Gabrius lepidina, Hromádka, 2014

Hromádka, Lubomír, 2014, A review of the Afrotropical Gabrius coryndoni species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54 (2), pp. 555-562 : 561-562

Gabrius lepidina sp. nov.

( Figs 16–18 )

Type locality. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ruwenzori Mts., Kakalari river near Bombi, 1725 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J( MRAC):‘ Congo Belge, Massif Ruwenzori riv. Kakalari,affl. Bombi 1725 m, 10.iv.1954, P.Vanschuytbroeck – H.Synave,7980–84.// Holotype Gabrius lepidina sp. nov Hromádka det., 2012, [yellow oblong label, printed]’. PARATYPE: J ( LHPC): same label data as in holotype ; J ( NMPC): ‘ Tanzania, Mwanza, 11.x.1969, Ardö leg.’ All paratypes with yellow oblong printed label .

Description. Body length 4.2 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 1.9 mm.

Colouration. Head black-brown, pronotum brown-red, scutellum, elytra and abdomen brown. Maxillary, labial palpi and antennomeres 1–2 yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres brown, legs yellow.

Head trapezoidal, wider than long (ratio 14: 12.5), posterior margin obtusely rounded, bearing several variably long black bristles. Clypeus with a small rounded depression medially. Eyes flat, slightly shorter than temples (5: 6), interocular area with four coarse punctures arranged in a straight line. Distance between medial punctures ¿ve times as large as distance between medial and lateral puncture. Posterior margin with two ¿ne punctures. Temporal area with scattered punctures. Surface with ¿ne microsculpture consisting of transverse waves.

Antennae reaching posterior margin of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1–3 distinctly longer than wide, antennomeres 4 and 11 slightly longer than wide, antennomeres 5–6 as long as wide, antennomeres 7–10 slightly wider than long.

Pronotum longer than wide (ratio 15: 13), parallel-sided, anterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing several short bristles, posterior margin markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with six equidistant coarse punctures, each sublateral row with two punctures, puncture 2 slightly shifted toward lateral margin. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum very ¿nely and densely punctured, diameter of punctures as large as eye-facets, distance between punctures mostly as large as one puncture diameter.

Elytra as wide as long, slightly widened posteriad. Punctation coarser than that on scutellum, distance between punctures one puncture diameter, or slightly smaller. Surface without microsculpture; setation brown-yellow.

Legs. Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 12: 9), metatarsomere 1 shorter than metatarsomere 5, as long as metatarsomeres 2–3 combined.

Abdomen wide, very gradually narrowed posteriad from visible tergite 3. First three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines impunctate. Punctation at base of all tergites ¿ner and denser than that on elytra, becoming sparser towards posterior margin of each tergite. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Aedeagus ( Figs 16–18 ).

Differential diagnosis. Gabrius lepidina sp. nov. is quite similar to G. obnixus , but differs from the latter by the longer antennae, ¿ner and denser punctation of the elytra, 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 African Pygmy King¿sher Lepidina picta R. B. Sharp, 1871.

Distribu t ion. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania.

Figures

Figs 1–24. Genitalia of representatives of the Gabrius corydoni group (aedeagus in ventral and lateral views and detail of parameres in ventral view).1–3 – G. amans Tottenham, 1963; 4–6 – G. coryndoni Cameron, 1942; 7–9 – G. dolosus Tottenham, 1956; 10–12 – G.Àexuellus Tottenham, 1956; 13–15 – G. huendus Tottenham, 1956; 16–18 – G. lepidina sp. nov.; 19–21 – G. lethifer Tottenham, 1956; 22–24 – G. negus Tottenham, 1956