Revision of the South African genus Neopimus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae)
Author
Janák, Jiří
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-04-05
4577
2
361
370
journal article
27378
10.11646/zootaxa.4577.2.8
ec1fb289-7c2d-4883-a488-aaf93a4a5da6
1175-5326
2629762
4088D2A9-DC91-4D33-9A33-392A82F19E8D
Neopimus
Özdikmen, Demir & Türkeş, 2008
(
Figs. 1–29
)
Pimus
Fagel, 1961
: 285
.
Neopimus
Özdikmen, Demir & Türkeş, 2008
: 202
(replacement name).
Type
species
:
Neopimus tragardhi
(
Fagel, 1961
)
.
Redescription.
Species of relatively small size, body length
2.8–3.5 mm
.
Head (
Figs. 1, 2
,
16
,
20
) not very large in relation to pronotum, about as wide as long; posterior margin slightly emarginated in dorsal view; neck wide, about 0.40–0.45 as wide as head across eyes; punctation variable, separated with relatively large interstices without microsculpture; pubescence inconspicuous, short, fine, and depressed. Eyes very large, strongly bulging; occupying nearly all of lateral portion of head, temples very short, about a seventh as long as eyes. Antenna (
Figs. 1
,
16
,
20
) relatively short, first two segments markedly enlarged, first segment elongate, second segment narrower and shorter than first segment, third segment markedly narrower than second segment, segment 4 shorter and slightly narrower than segment 3, segments 5–10 of gradually increasing width, segment 10 slightly longer than wide or about as long as wide. Gular sutures (
Fig. 2
) separated. Labrum (
Fig. 4
) transverse, bilobate with numerous long setae. Mandibles (
Figs. 1, 2
,
20
) stout, apically acute, each with two teeth. Maxillary palpus (
Fig. 4
) 4-jointed; first segment slender, second segment distinctly longer and wider than first segment; third segment distinctly longer and wider than second segment; fourth segment very small, needleshaped. Labial palpus (
Fig. 3
) 3-jointed; first segment widened apically, second segment longer and wider than first segment, third segment very narrow and shorter than second segment. Labium (
Fig. 3
) transverse, anterior margin dentate medially, between median tooth and lateral margin with two setae on each side. Mentum markedly transverse (
Fig. 3
).
Pronotum (
Figs. 1
,
16
,
20
) sub-trapezoid shaped, about as long as wide, slightly narrower than head, maximal width in anterior third, posteriorly narrowed; margins without long setae; punctation similar to that of head; microsculpture absent; pubescence inconspicuous, depressed.
Elytra (
Figs. 1
,
16
,
20
) short; humeral angles more or less marked; posterior margin oblique; punctuation similar to that of pronotum or less dense; surface with sparse traces of microsculpture. Hind wings reduced. Legs slender, all tarsi 5-jointed; segments 1-5 of decreasing length, all segments unmodified; protarsi without sexual dimorphism.
Abdomen (
Figs. 1
,
16
,
20
) widest at segment V, anterior segments very slightly impressed anteriorly; tergites finely and sparsely punctate. Tergite VII without white palisade fringe at posterior margin.
Male: sternites VI, VII unmodified. Posterior margin of sternite VIII emarginated (
Figs. 6
,
19
,
28
). Aedeagus (
Figs. 7–15
,
17, 18
,
21–27
), with hardly visible parameres with shape of small, flat lobes appressed to surface near median foramen (
Figs. 7, 9, 10, 11, 12
,
21, 22
), internal structures sclerotized (
Figs. 7–11
,
21–23
).
Female: posterior margin of sternite VIII convex.
Differential diagnosis.
In many external aspects,
Neopimus
resembles
Neosclerus
Cameron, 1924
which was redescribed by
Assing (2011)
. This genus is distributed in the Oriental and southern East Palaearctic regions. Both genera share the following characters: very large eyes in combination with relatively wide neck, not dentate labrum and similarly shaped labial and maxillary palpi.
Neopimus
differs from
Neosclerus
by the different
type
of aedeagus without distinct ventral process (ventral process well developed in
Neosclerus
) and by different setation of the labium (four setae instead of about eleven in
Neosclerus
). There are also differences in the shape of mandibles (two teeth in
Neopimus
and three teeth in
Neosclerus
). However, this could represent infrageneric variability as this character was checked only in a few species of both genera.
Geographical distribution.
This genus is distributed in
Eastern Cape
and
KwaZulu-Natal
Provinces in
South Africa
(
Fig. 29
).
Bionomics
. The species belonging to this genus were usually collected in forest litter.