 33° 54' S, 18° 51' E, 8 January 1953, collector unknown (3 AMG); Wiedouw farm, river stones, 31° 43' S, 18° 43' E, 19 August 1983, Endrödy­ Younga (#1945) (1 TMSA) .

Differential Diagnosis. Distinguished from other members of the genus by the combination of very large and deep foveae of the head and pronotum, the elytral intervals 3, 5, and 7 costate, the subrugose clypeus and frons, and the microreticulate dorsum ( Fig. 31 ). The very complex aedeagus can only be superficially compared with that of P. reflexus or perhaps P. parallelus ( Figs. 32, 33, 35 ), both of which are very different from P. benefossus in body form and dorsal sculpture. The deep pronotal foveae and elytral structure somewhat recall Pterosthetops impressus Perkins & Balfour­Browne , but the head, ventral characters, aedeagus, and other characters show the generic separation.

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 1.95/0.72; head 0.34/ 0.46; pronotum 0.44/0.58; elytra 1.15 /0.72. Dorsum dark brown (holotype lighter, slightly teneral), maxillary palpi testaceous except tips brown, legs light brown, venter dark brown. Submentum and mentum microreticulate, dull, sparsely punctulate.

Head with labrum microreticulate, dull. Clypeus and frons subrugulose, dull. Anteocellar sulci large and deep, microreticulate. Ocelli distinct.

Pronotum cordate, widest in front of middle; anterior angles obtuse, posterior rectangular; sides finely margined, crenulate; anterior margin shallowly arcuate over median 2/3, with narrow hyaline border; discal reliefs dull, microreticulate and finely punctulate; posteriorly punctures much larger, about 2xef; with impressions as follow: median groove deep, widest at midlength, margins costate; a large, deep anterior and larger, deeper oval posterior admedian; and a large anterior and small deep posterior adlateral on each side; all impressions microreticulate; punctures on discal reliefs each with very short, fine seta.

Elytra dull, entirely microreticulate, parallel­sided or nearly so, apices subtruncate, sutural apices rectangular; sides smooth, moderately explanate; posterior declivity moderately abrupt. Intervals 3, 5 and 7 costate or subcostate, at least in part. Serial punctures moderately large and deep, on disc slightly larger than largest pronotal punctures, interstices 1xpd or less; series appearing paired due to costae; without granules. Series one striate­impressed, more strongly in posterior 1/2 than anterior 1/2. Most discal punctures without discernible seta.

Metaventral disc rather flat, with moderately deep midlongitudinal impression in basal 1/2. Thoracic ventrites and abdominal ventrites 1–5 clothed with dense setae except glabrous midlongitudinal prosternal ridge, glabrous dull mesoventral plaques and small glabrous strongly shining inverted V­shaped basomedian area on metaventrite in front of intercoxal sternite. Ventrite 6 shining, with sparse setigerous punctures across distal 1/2.

Wings fully developed on holotype and all dissected males. Females not yet known.

Aedeagus length ca. 0.39 mm; extremely asymmetrical; left paramere enlarged; distal process comparatively small, flagelliform ( Fig. 32 ).

Etymology. Named in reference to the deep pronotal foveae.

Distribution. Currently known from two rather widely separated localities in western Western Cape Province ( Fig. 97 ).

Figures

FIGURE 31. Parasthetops benefossus, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURES 32–35. Parasthetops, aedeagi of holotypes. —32. P. benefossus. —33. P. parallelus. —34. P. camurus. —35. P. reflexus.

FIGURES 97–100. Geographical distributions of Parasthetops species.