Afropselaphus tymficus Davranoglou, Hlavac & Banar 2023, sp. n.
Creators: name: Davranoglou, Leonidas-Romanos
name: Baňař, Petr
name: Kakiopoulos, George
name: Balázs, Attila
name: Avtzis, Dimitrios N.
name: Hlaváč, Peter
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Afropselaphus
Afropselaphus tymficus

description: Afropselaphus tymficus Davranoglou, Hlaváč & Baňař, sp. n.
(Figs 2B – 6B, 7C, D)
Material studied. Holotype, ♁: GREECE, with one label: “GREECE [GR 014] 23-24.vi.2021 / OROs TYMFI, 0.5km W PAPINGO / N39°56´49.0´´ E20°41´07.2´´, 428 m / sifting in Platanus forest; along / Voidomatis river,
Winkler app. extr. / P. Baňař, P. Hlaváč & A. Balázs lgt.” [white, printed] (NMPC). Paratypes: 1 ♁♁, 2 ♀♀, 1 ex, same data as for holotype (MMBC, PCPH); 1 ♁, 11 exx, with one label: “ GREECE [GR 013] 23-24.vi.2021 / OROs TYMFI, 0.5km W PAPINGO / 39°57´55.0´´E20°42´39.2´´ / sifting in narrow canyon along / stream, 907 m, Winkler app. extr. / P.Baňař, P.Hlaváč & A. Balázs lgt.” [white, printed] (MMBC, PCPH).
Diagnosis. Head 1.4 times longer than wide, scape 2.3 times longer than wide, median gular ridge with a distinct median bulge (Fig. 4B), tergite 1 (IV) 1.6–1.7 times broader than long, sternite 2 (IV) 2.3 times wider than long; metaventrite of male produced into distinct subtriangular spine (Fig. 6B); central spine of internal sac of aedeagus with three simple branches adjacent to a denticle-bearing sclerite (Fig. 7C, D); second spine of aedeagus simple, overlaying membrane bearing large number of denticles (Fig. 7C, D).
Description. Body length 1.9 mm. Coloration largely reddish-brown, maxillary palpi and legs lighter, posterior margin of elytra much darker, almost black (Fig. 2B). Pilosity of body sparse; head, legs, and antennae covered by sparse, adjacent golden setae; elytra with few rows of setae, which are denser on elytral marginal line; with row of setae on distal margin of elytra; proximal margin of tergite II with very dense pilosity (Fig. 2B), remaining segment largely glabrous.
Head 1.4 times longer than wide, each eye composed of 7 ommatidia (Figs. 3B, 4B); median gular ridge with a distinct median protrusion (Fig. 4B); antennae 0.9 mm long; scape cylindrical, 2.3 times longer than wide, and 2.3 times longer than pedicel; pedicel about as long as wide; pedicel and antennomeres 3–8 rounded, subequal in length; antennomeres 9–10 about 1.4 times longer than length of each antennomere 3–8; terminal antennomere (11) about 1.3 times as long as 9–10 combined, and 1.9 times longer than wide (Fig. 5B). Maxillary palpomere 1 shortest, 2 2.1 times longer than 1; 3 extremely short and rounded; palpomere 4 1.9 times longer than 2, apex club-shaped.
Pronotum 0.4 mm wide, smooth, about 1.5 times longer than wide; slightly constricted proximally and distally, broadest medially; about 1.1 times longer than head; metaventrite produced into a distinct subtriangular protuberance (Fig. 6B). Elytra about 1.4 times broader than long, and 1.1 times longer than pronotum
Abdomen about as broad as elytra; tergite 1 (IV) (excluding paratergites) 1.2 times wider than long; sternite 2 (IV) 1.9 times wider than long.
Aedeagus (Fig. 7C, D) with central spine of internal sac of aedeagus with three simple branches adjacent to a denticle-bearing sclerite (Fig. 7C, D); second spine of aedeagus simple, overlaying a membrane bearing a large number of denticles.
Measurements of holotype (in mm)—W = width, L = length. Body, L—1.87; head, L—0.37, W—0.26; antenna, L—0.9; scapus, L—0.16, W—0.07; pedicel, L—0.07, W—0.06; antennomere III, L—0.06; antennomere IV, L—0.05; antennomere V, L—0.06; antennomere VI, L—0.06; antennomere VII, L—0.05; antennomere VIII, L—0.05; antennomere IX, L—0.07; antennomere X, L—0.07; antennomere XI, L—0.19, W—0.1; maxillary palpomere I, L—0.09; maxillary palpomere II, L—0.19; maxillary palpomere III, L—0.05; maxillary palpomere IV, L—0.36; pronotum, L—0.4, W—0.27; elytra, L—0.45, W—0.31; tergite IV, L—0.45, W—0.69; tergite IV (excluding paratergites) W—0.56; ventrite IV, L—0.39, W—0.75.
Female. Similar to male, but with a smooth metaventrite.
Etymology. The new species is named after Mt. Tymfi, where it was discovered.
Habitat. Specimens were collected in dense leaf-litter accumulations from a mixed deciduous forest on Mt. Tymfi. (Fig. 8B).
Distribution. Greece (so far endemic to Mt. Tymfi).
Remarks. The complex sclerites of the internal sac of aedeagus of A. tymficus sp. n. are strongly autapomorphic and no close parallels can be found in Balkan congeners.
description: Published as part of Davranoglou, Leonidas-Romanos, Baňař, Petr, Kakiopoulos, George, Balázs, Attila, Avtzis, Dimitrios N. & Hlaváč, Peter, 2023, Three new species of Afropselaphus Jeannel, 1950 (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from Greece and a redescription of Pselaphogenius treskanus (Karaman, 1940), pp. 559-570 in Zootaxa 5351 (5) on pages 562-565, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5351.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/8392291