Octavius regius Janák, 2024

Janák, Jiří, 2024, On Octavius from Maloti-Drakensberg and Golden Gate National Parks, South Africa (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Euaesthetinae), Zootaxa 5443 (4), pp. 495-522 : 515

Octavius regius Janák , sp. nov.

( Figs. 99–106 , 121 , 125 )

Type locality. South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Province, Maloti-Drakensberg Park, Royal Natal Nature Reserve, Devilʼs Hoek .

Type material (13 specimens). Holotype ♂: “ South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Maloti-Drakensberg Park, Royal Natal NR, Devilʼs Hoek , 28°42.7ʼS, 28°55.4ʼE, 1620m, 10.i.2019, J. Janák lgt., Berlese extraction, leaf & log litter, sifting”, “ HOLOTYPUS Octavius regius sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2021” ( TMSA) . Paratypes: 9 ♂, 3 ♀: same data as holotype ( TMSA, JJRC). All paratypes with additional labels: “ PARATYPUS Octavius regius sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2021”.

Description. Body length 1.1–1.3 mm (M 1.20 mm, HT 1.1 mm), forebody length 0.5–0.6 mm (M 0.51 mm, HT 0.5 mm). Microphalmous, apterous, rusty, slightly shiny ( Fig. 99 ).

Head ( Figs. 100–101 ) slightly broader than pronotum (R 1.01–1.09, M 1.05, HT 1.04), eyes very small and flat, with a few small ommatidia ( Figs. 101–102 ), sides of head rounded, posterior angles moderately angular, median impression on disc absent, surface with very fine reticulation consisting of irregular polygonal fields and very fine punctures raising from center of each field.

Pronotum ( Figs. 100–101 ) markedly longer than broad (R 1.10–1.21, M 1.16, HT 1.15), strongly narrowed posteriorly; anterior angles rounded, disc regularly convex, disc and base without impressions, posterior angles shortly rounded; surface finely irregularly reticulate and very finely punctate, similarly as on head.

Elytra ( Figs. 100–101 ) roundly trapezoid, markedly broader than long (R 1.12–1.23, M 1.18, HT 1.20), as broad as or broader than head (R 1.01–1.12, M 1.05, HT 1.08), without sharp longitudinal ridge laterally ( Fig. 101 ), surface with very fine reticulation consisting of irregular polygonal fields and sparsely, very finely punctured.

Abdomen with two paratergites, with reticulation consisting of polygonal, slightly transverse fields, very finely and sparsely punctate.

Male. Sternite VIII deeply roundly emarginated in posterior quarter ( Fig. 105 ), sternite IX as in Fig. 106 . Aedeagus symmetrical, relatively large (length 0.20–0.23 mm, M 0.22 mm, HT 0.21 mm), apical part pointed, internal sac with apical part covered by curved teeth, in basal part with small scales; parameres wide, markedly longer than median lobe, with 7–8 subapical laterally oriented setae ( Figs. 103–104 ).

Differential diagnosis. Octavius regius Janák , sp. nov. is to be arranged in the key of Southern African Octavius ( Puthz 2006) at the couplet 83 (84) near O. bacillus Puthz, 1986 but differs markedly by emarginated male sternite VIII, by median lobe much broader and parameres markedly longer than median lobe.

Derivatio nominis. The name of this species is derived from the latin word regius (royal), which refers to the type locality – Royal Natal Nature Reserve.

Distribution. Octavius regius Janák , sp. nov. is currently recorded only from the Devilʼs Hoek area in the Royal Natal Nature Reserve, Drakensberg Mts., KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa ( Fig. 121 ).

Bionomics. All specimens were collected in siftings of litter in an indigenous forest patch at the elevation of about 1600 m a.s.l. with abundance 1 specimen per kg of sifted material ( Fig. 125 ).

Figures

FIGURES 99–112. 99–106: Octavius regius Janák, sp. nov.; 99–103, 105–106, holotype; 104, paratype. 107–112: Octavius subulatus Janák, sp. nov.; 107–110, 112–113, holotype; 111, paratype. 99, 107, habitus; 100, 108, fore parts; 101, 109, fore parts lateral; 102, detail of eye with omatidia; 103–104, 110–111, aedeagus ventral; 105, 112, male sternite VIII; 106, 113, male sternite IX. Scale 0.5 mm: 99, 107; scales 0.1 mm: 100–101, 108–109; 103–104; 110–111; 105–106, 112–113. LOR: lateral outer ridge, o: ommatidium.

FIGURES 113–121. Octavius undulatus Janák, sp. nov.; 113–116, 118–119, holotype; 117, paratype. 113, habitus; 114, fore parts; 115, fore parts lateral; 116–117, aedeagus ventral; 118, male sternite VIII; 119, male sternite IX. Scale 0.5 mm: 113; scales 0.1 mm: 114–115; 116–117; 118–119; o: ommatidium. 120: Distribution of Octavius – subgroup A. 121: Distribution of Octavius – subgroup B.

FIGURES 122–127. 122–123: Golden Gate. 124–125: Royal Natal: 124, Gudu forest, 125, Devilʼs Hoek. 126–127: Cathedral Peak: 126, Rainbow gorge, 127, Oqualweni Fern forest.