Octavius klipkraalensis 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 : 113-114

Octavius klipkraalensis Janák sp. nov.

Figs. 27–31 , 90 , 95

Type locality. South Africa, Mpumalanga, Klipkraal forest , 25°2.7'S 30°50.95'E .

Type material ( 69 specimens). Holotype ♂: “ RSA, Mpumalanga 20.xi.2023 / 25°2.7'S 30°50.95'E, / Klipkraal, ind. forest / 1210m, J. Janák lgt.”, “Berlese extraction / leaf & log litter / sifting”, “ HOLOTYPUS Octavius klipkraalensis sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2025” ( TMSA) . Paratypes: 8 ♂, 11 ♀: same data as the holotype ( JJRC) ; 14 ♂, 36 ♀: “ RSA, Mpumalanga 20.xi.2023 / 25°2.7'S 30°50.65'E, / Klipkraal, ind. forest / 1360m, J. Janák lgt.”, “Berlese extraction / leaf & log litter / sifting” ( JJRC, PPRI) . All paratypes with additional labels: “ PARATYPUS Octavius klipkraalensis sp. nov. J. Janák det. 2025” .

Description. Body length 1.3–1.7 mm (M 1.4 mm, HT 1.6 mm), forebody length 0.6–0.7 mm (M 0.7 mm, HT 0.7 mm). Microphthalmous, apterous, rusty, head and pronotum dull, elytra and abdomen slightly ( Fig. 27 ).

Head ( Fig. 27 ) slightly narrower than pronotum (R 0.89–0.96, M 0.92, HT 0.90), eyes very small, temples about 3–4 times as long as eyes (R 3.09–4.28, M 3.69, HT 3.90), sides of head straight or very slightly rounded, slightly widened behind eyes to maximal width, then moderately narrowed towards posterior angles, posterior angles angular, median impression on disc deep and long, reaching base of head, lateral parts of head finely granulose, median part densely and moderately finely reticulate.

Pronotum ( Fig. 27 ) slightly broader than long (R 1.04–1.13, M 1.09, HT 1.13), strongly narrowed posteriorly; anterior angles rounded, dorsal impressions deep, transverse impression moderately deep, lateral impressions deep, not delimited by sharp longitudinal ridge laterally; lateral parts beside lateral impressions moderately densely granulose, surface between dorsal impressions very finely and densely reticulate, more finely than on remainder of surface.

Elytra ( Fig. 27 ) subquadrate, much broader than long (R 1.26–1.44, M 1.33, HT 1.36), with two sharp longitudinal ridges laterally; between latter and suture with two or three 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 sixth ( Fig. 30 ), sternite IX as in Fig. 31 . Aedeagus strongly asymmetrical, moderately long ( 0.39–0.42 mm, M 0.41 mm, HT 0.42 mm) and moderately wide, with one side possessing narrow apically pointed projection, with three sclerotised internal structures: two elongate and one complicated with lateral sharply pointed projection; parameres slightly shorter than median lobe, with about six lateral setae in apical quarter ( Figs. 28–29 ).

Differential diagnosis. Octavius klipkraalensis Janák , sp. nov. belongs among species with very small eyes, with temples at about 3–4 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 deep and long median impression. In the most recent key of South African Octavius ( Janák 2014) is to be arranged at the couplet 95 (94) near O. mostovskii Janák, 2014 , but it differs from this species by presence of the median impression on head, deeper dorsal impression on the pronotum and by different shape of the aedeagus.

Derivatio nominis. This species refers to the type locality–Klipkraal forest.

Distribution. Octavius klipkraalensis Janák , sp. nov. is currently recorded only from the Klipkraal forest, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa ( Fig. 95 ).

Bionomics. All specimens were collected in siftings of forest litter in forest patches of an indigenous forest at the elevation of about 1200–1400 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 90 , the abundance of specimens per kg of sifted material: 1210 m a.s.l.: 1.7/kg, 1340 m a.s.l.: 6.2/kg).

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.

FIGURES 89–94. 89: Nelshoogte forestry, Acacia trees, type locality of O. hamifer; 90: Klipkraal forest, type locality of O. klipkraalensis; 91–92: Pinnacle Rock, locality of O. morio and O. pinnaculus; 93–94: Woodbush forest: type locality of O. woodbushensis.