Mentophilonthus manis, Hromádka, 2009

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 : 138-139

Mentophilonthus manis sp. nov.

( Figs. 54–55 )

Type locality. Gabon, Belinga.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♀, ‘ Gabon, Belinga , 12.iii.1963, (199 L), leg. H. Coiffait // Mentophilonthus manis sp. nov. Hromádka det, 2007 [red oblong printed label]’ ( NMPC).

Description. Body length 9.1 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 4.7 mm.

Colouration. Head black, antennal sockets and clypeus along anterior margin narrowly yellow-brown, mandibles black-brown, pronotum brown, elytra, scutellum and abdomen uniformly chestnut-brown, all paratergites broadly yellow-brown, maxillary, labial palpi and first two antennomeres yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres brown, legs yellow-brown, tarsi vaguely paler.

Head inconspicuously wider than long (ratio 25: 23), sides markedly narrowed anteriad in straight line. Posterior angles rounded, each with one long black bristle. Eyes flat, much longer than temples, occupying almost entire sides of head (ratio 13: 3). Posterior margin of each of eye with two coarse punctures. Surface with fine and dense microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves.

Antennae reaching midlength of pronotum when reclined.Antennomeres 1–8 and 11 longer than wide, antennomeres 9–10 as long as wide. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1 = 9; 2 = 4,5; 3 = 4; 4–8 = 3.5; 9–10 = 2.5; 11 = 4.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide (ratio 37: 35.5), slightly narrowed anteriad. Anterior pronotal angles each with several short bristles. Lateral margins each with one long bristle in anterior third. Each dorsal row with two coarse punctures. Each sublateral row with one puncture. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

Entire scutellum very finely and sparsely punctate. Punctures distinctly smaller than eyefacets, separated mostly by 2 puncture diameters in transverse direction. Surface without microsculpture.

Elytra combined wider than long (ratio 48: 45), slightly widened posteriad. Punctation fine and sparse, punctures as large as eye-facets, separated mostly by two puncture diameters in transverse direction.. Surface without microsculpture; setation short, greyish.

Legs. Metatibia as long as metatarsus. Metatarsomere 1 longer than metatarsomeres 2–3 combined. Relative lengths of metatarsomeres: 1 = 8; 2 = 4; 3 =3; 4 = 2.5; 5 = 6.

Abdomen wide, vaguely narrowed posteriad. First four visible tergites each with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines impunctate. Punctation and setation similar to that on elytra. Surface without microsculpture.

Male. Unknown.

Female. Protarsomeres 1–3 slightly dilated, densely covered with modified pale setae ventrally. Protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Tergite X ( Fig. 54 ) gonocoxite of female genital segment ( Fig. 55 ).

Differential diagnosis. Mentophilonthus manis sp. nov. may be distinguished from all species of the genus by the head being markedly narrowed anteriad.

Etymology. The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic name of the African cape pangolin Manis temminckii Smuts, 1832.

Bionomics. Unknown.

Distribution. Gabon.

Figures

Figs. 49–55. 49–53 – Mentophilonthus lampropterus (Bernhauer, 1934): 49–51 – aedeagus (49 – ventral view, 50 – lateral view, 51 – underside of paramere with sensory peg setae); 52 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 53 – male sternite IX, ventral view; 54–55 – Mentophilonthus manis sp. nov.: 54 – female tergite X; dorsal view, 55 – gonocoxites of female genital segment.