Octavius jaloszynskii 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 : 111-113

Octavius jaloszynskii Janák sp. nov.

Figs. 22–26 , 95

Type locality. South Africa, Mpumalanga, Mariepskop , 1900 m .

Type material ( 2 specimens). Holotype ♂: “ RSA (N), Mpumalanga / - 24.5517S / 30.8721E / Mariepskop (summit) / 1900 m, mountain fynbos / 16.11.2012 / leg. P. Jałoszyński ”, “ HOLOTYPUS Octavius jaloszynskii sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2025” ( TMSA) . Paratype: 1 ♂: same data as holotype with additional label: “ PARATYPUS Octavius jaloszynskii sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2025” ( MNHW) .

Description. Body length 1.5–1.6mm (HT 1.6mm), forebody length 0.7–0.8mm (HT 0.8mm).Microphthalmous, apterous, rusty, head and pronotum dull, elytra and abdomen shiny ( Fig. 22 ).

Head ( Fig. 22 ) markedly narrower than pronotum (R 0.86–0.88, HT 0.88), eyes very small, temples about five times as long as eyes (R 4.89–5.44, HT 5.44), sides of head rounded, moderately widened behind eyes to maximal width, then moderately narrowed towards posterior angles, posterior angles moderately rounded, median impression deep and long, lateral parts of head moderately granulose, median part densely and moderately finely reticulate.

Pronotum ( Fig. 22 ) slightly broader than long (R 1.16–1.17, HT 1.17), strongly narrowed posteriorly; anterior angles angular, dorsal impressions deep, transverse impression deep, lateral impressions deep, not delimited by sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; lateral parts beside lateral impressions moderately densely granulose, surface between dorsal impressions sparsely and finely granulate and shallowly reticulate, thus more shiny than remaining surface, anterior part before transverse impression finely and densely reticulate.

Elytra ( Fig. 22 ) subquadrate, broader than long (R 1.43–1.52, HT 1.43), with two sharp longitudinal ridges laterally; between latter and suture with two impressions, sparsely and coarsely granulate and with remnants of reticulation.

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

Male. Sternite VIII widely emarginate in posterior sixth ( Fig. 25 ), sternite IX as in Fig. 26 . Aedeagus strongly asymmetrical, moderately long (0.55– 0. 58 mm, HT 0.58 mm), apically with harpoon-shaped projection and with two very narrow and long sclerotized internal structures; parameres slightly shorter than median lobe, with 7–8 setae scattered in apical third ( Figs. 23–24 ).

Differential diagnosis. Octavius jaloszynskii Janák , sp. nov. belongs among species with very small eyes, with temples at about five times as long as eyes, with the head moderately widened posteriorly, with moderate body and the disc of the head with deep median impression. In the most recent key of South African Octavius ( Janák 2014) is to be arranged at the couplet 91 (90) near O. endroedyanus Puthz, 2006 , but it differs markedly from this species by larger size, presence of deep median impression on the head, more shiny body and by different shape of the aedeagus.

Derivatio nominis. The new species is dedicated to Paweł Jałoszyński, specialist in Scydmaeninae who collected the type specimens.

Distribution. Octavius jaloszynskii Janák , sp. nov. is currently recorded only from the top of Mount Mariepskop, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa ( Fig. 95 ).

Bionomics. Both examined specimens were collected in siftings of litter in mountain fynbos at the elevation of about 1900 m a.s.l.

Figures

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

FIGURES 22–31. 22–26. Octavius jaloszynskii Janák, sp. nov., 22–23, 25–26, holotype; 24, paratype. 27–31. Octavius klipkraalensis Janák, sp. nov., 27–28, 30–31, holotype; 29, paratype. 22, 27, habitus; 23–24, 28–29, aedeagus ventral; 25, 30, male sternite VIII; 26, 31, male sternite IX. Identical scales 0.1 mm: 23=24; 25=26; 28=29; 30=31.