Mentophilonthus centrafricanus Levasseur, 1980

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 : 121-124

Mentophilonthus centrafricanus Levasseur, 1980

( Figs. 3–10 )

Mentophilonthus centrafricanus Levasseur, 1980: 356 .

Type locality. Republic of South Africa, Bangoran, S. W. Ndélé.

Type material examined. Holotype: ♁, ‘ Republic of South Africa, Bangoran s. w. Ndélé, Savane boisée, crotte buffle, i.1968, R. Cailleux, dessine, Museum Paris. // Holotype, Mentophilonthus centrafricanus, Levasseur , det. [white label with red margin, handwritten]’ ( MNHP) .

Additional material examined. BOTSWANA: 1 spec., Okavango-Delta, Moremi Wildlife Reserve, Third Bridge Campsite, 19°14´22˝S / 23°21´24˝E, at light, M. Uhlig lgt., 10.iii.1993 ( ZMHB). NAMIBIA: 1 spec., ‘Exp. ZMB 1992, Kavango : Mahango Game, Reserve Elefantenmist, 18°17´S / 21°43´E, 28.ii.1992, leg. M. Uhlig’ ( ZMHB) ; 1 spec., ‘ Exp. ZMB 1992, East Caprivi : Katima Mulilo, lux, 17°29´S / 24°17´E, 8.iii.1992, leg. M. Uhlig’ ( ZMHB) ; 1 spec., ‘ Exp. ZMB 1992, Bushmanland: Klein Pobe , 19°25´S / 20°21´E, lux, 19.–21.ii.1992, leg. M.Uhlig’ ( ZMHB) ; 1 spec., ‘ 15.iv.1993, 18°37´S / 16°49´E, Etosha NP, 25km NWN Namutoni , elephant dung,leg.B.+ M. Uhlig’ ( ZMHB). REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: 2 spec., ‘ 31.xii.1998, Kruger NP: Skukuza, elephant dung, ex sample No. 2 leg. C. Paetel’ ( ZMHB, LHPC) ; 1 spec., ‘ 3.i.1999: Kruger NP: Skukuza, zebra dung, ex sample No. 1, leg. C. Paetel’ ( ZMHB) ; 3 spec., ‘ 4.i.1999, Kruger NP: Skukuza, elepaht dung, ex sample No. 7, leg. C. Paetel’ ( ZMHB, LHPC) ; 4 spec., ‘ 5.i.1999, Kruger NP: Skukuza, ex elephant dung, ex sample No. 9, leg. C. Paetel’ ( ZMHB) ; 2 spec.: ‘ 7.i.1999, Kruger NP: Skukuza, ex elephant dung, ex sample No. 1., leg. C.Paetel’ ( LHPC) ; 14 spec., ‘ Kruger Nat. PK. Punda Maria , 22.41´S–31.01´E, 3.ii.1994, E.–Y.:2977, elephant dung, leg. Endrödy–Younga’ ( TMNP) ; 3 spec., ‘ Kruger Nat. PK. Malongasprings 2 km W, 22.38´S–31.17´E, 8.ii.1994, E.– Y.: 2987, elephant dung, leg. Endrödy–Younga’ ( TMNP) ; 2 spec., ‘ Kruger Nat. PK. Punda Milia , sand, 22.38°S– 31°02´E, 3.ii.1994, E.–Y.: 2974, ground traps with faeces bait, leg. Endrödy–Younga’ ( TMNP) ; 2 spec., ‘ Kruger Nat., PK. Skukuza rec. Camp, 25.00°S– 31.35°E, 19.ii.1995, E.–Y.: 3102, UV light-trap, leg. Endrödy-Younga’ ( TMNP). ZAMBIA: 12 spec., ‘ 24.iii. 2003, 13°S / 31°E / south Luangwa NP, elephant dung, ca. 450m, leg. M. Uhlig’ ( ZMHB) .

Redescription. Body length 6.8–7.1 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 3.2–3.5 mm.

Colouration. Head black, anterior margin of clypeus and antennal sockets narrowly reddish yellow, labrum and mandibles dark brown, pronotum black-brown, elytra black, epipleura and posterior margins of elytra narrowly yellow-brown, abdomen black with golden reflex, posterior margins of first four visible tergites narrowly reddish, maxillary and labial palpi brown, antennomeres 1–2 brown-yellow, remaining antennomeres dark brown, legs brown-yellow.

Head slightly wider than long (ratio 19: 16). Posterior angles of head capsule with two long black bristles. Eyes flat, almost twice as long as temples (eye length / temple length ratio 8.5: 4.5). Posterior margin of eyes with two setiferous punctures. Temporal area with several coarse punctures. Dorsal surface of head with fine and dense microsculpture and numerous microscopic dots.

Antennae reaching posterior fifth of pronotum when reclined. Antennomere 1 slightly longer than antennomeres 10–11 combined. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1 = 7; 2–4 = 4; 3 = 5; 4–8 = 3; 9–10 = 2.5; 11 = 3.5.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide (ratio 30: 27.5), slightly narrowed anteriad. Each dorsal row with two punctures, each sublateral row with one puncture situated halfway between dorsal row and lateral margin. Microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum finely and sparsely punctate, punctures distinctly smaller than eye-facets, transverse interspaces between punctures 2× as large as diameters of punctures. Surface with very fine microsculpture; setation black.

Elytra combined distinctly wider than long (ratio 37: 32), widened posteriad. Punctation fine and very dense; punctures equal in size to eye-facets, separated mostly by distance larger than puncture diameter. Longitudinal row of four coarser punctures situated at about midwidth of elytron. Surface without microsculpture; setation testaceous.

Legs. Metatibia slightly longer than metatarsus (ratio 20: 18). Metatarsomere 1 slightly shorter than metatarsomere 5, relative lengths of metatarsomeres: 1 = 6; 2–4 = 2; 5 = 6.5.

First four visible abdominal tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines very sparsely punctate. Punctation of all tergites finer and much sparser than that on elytra; setation of the same colour as that on elytra.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–3 conspicuously dilated and subbilobed, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 distinctly narrower than preceding ones. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 7 ), sternite IX ( Fig. 8 ), aedeagus ( Figs. 3–6 ).

Female. Protarsomeres 1–3 much less dilated than those in male, each with a few modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 small. Tergite X ( Fig. 9 ), gonocoxites of female genital segment ( Fig. 10 ).

Differential diagnosis. Mentophilonthus centrafricanus is similar to M. dilutior from which it differs by the longer antennae, larger eyes and denser punctation of the scutellum and abdomen. It differs from M. ochrigonalis by the narrower head and sparser punctation of the abdomen, and from M. mongedensis by the lighter-coloured first two antennomeres. It differs from all Mentophilonthus species by the shape of the aedeagus.

Bionomics. Most specimens have been found in the dung of mammals, in sand, pitfall traps with faeces bait and in light traps.

Distribution. Botswana, Namibia, Republic of South Africa and Zambia (this paper); Central African Republic ( HERMAN 2001).

Figures

Figs. 1–10. 1 – Philonthus (Philonthus) splendens (Fabricius, 1793), head, ventral view. 2 – Mentophilonthus triseriatus (Bernhauer, 1928), head, ventral view. 3–10. M. centrafricanus Levasseur, 1980: 3–6 – aedeagus (3 – ventral view, 4 – lateral view, 5 – dorsal view, 6 – underside of paramere, with sensory peg setae); 7 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 8 – male sternite IX, ventral view; 9 – female tergite X, dorsal view; 10 – gonocoxites of female genital segment. (Figs 1–2 redrawn from LEVASSEUR (1965)).