The ‘ curse of Horaeomorphus’ (almost) lifted. Revision of misplaced species from Madagascar, Comoros and Mascarenes (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae) Author Jałoszyński, Paweł text Zootaxa 2024 2024-09-04 5505 1 1 96 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5505.1.1 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5505.1.1 1175-5334 13745912 93F5E9F6-9EDC-4ED2-8F2B-1E6D0C18F893 Anhoraeomorphus ankaratranus (Franz) , comb. n. ( Figs 1–19 ) Horaeomorphus ankaratranus Franz, 1986b: 164 . Horaeomorphus manjakotompoi Franz, 1986b: 173 . Syn. n. Type material studied. Holotype of H. ankaratranus ( Madagascar ): ♂ , three labels: “Massif de l’An- / karatra,Madagaskar / lg. H.Franz 1969” [white, printed], “ Horaeomorphus / ankaratranus m. / det. H.Franz ” [yellowish, handwritten and printed], “Typus” [red, handwritten] ( NHMW ) . Paralectotypes : 26 exx., data as for holotype, except each with yellow “ Paratypus ” label ( NHMW ) . Holotype of H. manjakotompoi ( Madagascar ): ♂ , five labels: “ Manjakotompo / 6.vii.56 (E. R {or K})” [brownish, handwritten], “ ♂ ,” [white, printed], Horaeomorphus / manjakotompoi m. / det. H.Franz ” [yellowish, handwritten and printed], “Manjakotompo / VII .56 (E. R .) / Madagascar ” [white, handwritten], “Typus” [red, handwritten] ( NHMW ) . Revised diagnosis. Body ( Fig. 1 ) stout; head ( Fig. 2 ) about as long as wide, with vertex subconical, in anterodorsal view its posterior margin subtriangular; pronotum ( Fig. 9 ) subtrapezoidal, broadest at base, with two pairs of distinct antebasal pits; antennomeres 3–10 not elongate; all femora similarly slender; metatibiae in males unmodified; aedeagus ( Figs 5–8 ) in ventral view broadest near base, with apical region of dorsal wall abruptly bent dorsad, distolateral endophallic sclerites widely separated and with rounded apices, each paramere with a row of subapical setae distributed on more than distal third. Redescription. Body of male ( Figs 1 , 12 ) moderately dark to strongly dark brown with reddish hue, appendages indistinctly lighter, setae lighter than cuticle, yellowish to light brown; BL 1.59–1.68 mm . Head ( Figs 2–3 , 9–10 , 13–14 ) in anterodorsal view almost triangular, broadest at eyes, HL 0.30–0.33 mm , HW 0.28–0.30 mm ; temple in lateral view ( Fig. 3 ) subequal to length of eye; vertex and frons confluent, together weakly convex and slightly elongate; vertex subconical, with its posterior margin nearly triangular; each eye moderately large and weakly convex, with small posteromedian emargination, weakly projecting from head silhouette. Punctures on vertex fine, inconspicuous; setae short, sparse and suberect; posterior region of frons and entire vertex densely covered with thick bristles directed posteriorly. Antenna ( Figs 4 , 15 ) slender but short, slightly shorter than half BL, AnL 0.65–0.68 mm , antennomeres 1 and 2 each weakly elongate, 3–10 each about as long as broad or indistinctly transverse; 11 shorter than 9 and 10 combined, as wide as 10, about 1.8 times as long as broad. Pronotum ( Fig. 9 ) subtrapezoidal, broadest at base; PL 0.41–0.43 mm , PW 0.38–0.43 mm . Anterior margin weakly arcuate, lateral margins weakly convex and strongly diverging posteriorly; posterior corners blunt; posterior margin indistinctly convex. Base with two pairs of round and deep pits, and with barely discernible, extremely short vestiges of sublateral carinae. Disc with fine, inconspicuous punctures; setae sparse, short and suberect, lateral and lateroventral surface of pronotum with dense thick bristles. Elytra ( Fig. 1 ) together oval, broadest slightly in front of middle; EL 0.88–0.93 mm , EW 0.68–0.70 mm , EI 1.25–1.32; humeral calli weakly elevated, basal elytral foveae ( Fig. 9 ) vestigial, barely discernible even under