Mentophilonthus descarpentriesi Levasseur, 1966

Hromádka, Lubomír, 2009, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Mentophilonthus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 49 (1), pp. 119-160 : 128-130

Mentophilonthus descarpentriesi Levasseur, 1966

( Figs. 24–28 )

Mentophilonthus descarpentriesi Levasseur, 1966: 209 .

Type locality. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Odzala.

Type material examined. PARATYPE: ♁, ‘ Congo Belge, Odzala:Octobre, Muséum Paris, Mission A.Descarpentries, et A. Villiers, 1963 – 1964 // Paratype, Mentophilonthus descarpentriesi Levasseur , det. [white round yellow-margined label, handwritten]’ ( MNHN).

Additional material. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: ♁, ‘Congo Belge, Libenge, 29.iv.1946, R. Cremer & M. Neuman’ ( LHPC).

Redescription. Body length 8.0–9.0 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 4.0– 4.2 mm.

Colouration. Head black, clypeus very narrowly reddish-yellow along anterior margin and antennal sockets, labrum redish-yellow, mandibles brown-black, pronotum brown, elytra brown-black, suture, epipleura and posterior margin yellow-brown, abdomen black-brown, posterior margins of all tergites relatively broadly yellow-brown, all paratergites yellow-brown, maxillary and labial palpi brown-yellow, first two antennomeres and legs yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres dark brown.

Head wider than long (ratio 23.5: 21). Posterior angles of head capsule each with two long, black bristles. Eyes flat, occupying almost entire sides of head (ratio 13: 5). Posterior margin of each eye with two coarse punctures. Dorsal surface with fine microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves and microscopic dots.

Antennae reaching posterior fifth of pronotum when reclined. Antennomere 1 as long as antennomeres 2–3 combined, antennomere 11 as long as antennomere 4. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1 = 9; 2 = 4; 3 = 5; 4–8 = 3; 9–10 =2.5; 11 = 3.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide (ratio 33: 31), slightly narrowed anteriad, posterior angles conspicuously rounded. Each dorsal and each sublateral row with two punctures. Microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum sparsely and exceedingly finely punctate, punctures distinctly smaller than eyefacets, separated by 2–3 puncture diameters in transverse direction. Surface with very fine microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves.

Elytra combined slightly wider than long (ratio 41.5: 40), distinctly widened posteriad. Punctation very fine and sparse, punctures somewhat smaller than eye-facets, separated mostly by puncture diameter in transverse direction. Longitudinal row of four coarse punctures situated at about midwidth of each elytron. Anterior angles each with 1 long, black bristle. Surface without microsculpture; setation short, dark.

Legs. Metatibia as long as metatarsus, metatarsomere 1 as long as metatarsomeres 3–4 combined, metatarsomere 5 shorter than metatarsomere 1. Relative lengths of metatarsomeres: 1 = 7; 2 = 4; 3 = 4; 4 = 3; 5 = 5.5.

First four visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines very finely and sparsely punctate. Punctation of abdominal tergites inconspicuously finer than that on elytra, becoming sparser posteriad. Surface without microsculpture; setation brown-yellow.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–3 strongly dilated and subbilobed, densely covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 distinctly narrower than preceding ones. Sternite IX ( Fig. 28 ), aedeagus ( Figs. 24–27 ).

Female. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Mentophilonthus descarpentriesi is very similar to M. odzalaensis , from which it may be distinguished by the paler antennae and tibiae and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

Bionomics. Unknown.

Distribution. Democratic Republic of the Congo (this paper), Republic of the Congo (HERMAN 2001).

Figures

Figs. 24–38. 24–28 – Mentophilonthus descarpentriesi Levasseur, 1965: 24–27 – aedeagus (24 – ventral view, 25 – lateral view, 26 - ventral view, without paramere, 27 – underside of paramere, with sensory peg setae); 28 – male sternite IX, ventral view. 29–33 – Mentophilonthus dilucidus (Tottenham, 1962): 29–33 – aedeagus (29 – ventral view, 30 – lateral view, 31 – ventral view, without paramere, 32 – underside of paramere, with sensory peg setae, 33 – lateral view without paramere). 34–38 – Mentophilonthus dilutior (Bernhauer, 1928): 34–37 – aedeagus (34 – ventral view, 35 – lateral view, 36 – ventral view, without paramere, 37 – underside of paramere with sensory peg setae); 38 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view.