3 Systematic Palaeontology.
Order: Coleoptera Linnaeus, 1758
Series: Staphyliniformia Latreille, 1802
Superfamily Staphylinoidea Latreille, 1802
Family: Staphylinidae Latreille, 1802
Subfamily: Paederinae Fleming, 1821
Tribe: Pinophilini Nordmann, 1837
Subtribe: Pinophilina Nordmann, 1837
Genus: Afrinophilina gen. nov.
Type species: Afrinophilina orapa species nov., by monotype and
present designation.
Etymology: The generic epithet is a combination of Afri-, from
‘Africa’, and nophilina, from subtribe suffix ‘Pinophilina’.
Composition : Only type species Afrinophilina orapa species
nov.
Diagnosis: The new species
is placed in Paederinae using the following diagnostic characters of the
subfamily: antennal insertions concealed under “shelf” (and therefore
not visible from above), and hypomeron of prothorax with well-developed
post-coxal process. It is placed in Pinophilini based on an elongated
procoxae (as long as the profemora), broad, oval, fully exposed
trochantin, and a conspicuous second abdominal segment. It is placed in
Pinophilina, rather than Procirrina, based on the presence of
well-preserved pair of paratergites on segments III-VIII. Characters
which distinguishes this new species from other Pinophilina include the
lack of an emarginate shape of the rear margins of the elytra (Herman
2010), broad neck and having two pairs of paratergites on each side of
segments III-VI.
Afrinophilina orapa species nov. (Figs 2, 3, 4 and 7).
Etymology: The epithet of the new species is a name of the
deposit where the specimen was discovered, which in itself is derived
from Sesarwa (a San or Bushmen language), and is named after a nearby
cattle post, meaning ‘the resting place of lions’ (De Beers Group
website
https://www.debeersgroup.com/about-us/our-operations/our-mines/botswana).
Material studied: Holotype, adult (specimen number BP./2/27586a
(part) and BP./2/27596 (counterpart), Herbarium, Evolutionary Studies
Institute (ESI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South
Africa).
Type locality and horizon: Botswana, Orapa Diamond Mine,
lacustrine deposit, Upper Cretaceous (Davis 1977; and Haggerty et al.
1983).
Diagnosis: As for the genus Afrinophilinagen. nov. .
Description: Body slender measuring 8.81 mm in length (from tip
of mandibles to tip of abdomen) and 1.82 mm in width (from exterior edge
of one elytron to edge of another elytron, at widest point). Covered
with setae of variable length throughout (Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 7).
Head (Fig. 5), 1.44 mm long (from tip of mandible to anterior margin of
pronotum) and 1.01 mm wide at widest point just anterior to neck, making
it approximately 1.4 x longer than wide, with distinct curved temples;
width of head 1.4 x broader than width of neck constriction, with broad
neck. Eyes (Fig. 5) not well preserved, circular to slightly oval,
located closer to base of antennae, covering 1/3 of temple. Antennae
filiform (Figs. 2 and 3), approximately length of head and prothorax,
bases hidden under “shelf” at base of head; proximal antennomers
incomplete, but antennomere 1 appears less or equal length as
antennomers 2 and 3, antennomeres 9 and 10 funnel shaped, antennomere 11
poorly preserved, but with funnel shape, suggesting that it had
spiniform pencil of setae, in general antennae with setae visible in
many places. Mandibles curved, sickle-shaped, left mandible curved over
right, possibly with traces of teeth posteriorly. Pair of long setae
posterior to base of mandibles. Labial palps, represented only by
indistinct segment or portion of segment adjacent to left mandible.
Labrum poorly preserved. Several indistinct structures in region which
could be interpreted as spines or lobes. Margin between labrum and
frontoclypeus apparently straight, curved at corners. Gular sutures
fully separate, apparently reaching posterior margin of head.
Pronotum (Fig. 2, 3 and 4) rectangular with curved sides, longer than
wide (0.59 mm wide, 0.68 mm long); length 0.9 x less than that of head,
width 1.1 x broader than head, anterior margin forms slight collar
around the neck, posterior margin gently curved. Superior marginal line
apparently deflexed, reaching from anterior margin of prothorax and
tapering off just before posterior corner of prothorax. Distinct
post-coxal process of hypomeron visible. Longitudinal carina of
furcasternum present, sharp, apparently extending anterior towards
longitudinal carina of basisternum, crossed by transverse basisternum
carina anteriorly.
Elytra (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) jointly 1.6 x wider and 1.1 x longer than
pronotum. Elytra oval, collectively wider than long (each 1.61 mm long,
from posterior margin of pronotum to anterior margin of elytron, 1.76 mm
wide); with epipleural margin, but no obvious epipleural ridge;
separated at base by small scutellum, with faint striae. Elytral
posterior margins curved evenly, non-emarginate, apparently with long
setae.
Prothoracic legs (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) with broad coxa, long as femur,
trochanter large and oval, tibia narrow at base, becoming broader
distally, lacking any distinct medial expansion, with row of setae in
posterior mid-section, possibly representing longitudinally arranged
protibial combs (Fig. 6), distal surface with grooves which also
represent ctenidium, only tarsomere 1 preserved, moderately expanded,
triangular, with curved distal surface fringed with short setae.
Mesocoxae indistinct, remainder of leg represented by poorly preserved
fragments of femur and tibia, femur covered with long setae, remnants of
tarsal segments visible. Thorns on mesotibia not visible. Metathoracic
coxae apparently large and extended, trochanter difficult to discern,
femurs projecting beyond side of body, tibia 1 ½ x long as femur, with
tibial thorn at apex, tarsomere 1 about 1 ½ x longer than tarsomere 2,
approximately same for tarsomere 5, although with poorly-preserved
distal segments.
Abdomen (Fig. 2, 3 and 4) approximately 3 x elytral length and 1.2 x
elytral width, 3 ½ x as long as wide (4.96 mm long, 1.56 mm wide),
apparently with waist (but this may be due to poor preservation of first
visible segment), tapering strongly from segment VI. Segments II-VIII
visible, segment II distinct, without paratergites, with intercoxal
carina in the middle that extends into segment III, segments III-VIII
each with pair of paratergites, segments III-VI each with two pairs of
paratergites, segment IX with pair of setiferous latero-apical
processes, separated by pair of pointed structures interpreted as tergal
plates (Naomi 1989).
Palaeoenvironment: There has been no recent review of the
Pinophilina. Apparently, most of them prefer wet tropical forest
environments (Campbell and Peck 1989), a view shared with the Procirrina
(Herman 2010). Extant paederines are commonly found
in damp places, under logs,
litter or foliage, while some have been recorded inhabiting caves and
ant nests.
Remarks: The maxillary palps crucial for differentiating the
tribes within the Paederinae are not preserved. Its first protarsal
segment (protibial combs) is dilated with a setiferous margin as for the
Pinophilini. However, there are other taxa, for example,Scymbalium and Micrillis (classified as Lathrobiiniincertae sedis ), with similar features (Bogri et al. 2020). The
tribe Lathrobiini was ruled out based on an invisible, typical small and
unmodified apical (fourth) maxillary palpomere. Interestingly, this
species shares the characters of having an elongated procoxae and
well-developed abdominal segment II with Mesostaphylinus(Solodovnikov et al. 2013), but is more similar to the Pinophilina in
other features. The elongated procoxae are not typical forMesostaphylinus . The abdominal segment II is not usually
preserved in fossils, as it is mostly hidden behind the elytra, making
it difficult to compare this character.