Achmonia Bordoni, 2004

Janák, Jiří & Bordoni, Arnaldo, 2014, Revision of the genus Achmonia of Africa south of the Sahara (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Zootaxa 3872 (3), pp. 257-274 : 259-262

Achmonia Bordoni, 2004

Achmonia Bordoni, 2004a: 57 ; 2012: 107; 2013: 218.

Daolus Bordoni, 2004b: 84 ; 2008: 60; 2009: 1867; 2010: 57; 2012: 107; 2013: 212 (synonym of Achmonia ). Type species: Achmonia doloc Bordoni, 2004

The original description of the genus was based only on the type species ( Bordoni 2004a). The following redescription is extended for all hitherto known species.

Redescription. Form elongate, stout, of medium to large size (9–20 mm).

Head scarcely punctate, with or without coalescent grooves; frontal grooves short or moderately long, reaching at most to the middle of eyes, more or less convergent posteromedially, ocular grooves very superficial. Anterior margin of frons between antennal insertion extended into short and very wide, apically truncate process, limited on each side by rounded emargination, and convex or slightly impressed dorsally. Eyes small, temples considerably longer than length of eyes as seen above, evenly rounded, posterior angles rounded or acute. Antennae geniculate, moderately short, antennal insertions separated from each other by distance about equal to distance separating each insertion from anteromedian margin of eye; first segment long, thickened towards apex, equal in length to at least four following segments combined; second segment shorter than third, outer segments more or less transverse. Labrum dark, completely chitinised, short, transverse, more or less distinctly quadrilobate ( Figs. 14–20 ), with long and strong apical setae. Mandible strong, lateral furrow absent or reduced to vague impression at base. Maxillary palpi moderately long, segment 3 shorter than segment 2, segment 4 longer and somewhat narrower than segment 3, subacute apically ( Figs. 21, 23 ). Labial palpi moderately long, last segment at least as long as segment 2 ( Figs. 22, 24 ). Mentum short, transverse, pentagonal. Gula very short, gular sutures contiguous.

Pronotum without dorsal rows of punctures ( Figs. 3–6 , 13 ); large lateral puncture situated far from lateral margin; superior line of pronotal hypomeron not turning downwards until close to anterior angle and not joining inferior line ( Figs. 7 , 26 ). Prosternum elevated medially, with or without short median carina posteriorly, intercoxal process minute and short, triangular; epimera present. Mesosternum very short, transverse, widely separating middle coxae. Metasternum very long.

Elytra overlapping at suture, variably punctured. Legs moderately long; protarsus simple (not dilated) in either sex, first four segments gradually becoming shorter, last segment about as long as three preceding segments combined; protibia with numerous strong spines on outer margin; mesotibia strongly spinose, with apical and subapical ctenidium; first segment of mesotarsus and metatarsus about equally long as second, last segment about as long as three preceding segments combined; metatibia ( Fig. 63 ) spinose on outer margin, with apical and subapical ctenidium.

Abdomen ( Figs. 3–6 ) ‘Staphylininae-shaped’ with fourth segment broadest. Tergite 7 with complete membranous palisade fringe at its posterior margin.

Male. Tergite and sternite 8 of male not modified. Tergite 10 of male genital segment rather narrowly exposed between sclerites of tergite 9, strongly narrowed proximally, sclerites of tergite 9 therefore contiguous mediobasally. Sternite 9 of male symmetrical, located centrally ( Fig. 62 ). Aedeagus with voluminous basal bulbus ( Fig. 39 ), distinct median lobe ( Fig. 39 ) and symmetrical parameres ( Figs. 27 , 39, 42, 46 , 55, 58, 61 , 69, 71 ).

Discussion. Some characters such as the shape of the labrum and of the maxillary and labial palpi are variable within our genus concept and can be specific for different species groups. However, the labrum in Achmonia is always dark, completely chitinised and more or less distinctly quadrilobate ( Figs. 14–20 ). The maxillary and labial palpi are more or less always flattened but the relative width and length of the last two segments are variable among species. A similar situation was observed in other genera of Xanthonini (e.g., Márquez 2010: Figs. 38–40, 44–46 ).

Differential diagnosis. This genus differs from several other genera of Xantholinini in Africa south of the Sahara by the absence of dorsal rows of punctures on the pronotum. Most characters in Achmonia are identical to those in Thyreocephalus (for redescription see Janák 2010) but Achmonia can be easily distinguished by the superior line of the pronotal hypomeron not joining the inferior line. Achmonia shares the previous character state with Eulissus (type species Eulissus chalybaeus Mannerheim, 1830 described from Brazil) and Agerodes (type species Agerodes coeruleus Motschulsky, 1858 described from Colombia; a female type specimen of this species from Motschulsky’s collection was examined by Janák) (for Eulissus chalybaeus see Márquez & Asiain 2002, Almeida & Mise 2009 ( Fig. 16 ), Aballay et al. 2014 ( Fig. 33 )). Achmonia markedly differs from Eulissus by the dark, strongly chitinised and more or less quadrilobate labrum. The labrum in Eulissus is bilobate with only the middle part strongly chitinised and the rest weak and semi-transparent (for details see Steel 1938: 55, Fig. 1). Achmonia (and Eulissus ) differs from Agerodes by the presence of both an apical and subapical ctenidium on the metatibia. In Agerodes the subapical ctenidium is absent (observed in several undetermined Neotropical species). We consider Achmonia and Eulissus as sister groups, differing mainly by the shape of the labrum, but probably also by differences in the shape and structure of the aedeagus, which may be revealed by a revision of Eulissus . According to our opinion, the genus Eulissus is only distributed in the Neotropical region.

