One new species of Henoticus Thomson, 1868, H. acutioculis n. sp., from South Africa is described.
1 Introduction
Currently, species of Henoticus Thomson, 1868 are known from the most zoogeographical regions like the Holarctic, Neotropical and Afrotropical Region and and few species from the Oriental Region. About 34 valid species are described, 18 species from the Afrotropical Region (without Madagascar). The most afrotropical species are distributed in East Africa, where they were found in higher altitudes restiricted to more or less small areas. One species is described from Cameroon. No species was described or recorded from South Africa except H. californicus (Mannerheim, 1843), a cosmopolitan species. H. minor Bruce, 1965 and H. rhodesiensis Bruce, 1965 occur in Zimbabwe and are recorded relatively close to the locus typicus of the new species described below.
2 Material and methods
The material examined is deposited in the following collections:
Morphological studies were conducted using a Euromex DZ 1605 and Euromex BB.1153.PLI microcope. Photographs were created with a ToupCam 14MP (ToupTek).
Body length was measured from the head to the apex of the elytra, length of pronotum in the middle, broadness on the broadest part
3 Systematic account
3.1 Henoticus acutioculis n. sp.
(Fig. 1)
Type material
Holotype: “RSA: Mpumalanga Prov., Marieskop Forest Reserve, 1300–1600 m, 21.–26.XI.2008, leg. W. Schawaller” (SMNS). Paratypes: 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀ with the same data as holo-type (SMNS, cES).
Etymology
The specific epithet is composed of the Latin adjective acutus (acute) and the noun oculus (eye) due to the acute eyes.
Description
Male, 1,7 mm, reddish-brown, slightly convex. Legs and antennae pale and slender, tarsi five-segmented except hind tarsi in male (four-segmented). Fore tarsi (segment 1 to 4) are widened in male. Antennae slender, club three-segmented and well defined. Segments 3 to 8 are more or less elongate, segments 9 and 10 moderately transverse, segment 11 conical. Head with eyes strongly acute. Pronotum large, convex, sides moderately rounded, widest behind the middle, margin denticulate. Pronotum strongly and densely punctated, with deep impression at base. Elytra less strongly and densely punctated, widest at the end of the basal third, backward more straight, rounded in the basal third. Hind wings absent. Body covered with yellow pubescence composed of shorter decumbent hairs and (only on elytra) longer hairs forming rows and more erected.
Comparative notes
The new species is similar to many afrotropical species from mountain ranges that are also wingless or have reduced wings. Henoticus acutioculis n. sp. is easily distinguishable by its strong, acute eyes. Other species have rounded or strongly hemispherical eyes.
3.2 Catalog of afrotropical Henoticus Thomson, 1868
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Wolfgang Schawaller for the loan of series of Henoticus acutioculis n. sp.
