Mentophilonthus schoutedeni ( Bernhauer, 1928 ) Hromádka, 2009

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 : 146-148

Mentophilonthus schoutedeni ( Bernhauer, 1928) comb. nov.

( Figs. 81–87 )

Philonthus (Philonthus) schoutedeni Bernhauer, 1928: 115 .

Type locality. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mongende.

Type material examined. LECTOTYPE (here designated): ♁, ‘ Holotype ♁ / Congo Belge, Mongende 20.iv.1921, Dr. Schouteden [ochre oblong label handwritten]’ ( FMNH) . PARALECTOTYPES: ♀, same label data as lectotype ( MRAC) ; 1 spec., ‘ Typus ♀ / Congo Belge, Mongende, 19. iv.1921, H. Schouteden, Chicago NHMus., M. Bernhauer collection [ochre, oblong label, handwritten]’ ( FMNH) ; ♀, ‘ Cotypus ♀ / Mongende, 21.iv.1921, H. Schouteden, Chicago NHMus., M. Bernhauer collection [ochre, oblong label, handwritten]’ ( FMNH) .

Note. Original description mentions only locality data without the specification of number of specimens and designation of the holotype. For this reason, I consider all specimens mentioned above as syntypes irrespective of the type indication attached to them and hereby designate the lectotype of this species.

Additional material examined. GHANA: 2 spec., ‘ Bia National Park , 26.–27.iv.1984, leg. W.Rossi’ ( CABF, LHPC) . DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: 1 spec., ‘ Haut-Uele : Dika, 25.iii.1925, Dr. H. Schouteden, det. 5561’ ( MRAC) ; 1 spec., ‘ Haut Uelé : Watsa, iii.1920, I. Burgeon’ ( MRAC) .

Redescription. Body length: 8.4–8.6 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 4.0– 4.2 mm.

Colouration. Head black, pronotum, scutellum and abdomen black-brown, elytra brownred to black-brown, elytral suture black, antennal sockets and clypeus along anterior margin very narrowly yellow-brown, palpi brown, antennomere 1 and larger part of antennomere 2 brown-yellow, remaining antennomeres black-brown, all femora brown-yellow, tibiae and tarsi dark-brown.

Head relatively small, rounded, almost as wide as long, hardly narrowed behind eyes, posterior angles almost obliterated. Eyes considerably large, flat, much longer than temples (ratio 13: 6.5). Anterior margin of each eyes with one puncture, temporal area with few setiferous punctures of unequal size. Surface with dense and fine microsculpture consisting of transverse and oblique waves.

Antennae reaching posterior fourth of pronotum when reclined.Antennomere 1 somewhat longer than antennomeres 2–3 combined, antennomere 11 shorter than antennomeres 9–10 combined. Relative lengths of antennomeres: 1 = 10; 2 = 4.5; 3 = 5; 4–7 = 3; 8–10 = 2.5; 11 =4.5.

Pronotum hardly wider than long (ratio 39.5: 38), hardly narrowed anteriad. Posterior angles strongly rounded. Each dorsal and each sublateral row with one puncture. Lateral margins each with several black bristles of unequal length in anterior half. Dorsal surface shiny, microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum sparsely punctured. Punctures as large as eye-facets, separated by distance hardly larger than puncture diameter in transverse direction. Surface between punctures without microsculpture.

Elytra combined wider than long (ratio 55: 44), hardly widened posteriad, without distinct punctation, only with scattered microscopic dots and longitudinal row of four larger punctures situated at midwidth of each elytron. Surface without microsculpture, shiny. Lateral and posterior margins with several long dark bristles.

Legs. Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 20: 18), all tibiae with many dark bristles of unequal length. Metatarsomere 1 somewhat shorter than metatarsomeres 2–3 combined, metatarsomere 5 somewhat shorter than metatarsomeres 3–4 combined. Relative lengths of metatarsomeres: 1 = 6; 2 = 4; 3 = 3; 4 = 2.5; 5 = 5.

Abdomen slightly narrowed posteriad. First four visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines impunctate. Punctation of visible tergites somewhat coarser and denser than that on elytra, denser on anterior portion of all tergites. Surface between punctures without microsculpture, shiny; setation brown-yellow.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–3 conspicuously dilated, sub-bilobed, densely covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 distinctly narrower than preceding ones. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 85 ), aedeagus ( Figs. 81–84 ).

Female. Protarsomeres 1–3 less dilated than those in male, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Tergite X ( Fig. 86 ), gonocoxites of female genital segment ( Fig. 87 ).

Differential diagnosis. Mentophilonthus schoutedeni may be distinguished from the similar M. lampropterus by the paler antennomere 1, coarser and sparser punctation of scutellum, different punctation of the elytra, and different shape of the aedeagus.

Bionomics. Unknown.

Distribution. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana.

Figures

Figs. 81–94. 81–87 – Mentophilonthus schoutedeni (Bernhauer, 1928): 81–84 aedeagus (81 – ventral view, 82 – lateral view, 83 – ventral view, without paramere, 84 – underside of paramere with sensory peg setae); 85 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view; 86 – female tergite X, dorsal view; 87 – gonocoxites of female genital segment. 88–94 – Mentophilontus seriatipennis (Bernhauer, 1928): 88–92 – aedeagus (88 – ventral view, without paramere,89 – lateral view, 90 – ventral view, 91 – underside of paramere with sensory peg setae, 92 – apical portion of male sternite VIII, ventral view); 93 – male sternite IX, ventral view; 94 – female tergite X, dorsal view.