Mentophilonthus struthio, 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 : 150-152

Mentophilonthus struthio sp. nov.

( Figs. 95–102 )

Type locality. Sudan, Shamne.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁, ‘ Sudan mer., Shamne , 15.x.1966, Dr.P.Štys leg.// Holotype Mentophilonthus struthio sp. nov. Hromádka, det, 2007 [red oblong printed label]’ ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: 2 spec., ‘ Congo Belge, Massif Ruwenzori marais Kivaita près Ibatama, 1.780 m, 14.xii.1956, P. Vanschuythbroeck’ ( LHPC, JJRC) ; 1 spec., ‘ N. Lac. Kivu: Rwankwl , xi.1951, J. V. Leroy’ ( LHPC) ; 2 spec., ‘PNA [= Parc National Albert], 12.vi.1954, Massif Ruwenzori riv., Kakalari affl., Bombi 1.725. P.Vanschuythbroeck + H. Synave, 8005 – 08’ ( LHPC) ; 2 spec., ‘P.N.A. [= Parc National Albert ] 12.vi.1954, Massif Ruwenzori, Kalonge 2.000 m, Ruiss. Katsambu, affl., Dr Butahu, P. Vanschuythbroeck + H. Synave, 8905 – 08’ ( MRAC) ; 1 spec., ‘P.N.A. [= Parc National Albert ] 27.xi.1957, Massif Ruwenzori, Mont Mulungu 2.600 m, P. Vanschuythbroeck, VS – 240’ ( LHPC) ; 1 spec., ‘P.N.A. [= Parc National Albert ] 9.xii.1957, Massif Ruwenzori, 2.600 m, riv. Katauleko, affl., Butahu, P. Vanschuythbroeck, VS 255’ ( LHPC) ; 2 spec., ‘ Massif Ruwenzori , Grotte Ibatama, 1.610, (lumière), Congo, P.N.A. 4.v.1958, P. Vanschuythbroeck, VS – 377’ ( LHPC, MRAC) ; 1 spec., ‘ Massif Ruwenzori , Kalonge 2.060 m, riv. Katauleka affl., Butahu, Congo, P.N.A., 9.xii.1957, P. Vanschuythbroeck, V S 255’ ( LHPC). All paratypes with red printed paratype label .

Description. Body length: 9.5–12.5 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 5.3– 6.3 mm.

Colouration. Head black-brown, antennal sockets and clypeus along anterior margin very narrowly brown-yellow, pronotum and scutellum dark brown-reddish, elytra dark brown, suture narrowly brown-red, posterior margin and epipleura very narrowly yellow-brown, abdomen brown, posterior margin of tergites and paratergites narrowly yellow-brown, maxillary and labial palpi brown-yellow, antennomeres 1–3 and legs yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres brown, tarsomeres 4–5 of all tarsi more or less paler.

Head wider than long (ratio 30: 27). Posterior angles entirely rounded. Eyes flat and much longer than temples (ratio 14: 5). Anterior margin of each eyes with 1 puncture, posterior margin of each eye with 2 punctures, short temporal area each with 1 long bristle. Surface with dense and fine microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves.

Antennae slender, reaching posterior fourth of pronotum when reclined. Antennomere 1 much longer than antennomeres 2–3 combined, antennomere 11 as long as antennomere 3. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1 = 11.5; 2 = 4.5; 3 = 5; 4–8 = 4; 9–10 = 3.5; 11 = 5.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide (ratio 43: 41) slightly narrowed anteriad. Each dorsal row with two punctures, each sublateral row with one puncture. Anterior angles each with several relatively short black bristles. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum very finely and sparsely punctured, punctures somewhat smaller than eye-facets, separated by three puncture diameters in transverse direction. Surface with fine microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves.

Elytra combined wider than long (ratio 54: 50), slightly widened posteriad. Punctation very fine and sparse, punctures as large as eye-facets, separated by two puncture diameters in transverse direction. Longitudinal row of five larger punctures situated at midwidth of each elytron. Surface without microsculpture. Setation brown-yellow.

Legs. Metatibia as long as metatarsus, all tibiae with several dark bristles of unequal length. Metatarsomere 1 longer than metatarsomere 2–3 combined, metatarsomere 5 longer than metatarsomere 2. Relative lengths of metatarsomeres: 1 = 10; 2 = 4.5; 3 = 4; 4 = 3; 5 = 5.

Abdomen gradually narrowing posteriad. First four visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines impunctate. Punctation of all visible tergites finer than that on elytra, becoming slightly sparser towards posterior margin of each tergite. Setation brown-yellow. Surface between punctures without microsculpture. Lateral margins of all tergites with several short bristles.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–3 markedly dilated, sub-bilobed, densely covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 distinctly narrower than preceding ones. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 100 ), aedeagus ( Figs. 95–99 ).

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 much less dilated than those in male, covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 very small. Tergite X ( Fig. 101 ), gonocoxites of female genital segment ( Fig. 102 ).

Differential diagnosis. Mentophilonthus struthio sp. nov. may be distinguished from the similar M. dilucidus , by longer antennae, wider head and elytra, paler colouration of elytra and abdomen, sparser punctation of elytra and abdomen and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

Etymology. The name of this species, a noun in apposition, is the Latin generic name of the ostrich Struthio camelus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Bionomics. Unknown.

Distribution. Sudan.

Figures

Figs. 95-106. 95–102 – Mentophilonthus struthio sp. nov.: 95–99 – aedeagus (95 – ventral view, 96 – lateral view, 97 – ventral view, without paramere, 98 – underside of paramere with sensory peg setae, 99 – lateral view, without paramere); 100 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 101 – female tergite X, dorsal view; 102 – gonocoxites of female genital segment. 103–106 – Mentophilonthus triseriatus (Bernhauer, 1928): 103–106 – aedeagus (103 – ventral view, 104 – lateral view, 105 – ventral view, without paramere, 106 – underside of paramere, with sensory peg setae).