Octavius squamatus 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 : 508

Octavius squamatus Janák , sp. nov.

Figs. 60–66 , 120, 132

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

Type material (72 specimens). Holotype ♂: “ South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Maloti-Drakensberg Park Kamberg NR, ind. forest patch 29°23.3ʼS 29°38.4ʼE 11.i.2019, J. Janák lgt.”, “ Berlese extraction, leaf & log litter, sifting”, “ HOLOTYPUS Octavius squamatus sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2021” ( TMSA) . Paratypes: 39 ♂, 32 ♀: same data as holotype ( TMSA, JJRC, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ in 96% alcohol). All paratypes with additional labels: “ PARATYPUS Octavius squamatus sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2021”.

Description. Body length 1.4–1.6 mm (M 1.5 mm, HT 1.5 mm), forebody length 0.7–0.8 mm (M 0.7 mm, HT 0.7 mm). Microphthalmous, apterous, light rusty, head and pronotum slightly shiny, elytra and abdomen moderately shiny ( Fig. 60 ).

Head ( Fig. 60 ) markedly narrower than pronotum (R 0.74–0.81, M 0.78, HT 0.79), eyes small, temples more than twice as long as eyes (R 2.33–2.93, M 2.67, HT 2.68), sides of head rounded, markedly widened towards posterior angles, posterior angles rounded, median impression on disc absent, lateral parts of head moderately granulose, median part densely and moderately finely reticulate.

Pronotum ( Fig. 60 ) slightly broader than long (R 1.09–1.17, M 1.13, HT 1.12), moderately narrowed posteriorly; anterior angles slightly angular, dorsal impressions deep, transverse impression moderately deep, lateral impressions moderately deep, delimited by narrow sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; lateral parts beside lateral impressions sparsely granulose and sparsely, finely reticulate, remainder of surface densely and finely reticulate and sparsely granulose.

Elytra ( Fig. 60 ) subquadrate, markedly broader than long (R 1.32–1.47, M 1.39, HT 1.41), with sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; between latter and suture irregularly granulate, and finely reticulate and sparsely shortly setose.

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

Male. Sternite VIII slightly emarginated in posterior one-fifth ( Fig. 65 ), sternite IX as in Fig. 66 . Aedeagus almost symmetrical, long and narrow (length 0.43–0.46 mm, M 0.44 mm, HT 0.43 mm); apically pointed internal structure tube-shaped, internal sac with dense scales; parameres markedly shorter than median lobe, with about 3–4 apicolateral setae ( Fig. 61–64 ).

Differential diagnosis. Octavius squamatus Janák , sp. nov. belongs among species with smaller eyes, with temples markedly 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 104 (105) near O. extralobatus Puthz, 2006 but differs by almost symmetrical aedeagus missing the extra lobe and with distinct scales in apical part of the internal sac and much deeper emargination of the male sternite VIII.

Derivatio nominis. This name is the latin adjective – squamatus (scaly) which refers to the structure of internal scales.

Distribution. Octavius squamatus 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 a forest patch of an indigenous forest with the abundance 8.7 specimens per kg of sifted material ( Fig. 132 ).

Figures

FIGURES 60–70. 60–66: Octavius squamatus Janák, sp. nov.; 60–61, 64–65, holotype; 62–63, 66, paratypes. 67–70: Octavius viduus Puthz, Cathedral Peak. 60, 67, habitus; 61–63, 68, aedeagus ventral; 66, apex of aedeagus ventral; 65, 69, male sternite VIII; 66, 70, male sternite IX. Scale 0.5 mm: 60, 67; scales 0.1 mm: 61–63; 65–66; 68–70.

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.