Distribution. Achmonia was previously confused with Thyreocephalus and in some regions they co-occur. Achmonia has been hitherto represented by the following eight species occurring in the Oriental and Australian regions: A. sondaica (Bernhauer, 1915) ( Malaysia, Java) (= A. doloc Bordoni, 2004 ); A. eppelsheimi ( Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914) (NE India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan) (= A. hromadkai Bordoni, 2004 ); A. gestroi ( Fauvel, 1895) ( Burma, Thailand); A. solodovnikovi Bordoni, 2012 ( Laos) ; A. nigra Bordoni, 2009 ( China: Zhejiang); A. shibatai Bordoni, 2010 ( Taiwan) ; A. wogwog Bordoni, 2005 ( Australia) ; A. cyanoptera ( Erichson, 1839) ( Australia) ( Bordoni 2012).

In Africa the genus can be divided into two distinct species groups, the first composed of species with setiferous postocular punctures on the head ( flavomarginata group) and the second composed of species lacking postocular punctures ( amabilis group). Both these groups can be distinguished from non-Afrotropical species of the genus by the non-carinate prosternum.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 24. 13, 14, 21, 22, Achmonia doloc (Bord.), HT from Java; 15, A. eppelsheimi (Bernh. & Schub.) from Nepal; 16, A. shibatai (Bord.), HT from Taiwan; 17, A. nigra (Bord.), HT from China; 18, 23, 24, A. amabilis (Boh.) from South Africa; 19, A. simulator sp. nov., PT from Mposhi; 20, A. carinata sp. nov., HT. 13, head and pronotum; 14 – 20, labrum; 21, 23, maxillary palpus; 22, 24, labial palpus. 13, 14, 21, 22 from Bordoni (2004 a), 15 from Bordoni (2004 b), 16 from Bordoni (2010), 17 from Bordoni (2009). Scale 0.1 mm; 13, 15 and 17 without scale.

FIGURES 3 – 12. 3, 8, 12, Achmonia carinata sp. nov., HT male; 4, 7, 9, A. simulator sp. nov., PT male, 4, 9 from Mposhi, 7 from Joko; 5, 10, A. amabilis (Boheman), female from Ithala; 6, 11, A. congoensis (Bernh.), male from P. N. Garamba. 3 – 6, habitus; 7, lateral part of pronotum, ventral; 8 – 11, head; 12, pronotum and elytra. SL, superior line; IL, inferior line; EL, elytral length; p, postocular puncture. Scales 1 mm (3 – 6) and 0.5 mm (7 – 12).

FIGURES 25 – 37. 25 – 31, Achmonia knirschi sp. nov., HT male; 32 – 34, A. carinata sp. nov., 32, PT female, 33, 34, HT male; 35, A. flavomarginata (Bernh.), HT male; 36, A. kapangana sp. nov., HT male; 37, A. simulator sp. nov., HT male. 25, 32, 35 – 37, head; 26, pronotum dorsal; 27, aedeagus; 28, median lobe of aedeagus; 29, paramere; 30, 33, male tergite 10; 31, 34, male sternite 9. Scales 1 mm (25 = 26; 32 = 35 – 37), 0.5 mm (27 = 30, 31, 33, 34) and 0.1 mm (28 = 29).

FIGURES 54 – 68. 54 – 63, Achmonia simulator sp. nov., 54 – 57, 63, PT male from Joko, 58 – 61, HT male, 62, PT from Bolama; 64 – 67, A. amabilis (Boheman), 64, 66, 67, LT male, 65, female from Ithala; 68, A. congoensis (Bernh.), male from Malo. 54, aedeagus lateral; 55, 58, 61, aedeagus dorsal; 56, 59, paramere; 57, 60, median lobe of aedeagus; 62, sternite 9 and sclerites of tergite 10; 63, left metatibia and metatarsus; 64, 68, head; 66, sternite 9; 67, tergite 10; 65, lateral part of head. Scales 1 mm (64 = 65, 68), 0.5 mm (54 = 55, 58, 61, 62; 63; 66 = 67) and 0.1 mm (56 = 57, 59, 60).

FIGURES 38 – 53. 38 – 41, Achmonia carinata sp. nov., HT male; 42 – 44, A. kapangana sp. nov., HT male; 45 – 50, A. flavomarginata (Bernh.), LT male; 51 – 53, A. simulator sp. nov., HT male. 38, 45, aedeagus lateral; 39, 42, 46, aedeagus dorsal; 40, 43, 47, paramere; 41, 44, 48, median lobe of aedeagus; 49, 52, male sternite 9; 50, 53, male tergite 10; 51, pronotum dorsal. B, basal bulbus; ML, median lobe. Scales 0.5 mm (38 = 39; 42 = 45, 46, 49, 50, 52, 53; 51) and 0.1 mm (40 = 41; 47 = 43, 44, 48).

FIGURES 69 – 74. 69 – 70, A. amabilis (Boheman), LT male; 71 – 74, A. congoensis (Bernh.), male from Malo. 69 – 70, aedeagus dorsal; 70, 72, paramere; 73, sternite 9; 74, tergite 10. Scale 0.5 mm (69 = 71, 73, 74; 70 = 72).