Octavius penicullatus 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 : 507

Octavius penicullatus Janák , sp. nov.

Figs. 55–59 , 120 , 133

Type locality. South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Province, Maloti-Drakensberg Park, Kamberg .

Type material (15specimens). Holotype ♂: “ South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Maloti-Drakensberg Park , Kamberg NR, ind. forest patches 29°21.85ʼS 29°37.1ʼE, 1820- 40m, 12.i.2019, J. Janák lgt.”, “Berlese extraction, leaf & log litter, sifting”, “ HOLOTYPUS Octavius penicullatus sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2021” ( TMSA) . Paratypes: 10 ♂, 4 ♀: same data as holotype ( TMSA, JJRC, 2 ♂ in 96 % alcohol). All paratypes with additional labels: “ PARATYPUS Octavius penicullatus sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2021”.

Description. Body length 1.8–2.2 mm (M 2.0 mm, HT 2.0 mm), forebody length 0.9–1.1 mm (M 1.0 mm, HT 1.0 mm). Microphthalmous, apterous, light rusty, head slightly shiny, pronotum, elytra and abdomen moderately shiny ( Fig. 55 ).

Head ( Fig. 55 ) moderately narrower than pronotum (R 0.88–0.92, M 0.90, HT 0.92), eyes moderately large, temples at most twice as long as eyes (R 1.41–2.00, M 1.67, HT 1.45), sides of head slightly rounded, slightly widened towards posterior angles, posterior angles rounded, median impression on disc absent, lateral parts of head finely granulose, median part densely and moderately finely reticulate.

Pronotum ( Fig. 55 ) slightly broader than long (R 1.10–1.19, M 1.16, HT 1.10), moderately narrowed posteriorly; anterior angles slightly angular, dorsal impressions moderately deep, transverse impression deep, lateral impressions deep, delimited by low longitudinal ridge laterally; lateral parts beside lateral impressions densely and very sparsely granulose, remainder of surface sparsely and finely reticulate and sparsely granulose.

Elytra ( Fig. 55 ) subquadrate, much broader than long (R 1.48–1.62, M 1.56, HT 1.56), with sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; between latter and suture irregularly granulate, finely reticulate and sparsely shortly setose.

Abdomen subparallel, slightly widened to segment V, with one paratergite and microsculpture consisting of triangular or rhomboid fields, leaving here and there smooth places, finely setose.

Male. Sternite VIII slightly emarginated in posterior one-twelfth ( Fig. 58 ), sternite IX as in Fig. 59 . Aedeagus asymmetrical, long and narrow (length 0.52–0.54 mm, M 0.53 mm, HT 0.54 mm), apical part curved, one side of median lobe with narrow at inner side densely setose brush-like protrusion, both sides with very narrow long protusions, sometimes hardly visible, as covered by parameres, internal structure very long, apically curved, strongly sclerotised; parameres markedly shorter than median lobe, with about 6–8 apicolateral setae ( Figs. 56–57 ).

Differential diagnosis. Octavius penicullatus Janák , sp. nov. belongs among species with large eyes, with temples at most twice as long as eyes, with the head not or at most slightly widened posteriorly, with large body and the disc of the head without a median impression. In the most recent key of South African Octavius ( Janák 2014) is to be arranged at the couplet 154 (151), but it differs from the species arranged there (e. g. O. mikhaili Janák, 2014 or O. multisetosus Janák, 2014 ) by markedly asymmetrical aedeagus with a narrow at inner side densely setose brush-like protrusion.

Derivatio nominis. This name is derived from latin adjective – penicullus (combed) which refers to unusual protrusion of median lobe.

Distribution. Octavius penicullatus Janák , sp. nov. is currently recorded only from the Kamberg Natural Reserve in Drakensberg Mts., KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa ( Fig. 120 ).

Bionomics. All specimens were collected in siftings of forest litter in forest patches of an indigenous forests at the elevation of about 1820–1840 m a.s.l. with abundance of 1.1 specimens per kg of sifted material ( Fig. 133 ).

Figures

FIGURES 49–59. 49–54: Octavius montiumdraconis Janák, Gudu forest. 55–59: Octavius penicullatus Janák, sp. nov., 55–56, 58–59, holotype; 57, paratype. 49, 55, habitus; 50–52, 56–57, aedeagus ventral; 53, 58, male sternite VIII; 54, 59, male sternite IX. Scale 0.5 mm: 49, 55; 0.1 mm: remaining figures.

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 128–133. 128: Cathedral Peak, Masongwane river banks. 129: Injisuthi. 130: Monkʼs Cowl, Hlatikulu forest. 131: Lotheni. 132: Kamberg, locality 1. 133: Kamberg locality 2.