Octavius hastifer Janák, 2025

Janák, Jiří, 2025, Overview of Octavius of Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, South Africa (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Euaesthetinae) with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 5737 (1), pp. 105-126 : 110-111

Octavius hastifer Janák sp. nov.

Figs. 16–21 , 83 , 95

Type locality. South Africa, Mpumalanga, SW Josefsdal , 25°57.0'S, 31°6.65'E.

Type material ( 8 specimens). Holotype ♂: “RSA, Mpumalanga 16.xi.2023 / 25°57.0'S 31°6.65'E, ind. / forest, SW Josefsdal, nr. R40 / 1340m, J. Janák lgt.”, “Berlese extraction / leaf & log litter / sifting”, “HOLOTYPUS Octavius hastifer sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2025” ( TMSA) ; Paratypes: 6 ♂, 1 ♀: same data as the holotype ( JJRC, PPRI). All paratypes with additional labels: “ PARATYPUS Octavius hastifer sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2025”.

Description. Body length 1.2–1.6 mm (M 1.4 mm, HT 1.4 mm), forebody length 0.6–0.7 mm (M 0.65 mm, HT 0.6 mm). Microphthalmous, apterous, rusty, head and pronotum dull, elytra and abdomen moderately shiny ( Fig. 16 ).

Head ( Fig. 16 ) slightly narrower than pronotum (R 0.92–0.95, M 0.94, HT 0.92), eyes very small, temples about 4 times as long as eyes (R 3.78–6.15, M 4.66, HT 4.33), sides of head almost straight, very slightly rounded, slightly widened behind eyes to maximal width, then moderately narrowed towards posterior angles, posterior angles rounded, median impression on disc deep, lateral parts of head finely granulose, median part densely and moderately finely reticulate.

Pronotum ( Fig. 16 ) slightly broader than long (R 1.08–1.18, M 1.13, HT 1.18), strongly narrowed posteriorly; anterior angles rounded, dorsal impressions moderately deep, transverse impression deep, lateral impressions deep, not delimited by sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; lateral parts beside lateral impressions moderately densely granulose, remainder of surface moderately densely and finely reticulate.

Elytra ( Fig. 16 ) subquadrate, much broader than long (R 1.31–1.45, M 1.39, HT 1.33), with two sharp longitudinal ridges laterally; between latter and suture with two longitudinal impressions, irregularly granulate, moderately reticulate and sparsely shortly setose.

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

Male. Sternite VIII deep triangularly emarginated in posterior fifth ( Fig. 20 ), sternite IX as in Fig. 21 . Aedeagus slightly asymmetrical, moderately long ( 0.42–0.45 mm, M 0.43 mm, HT 0.44 mm) and very narrow, elongated, pointed apically, with long apically elongated pointed sclerotized internal structure; parameres slightly shorter than median lobe, markedly dilated in middle, with two or three setae in apical two thirds and about 4 subapicolateral setae ( Figs. 17–19 ).

Differential diagnosis. Octavius hastifer Janák , sp. nov. belongs among species with very small eyes, with temples at about 4 times as long as eyes, with the head not or at most slightly widened posteriorly, with small body and the disc of the head with a s deep median impression. In the most recent key of South African Octavius ( Janák 2014) is to be arranged due to length of the fore body between couplets 94 (95) and 99 (100), but differs from all species listed there mainly by different shape of the aedeagus. The aedeagus is similar to that of O. pugionifer Puthz, 2006 but narrower and longer, widened in the middle and apically with acute more sclerotized internal structure and with markedly widened parameres. The new species differs from the latter species also by the head less widened posteriorly with more rounded temples and with shallower lateral impression on the pronotum.

Derivatio nominis. The name hastifer is a compound Latin word meaning spear-bearer and refers to the shape of the median lobe of the aedeagus.

Distribution. Octavius hastifer Janák , sp. nov. is currently recorded only from the surroundings of the village Josefsdal, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa ( Fig. 95 ).

Bionomics. The type specimens were collected in siftings of forest litter in an indigenous forest at the elevation of about 1340 m a.s.l. with the abundance 1.2 specimens per kg of sifted material ( Fig. 83 ,).

Figures

FIGURE 95. Distribution of Octavius in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, South Africa.

FIGURES 11–21. 11–15. Octavius hamifer Janák, sp. nov., 11–12, 14–15, holotype; 13, paratype. 16–21. Octavius hastifer Janák, sp. nov., 16–17, 19–21, holotype; 18, paratype. 11, 16, habitus; 12–13, 17–18, aedeagus ventral; 19, apex of aedeagus ventral; 14, 20, male sternite VIII; 15, 21, male sternite IX. Identical scales 0.1 mm: 12=13; 14=15; 17=18; 20=21.

FIGURES 83–88. 83: Forest near Josefsdal, type locality of O. hastifer; 84: National Reserve Songimvelo, type locality of O. barbetonensis; 85–87: Mount Mariepskop, mountain fynbos, locality of O. attenuatus, O. mariepskopensis, O. transvaalensis and O. trihastatus; 88: Mount Mariepskop, forest, locality of O. attenuatus, O. transvaalensis and O. trihastatus.