Acylophorus mareei Bernhauer

Lott, Derek A., 2010, The species of Acylophorus Nordmann (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) in continental sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 2402, pp. 1-51 : 22-23

Acylophorus mareei Bernhauer

( Figs 16 , 48 , 66 , 92 , 125 )

Acylophorus mareei Bernhauer, 1943: 290 ; Herman, 2001: 3034.

Redescription. Length 6–7mm. Body relatively wide and flat, black to dark brown with black to red-brown pronotum. Abdominal tergites iridescent. Legs, antennae, and labrum dark brown, middle segments of antennae sometimes paler. Proximal segments of maxillary palpi gradually paler than terminal segment.

Head of average size (pronotum 1.7x wider than head), as long as wide with evident, almost angled temples just behind very large eyes, slightly produced in front of antennal insertion, covered with dense micro-punctures ( Fig. 16 ). Dense pale pubescence behind eyes. Two pairs of interocular setae arising from foveate punctures much closer to eyes than each other. Two lines of five postocular setae visible from above with no additional setae on hind margin of eyes. Mandibles with two large medial teeth on either side ( Fig.

48). Maxillary palpi with terminal segment pubescent, more or less symmetric and elongate, longer than glabrous penultimate segment which is short and parallel-sided at apex ( Fig. 66 ). First segment of antenna as long as next four. Segments I to VII elongate, IX to XI transverse ( Fig. 92 ).

Pronotum slightly transverse (1.1x wider than long) with rounded sides and widest in basal half. Marginal setae short. Elytra transverse (1.6x wider than long) with close but relatively short pubescence. Apical bristles short, about the same length as the hairs on the rest of the elytra. Pubescence on abdominal tergites short, but overlapping comfortably on tergite III. Asperate punctures stronger than on elytra and fairly evenly distributed across each tergite.

Paramere bilobed, lobes proximate, parallel and narrowed to apex, pegs confusedly arranged right at apex, base lipped ( Fig. 125 ). Median lobe of aedeagus expanded at apex and much longer than paramere.

Type material. Bernhauer described the species from specimens collected by Capt. Marée in March 1939 at Lokandu in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two specimens from the type series have been located, but in one the terminal abdominal segments are missing. The complete specimen is here designated as the lectotype in order to fix the identity of the species. Lectotype Ƥ: “ TYPUS A. Maréei / COLL. MUS. CONGO; Lokandu; - III-1939; Capt. Marée / R. DÉT. Q 4674 / Acylophorus maréei Brh. Typ. / LECTOTYPE Acylophorus mareei Bernhauer Ƥ det. DA Lott” ( MRAC). Paralectotype Ƥ: “MUS. CONGO / Lokandu; - III- 1939; Capt. Marée / Acylophorus maréei Brh. Typ. / Maréei Brnh. Typus Acylophorus PARALECTOTYPE Acylophorus mareei Bernhauer Ƥ det. DA Lott” ( FMNH).

Further material examined. R.D. CONGO: Bas-Congo: Boma, H Schouteden, ix.1920, 13 ( ISRNB). SUDAN: Bahr el Ghazal: Wunatong, 8 O 30’N 28 O 30’E, 19. iii.1955, 17 ( BMNH).

Distribution and bionomics. Only known from Congo and southern Sudan ( Fig. 144 ). I have also seen a male (BMNH) from near Lake Bangweulu, Zambia, that may belong to this species. Unfortunately the aedeagus is missing. There are no ecological data.

Comparative notes. Very distinctive within the species group by virtue of the large eyes, the two medial teeth on each mandible and the narrow median lobe of the aedeagus. In addition, the short pubescence, which is not bright yellow on the elytra, will distinguish it from several species.

Figures

FIGURE 144. Distribution of species in the Acylophorus densipennis group (= A. ziloensis Levasseur, = A. antennalis Cameron, = A. collarti Cameron, = A. mareei Bernhauer).

FIGURES 9 – 17. Forebodies of species in the Acylophorus densipennis group. 9, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 10, A. antennalis Cameron; 11, A. collarti Cameron; 12. A. micans new species; 13, A. allardi Levasseur; 14, A. congoensis Cameron; 15, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 16, A. mareei Bernhauer; 17 A. methneri Bernhauer.

FIGURES 42 – 50. Mandibles of Acylophorus species. 42, A. congoensis Cameron; 43, A. ziloensis Levasseur (Katanga); 44, A. ziloensis Levasseur (Kivu); 45, A. allardi Levasseur; 46, A. salifi new species; 47, A. lomaensis Levasseur; 48, A. mareei Bernhauer; 49, A. bafutensis Levasseur; 50, A. lualabaensis Levasseur.

FIGURES 51 – 76. Terminal segments of the maxilliary palpi of Acylophorus species. 51, A. orientalis Fauvel; 52, A. nitens new species; 53, A. rossii Bordoni, 54, A. bumbunae Bordoni; 55, A. capensis Cameron; 56, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 57, A. tshuapensis new species; 58, A. makhoreae new species; 59, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 60, A. antennalis Cameron; 61, A. collarti Cameron; 62. A. micans new species; 63, A. allardi Levasseur; 64, A. congoensis Cameron; 65, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 66, A. mareei Bernhauer; 67, A. salifi new species; 68, A. lomaensis Levasseur; 69. A. minor new species; 70, A. trigonocephalus Cameron; 71, A. setiger new species; 72, A. usambarae Bernhauer; 73, A. grandis Bernhauer; 74, A. bafutensis Levasseur; 75, A. kambuiensis Bordoni, 76. A. lualabaensis Levasseur.

FIGURES 77 – 96. Antennae of Acylophorus species. 77, A. orientalis Fauvel; 78, A. nitens new species; 79, A. rossii Bordoni, 80, A. bumbunae Bordoni; 81, A. capensis Cameron; 82, A. dankalensis Bordoni; 83, A. tshuapensis new species; 84, A. makhoreae new species; 85, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 86, A. antennalis Cameron; 87, A. collarti Cameron; 88. A. micans new species; 89, A. allardi Levasseur; 90, A. congoensis Cameron; 91, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 92, A. mareei Bernhauer; 93, A. methneri Bernhauer; 94, A. salifi new species; 95, A. lomaensis Levasseur; 96. A. minor new species.

FIGURES 117 – 125. Aedeagi of species in the Acylophorus densipennis group. 117, A. densipennis Bernhauer; 118, A. antennalis Cameron; 119, A. collarti Cameron; 120. A. micans new species; 121, A. allardi Levasseur (RD Congo); 122, A. allardi Levasseur (South Africa); 123, A. congoensis Cameron; 124, A. ziloensis Levasseur; 125, A. mareei Bernhauer.