SEM. Punctures fine and inconspicuous; setae sparse, short and suberect. Metaventrite ( Fig. 11 ) with setae similar to those on elytra but nearly impunctate. Legs moderately long, slender, unmodified except slightly recurved tibiae (mesotibiae most distinctly so). FIGURES 1–8. Anhoraeomorphus ankaratranus (Franz) , holotype. Habitus in dorsal view ( 1 ); head in anterodorsal view ( 2 ); head and prothorax in lateral view (only bristles on head are shown) ( 3 ); antenna ( 4 ); aedeagus in ventral ( 5, 7 ) and lateral ( 6, 8 ) views. Aedeagus ( Figs 5–8 , 16–19 ) stout, AeL 0.25 mm ; in ventral view broadest near base and narrowing towards truncate apex; in lateral view apical region of dorsal wall strongly and abruptly bent dorsally; endophallus with symmetrical and elongate distolateral sclerites and basilateral sclerites and with asymmetrical weakly sclerotized median structures, distolateral sclerites broadly separated and each with rounded apex; parameres slender and their apices only slightly projecting beyond aedeagal apex, each paramere with a row of sparse and short setae occupying slightly more than distal third. Female. Externally similar to male, with indistinctly shorter antennae in relation to body length. BL 1.58–1.70 mm ; HL 0.30–0.33 mm , HW 0.30 mm , AnL 0.55–0.63 mm ; PL 0.40–0.45 mm , PW 0.38–0.43 mm ; EL 0.85–0.95 mm , EW 0.68–0.73 mm , EI 1.25–1.31. Distribution. Central Madagascar (Vakinankaratra Region). FIGURES 9–11. Anhoraeomorphus ankaratranus (Franz) , holotype. Head, prothorax and elytral base in dorsal view ( 9 ); head, prothorax and anterior region of mesothorax in ventral view ( 10 ); pterothorax in ventral view ( 11 ). Abbreviations: abp, antebasal pit; bef, basal elytral fovea; gp, gular plate; gs, gular suture; hr, hypomeral ridge; hyr, hypomeral ridge; msvp, mesoventral intermesocoxal process; mtvp, metaventral process; pcr, procoxal rest; ptp, posterior tentorial pit; slc, sublateral carina; smn, submentum. FIGURES 12–19. Anhoraeomorphus ankaratranus (Franz) , holotype of Horaeomorphus manjakotompoi Franz. Habitus in dorsal view ( 12 ); head in anterodorsal view ( 13 ); head and prothorax in lateral view (only bristles on head are shown) ( 14 ); antenna ( 15 ); aedeagus in ventral ( 16, 18 ) and lateral ( 17, 19 ) views. Remarks. The type specimens of H. ankaratranus ( Figs 1–11 ) and H. manjakotompoi ( Figs 12–19 ) come from the same area of the Ankaratra volcano range (including specimens of H. ankaratranus collected in Manjakotompo). They differ only in the pigmentation ( H. ankaratranus slightly darker) and the preservation of setae and bristles on the head (in H. manjakotompoi most of them are broken off). The aedeagi have the same shapes and internal structures, and there is no doubt that these specimens belong to one species. Anhoraeomorphus ankaratranus is most similar to A. sakarahanus , including external morphology and the aedeagus. These species clearly differ in the shape of the pronotum, in A. ankaratranus broadest at base, in A. sakarahanus near posterior third. One specimen of A. ankaratranus in the type series is labeled as “Typus”, while all others as “ Paratypus ”. Franz (1986b) uses the terms “ Holotypus ” and “ Paratypes ” in his description, so the “Typus” is a correctly fixed holotype . All 27 studied specimens (from Franz Coll. in NHMW) were collected in Ankaratra volcanic range situated ~ 50 km SW of Antananarivo . Franz (1986b) states that he examined 39 specimens coming from Ankaratra, some taken in Manjakotompo, and some in Col de Manontongana. Only “Massif de l’Ankaratra” is given on all labels, without exact localities. According to Franz (1986b) , only a part of the paratypes is deposited in his collection (currently at NHMW); the depository of the remaining paratypes is unknown.