Parasthetops propitius, Perkins, 2008

Perkins, Philip D., 2008, Facial affect recognition in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis, Zootaxa 1864, pp. 1-124 : 14-15

Parasthetops propitius new species

( Figs. 8 , 14 , 96 )

Type Material. Holotype (male): Lesotho: Drakensberg , Sani Pass Valley, shore washing, 29° 36' S, 29° 20' E, 10 March 1976, Endrödy­Younga (#1062). Deposited in the TMSA . Paratypes (47): Lesotho: Drakensberg, Sani Pass Valley , floated tussocks, 29° 36' S, 29° 20' E, 10 March 1976, Endrödy­Younga (#1063) (1 TMSA) ; Drakensberg, Sani Pass Valley , in river bed, 29° 36' S, 29° 20' E, 10 March 1976, Endrödy­Younga (#1065) (26 TMSA) ; Drakensberg, Sani Pass Valley , shore washing, 29° 36' S, 29° 20' E, 10 March 1976, Endrödy­Younga (#1062) (2 TMSA) ; Drakensberg, Sani Pass Valley , water collection, 29° 36' S, 29° 20' E, 8 March 1976, Endrödy­Younga (#1053) (12 TMSA) ; South Africa: Free State Province, Station 38 Elands River near Witzieshoek ; VAL 570K, pebbles in current, 28° 30' S, 28° 49' E, 14 October 1958 (1 AMG) ; KwaZulu­Natal Province, Mkomazana River at South African Police Camp / Border Post , Sani Pass , stones out of current, NAT 24F, 29° 36' S, 29° 20' E, 14 June 1972, F. M. Chutter (1 AMG) ; Umkomaas River at Lundy’s Hill , ex. stones in current, elev. 930 m, 29° 44' S, 29° 52' E, 30 April 1996, F. de Moor & C. Dickens (Umk 33 AT) (1 AMG) ; Umkomaas River at Vergelegen , ex. stones in current, elev. 1370 m, 29° 33' S, 29° 29' E, 2 May 1996, F. de Moor & C. Dickens (Umk 50 K), (1 AMG) ; same locality, elev. 1370 m, 29° 33' S, 29° 29' E, 9 October 1996, F. de Moor & C. Dickens (Umk 91 H) (1 AMG) ; Mpumalanga Province, Station 3 Vaal River at Morgenzon Amersfoort road crossing, VAL 466F, stones in current, 26° 51' S, 29° 41' E (1 AMG) .

Differential Diagnosis. Quite similar in size, color and dorsal habitus to P. sebastiani ( Figs. 7 , 8 ). Reliable determinations will require examination of the very different male genitalia: P. sebastiani has a very long, coiled flagellum and a stout main­piece, whereas P. propitius has no flagellum and a very slender mainpiece ( Figs. 12, 14 ).

Description. Size (length/width, mm) holotype: body (length to elytral apices) 1.71/0.66; head 0.29/ 0.44; pronotum 0.37/0.51; elytra 1.04 /0.66. Dorsum piceous, maxillary palpi, legs and venter dark brown. Mentum microreticulate, submentum shining, both sparsely punctulate.

Head with labrum obsoletely microreticulate, weakly shining. Clypeus and frons very weakly, if at all, microreticulate at sides, shining and very sparsely, very finely punctulate on disc, punctures separated by about 3–8xpd, size much smaller than eye facet; anteocellar sulci moderately deep. Ocelli distinct.

Pronotum cordate, widest in front of middle; anterior angles obtuse, posterior rectangular; sides finely margined, weakly crenulate; anterior margin shallowly arcuate over median 3/4, with narrow hyaline border; discal reliefs shining, very finely, very sparsely punctate, interstices ca. 4–8xpd; posteriorly punctures much larger, slightly larger than eye facet; with foveae as follow: median anterior elongate and smaller posterior, very shallowly confluent; a small anterior and small, shallow oval posterior admedian; and a large anterior and small deep posterior adlateral on each side; discal foveae punctate, lateral foveae very weakly microreticulate; punctures on discal reliefs without discernible setae.

Elytra non­carinate, parallel­sided or nearly so, apices separately rounded; sutural apices obtuse; sides smooth, weakly explanate; posterior declivity moderately abrupt. Serial punctures moderately large and deep, larger and deeper than largest pronotal punctures, interstices on disc about 1–2xpd; without granules. Series eight with punctures slightly larger, interstices about 1xpd. Series one weakly striate­impressed. Intervals weakly rounded, width on disc about 1–2xpd. Most punctures without discernible seta.

Thoracic ventrites and abdominal ventrites 1–5 densely clothed with short setae, except glabrous midlongitudinal ridge on proventrite, mesoventrite plaques, and small glabrous area basomedially on metaventrite. Metaventrite with shallow midlongitudinal impression in basal 1/2. Abdominal ventrites 6 glabrous and obsoletely microreticulate, with posterior band of sparse piliferous punctures.

Legs of male with two or three spiniform setae on apical protarsomere. Femora and tibiae effacedly microreticulate.

Females with elytral explanate margin markedly wider, posterior angles more widely rounded than in males.

Wings fully developed on holotype and all dissected males.

Aedeagus length ca. 0.55 mm; main­piece very thin, arcuate in lateral view; distal process extremely short ( Fig. 14 ).

Etymology. Named in reference to the agreeable dorsal sculpture.

Distribution. Currently known from northeastern Lesotho, and areas not too distant in KwaZulu­Natal Province, Free State Province, and Mpumalanga Province ( Fig. 96 ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Parasthetops sebastiani, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURE 8. Parasthetops propitius, dorsal and lateral habitus of holotype.

FIGURES 11–14. Parasthetops, aedeagi of holotypes. —11. P. unicornus. —12. P. sebastiani. —13. P. buunicornus. —14. P. propitius.

FIGURES 95–96. Geographical distributions of Parasthetops species.